Just one month after a FedEx worker tossed a computer monitor over a customer's fence, breaking it and igniting a firestorm of negative publicity for the private delivery service, a U.S. Postal Service mail carrier has been caught on camera doing the exact same thing.
California resident Michael Oreb, whose package contained an antique 1938 German Black Forest cuckoo clock, told NBC Los Angeles that he had been eagerly awaiting the shipment, tracking it online throughout its journey.
"I looked and he pulled up, threw it (the box) over the fence and then got in the van and drove off, Oreb told the station.
Oreb said the post office was responsive to his complaint and immediately sent a representative to his North Hollywood home to investigate the matter.
The Postal Service also responded by issuing an official statement to NBC Los Angeles, according to The Consumerist:
The U.S. Postal Service was dismayed to see the video of one of our employee throwing a parcel over a fence. That does not represent the kind of service we strive to provide our customers.
The bad PR is probably the last thing that the Postal Service needs. The agency is facing bankruptcy and will make cuts to first-class mail service in the spring. The estimated $3 billion in cuts will provide short-term relief but may push more businesses to use the internet.
Though the incident severely damaged Oreb's clock, which will likely require expensive repairs, he told NBC he doesn't want to see the mail carrier fired, only reprimanded.
"I will take it in and find me a repairman who works on antique clocks and have them repair it and I'll send them the bill," Oreb said in the interview.