Going postal

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Going postal is an American English slang phrase referring to becoming extremely and uncontrollably angry, often to the point of violence, and usually in a workplace environment. The expression derives from a series of incidents from 1986 onward in which United States Postal Service (USPS) workers shot and killed managers, fellow workers, police officers and members of the general public in acts of mass murder. Between 1970 and 1997, more than 40 people were killed by then-current or former employees in at least 20 incidents of workplace rage. Between 1986 and 2011, workplace shootings happened roughly twice per year, with an average of 1.18 people killed per year. [1]

Contents

Origin

The earliest known written use of the phrase was on December 17, 1993, in the American newspaper the St. Petersburg Times :

The symposium was sponsored by the U.S. Postal Service, which has seen so many outbursts that in some circles excessive stress is known as "going postal." Thirty-five people have been killed in 11 post office shootings since 1983. The USPS does not approve of the term "going postal" and has made attempts to stop people from using the saying. Some postal workers, however, feel it has earned its place. [2]

On December 31, 1993, the Los Angeles Times said, "Unlike the more deadly mass shootings around the nation, which have lent a new term to the language, referring to shooting up the office as 'going postal'." [3]

As a result of two shootings on the same day on May 6, 1993, in 1993 the USPS created 85 Workplace Environment Analysts for domicile at its 85 postal districts. These new positions were created to help with violence prevention and workplace improvement. In February 2009, the USPS unilaterally eliminated these positions as part of its downsizing efforts. [4] [5]

Notable postal shootings

Edmond, Oklahoma, 1986

On August 20, 1986, postman Patrick Sherrill shot and killed 14 employees and wounded six at the Edmond, Oklahoma, post office. Sherrill then killed himself with a shot to the forehead. [6]

Royal Oak, Michigan, 1991

The U.S. post office in Royal Oak RoyalOakPostoffice.JPG
The U.S. post office in Royal Oak

On November 14, 1991, in Royal Oak, Michigan, Thomas McIlvane killed five people, including himself, and injured five others with a rifle in Royal Oak's post office, after being fired from the Postal Service for "insubordination". He had been previously suspended for getting into altercations with postal customers on his route. [7]

For some time before the Royal Oak incident, the service had experienced labor/management and operational problems and customer service complaints. This had drawn the attention of local media. The Office of Senator Carl Levin investigated Royal Oak, the results of which were summarized in a September 10, 1991, staff memorandum. The memorandum documented "patterns of harassment, intimidation, cruelty and allegations of favoritism in promotions and demotions ... [and] testimony relating to wide-ranging delivery and service problems" before the McIlvane shooting. [8] [9]

Goleta, California, 2006

Jennifer San Marco, a former postal employee, killed six postal employees before killing herself with a handgun, on the evening of January 30, 2006, at a large postal processing facility in Goleta, California. [10] Police later also identified a seventh victim dead in a condominium complex in Goleta where San Marco once lived. [11] According to media reports, the Postal Service had forced San Marco to retire in 2003 because of her worsening mental problems. The incident is believed to be the deadliest workplace shooting ever carried out in the United States by a woman. [12] [13]

Analysis

In 1998, the United States Congress conducted a joint hearing to review the violence in the U.S. Postal Service. In the hearing, it was noted that while the postal service accounted for less than 1% of the full-time civilian labor force, 13% of workplace homicides were committed at postal facilities by current or former employees. [14]

In 2000, researchers found that the homicide rates at postal facilities were lower than at other workplaces. In major industries, the highest rate of 2.1 homicides per 100,000 workers per year was in retail. The homicide rate for postal workers was 0.22 per 100,000 versus 0.77 per 100,000 workers in general. [15] The common depiction of an employee returning to work for revenge on their boss is over-stated. More than half of mass workplace shootings are by current employees, and a little under a quarter are by employees who have been at their job for less than a year. [1]

Cultural impact

In the controversial video game series Postal , the player takes on the role of a mass murderer in the first game, and in the later series a first-person role performing normally mundane chores (such as picking up a paycheck from work) with an often gratuitously violent twist. In 1997, the USPS sued the creators of the game, Running with Scissors, over the use of the term "postal". Running with Scissors argued that, despite its title, the game has absolutely nothing to do with the USPS or its employees. The case was dismissed with prejudice in 2003. [16]

The 1994 comedy film Naked Gun 33+1⁄3: The Final Insult includes a scene where the main character must deal with a series of escalating threats, including the sudden appearance of dozens of disgruntled postal workers randomly firing weapons in every direction. [17]

In the 1996 simulation game Afterlife , one of Wrath's punishments involves putting two groups of sinful souls in a post office, one in line to send a package and another working in the mail room, expecting both to get frustrated and grab rifles to initiate shootouts. [18]

In the 1995 film Clueless , Cher Horowitz, played by Alicia Silverstone, frets, "I had an overwhelming sense of ickiness... like Josh thinking I was mean was making me postal." [19]

In the 1995 fantasy film Jumanji , after the hunter Van Pelt purchases a replacement rifle at the local gun shop and then bribes the clerk into filling out the necessary legal documents for him, the clerk asks Van Pelt whether he is a postal worker.

The 2004 Discworld novel Going Postal by Terry Pratchett centers around Moist von Lipwig, a con artist and criminal, who as punishment is made the Postmaster General of Ankh-Morpork and forced to revive the Post Office. [20] The phrase "going postal" meaning "to go mad" is used in subsequent books in reference to the events of the novel.

In the Brooklyn Nine-Nine episode "USPIS", self-righteous United States Postal Inspection Service agent Jack Danger (pronounced Donger), who is passionate about his job, is adamant that "going postal" is the term most associated with bringing goodness into people's lives, which is a view shared by his co-workers, though not the NYPD Detectives. [21]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United States Postal Service</span> Independent agency of the U.S. federal government

The United States Postal Service (USPS), also known as the Post Office, U.S. Mail, or simply the Postal Service, is an independent agency of the executive branch of the United States federal government responsible for providing postal service in the United States, its insular areas and associated states. It is one of a few government agencies explicitly authorized by the Constitution of the United States. As of 2023, the USPS has 525,469 career employees and 114,623 non-career employees.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mass murder</span> Act of murdering many people in a short span

Mass murder is the violent crime of killing a number of people, typically simultaneously or over a relatively short period of time and in close geographic proximity. A mass murder typically occurs in a single location where one or more persons kill several others.

A postal worker is one who works for a post office, such as a mail carrier. In the U.S., postal workers are represented by the National Association of Letter Carriers, AFL–CIO, National Postal Mail Handlers Union – NPMHU, the National Association of Rural Letter Carriers and the American Postal Workers Union, part of the AFL–CIO. In Canada, they are represented by the Canadian Union of Postal Workers and in the United Kingdom by the Communication Workers Union.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Workplace violence</span> Assault, abuse or threat that occurs in the workplace

Workplace violence, violence in the workplace, or occupational violence refers to violence, usually in the form of physical abuse or threat, that creates a risk to the health and safety of an employee or multiple employees. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health defines worker on worker, personal relationship, customer/client, and criminal intent all as categories of violence in the workplace. These four categories are further broken down into three levels: Level one displays early warning signs of violence, Level two is slightly more violent, and level three is significantly violent. Many workplaces have initiated programs and protocols to protect their workers as the Occupational Health Act of 1970 states that employers must provide an environment in which employees are free of harm or harmful conditions.

The Goleta postal facility shootings were a spree killing perpetrated by Jennifer San Marco on January 30, 2006. San Marco, a former United States Postal Service employee, shot and killed six people in Goleta, California, before taking her own life. Prior to the Goleta shooting, she shot and killed a former neighbor in nearby Santa Barbara.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">National Rural Letter Carriers' Association</span>

The National Rural Letter Carriers' Association (NRLCA) is an American labor union that represents the rural letter carriers of the United States Postal Service (USPS). The NRLCA negotiates all labor agreements for the rural carrier craft with the USPS, including salaries, and represents members of the rural carrier craft in the grievance procedure. The NRLCA's stated goal is to "improve the methods used by rural letter carriers, to benefit their conditions of labor with the United States Postal Service, and to promote a fraternal spirit among its members."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Edmond post office shooting</span> Mass shooting in Edmond, Oklahoma

The Edmond post office shooting was a mass shooting that occurred in Edmond, Oklahoma, on August 20, 1986. In less than fifteen minutes, 44-year-old postal worker Patrick Sherrill pursued and shot several coworkers, killing 14 and injuring another six, before committing suicide. It is currently the deadliest workplace shooting in U.S. history, as well as the deadliest shooting by a lone gunman in the state of Oklahoma.

An occupational fatality is a death that occurs while a person is at work or performing work related tasks. Occupational fatalities are also commonly called "occupational deaths" or "work-related deaths/fatalities" and can occur in any industry or occupation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hartford Distributors shooting</span> Mass shooting in Manchester, Connecticut

The Hartford Distributors shooting was a mass shooting that occurred on August 3, 2010, in Manchester, Connecticut, United States. The location of the crime was a warehouse owned by Hartford Distributors, a beer distribution company. The gunman, former employee Omar Sheriff Thornton shot and killed eight male coworkers before turning a gun on himself.

<i>Murder by Proxy: How America Went Postal</i> 2010 American film

Murder By Proxy: How America Went Postal is a 2010 American documentary film that examines the phenomenon of spree killing, particularly in a workplace, that became known in the United States as "going postal".

Valhermoso Springs is an unincorporated community in Morgan County, Alabama, United States. Valhermoso Springs is located on Alabama State Route 36, 6.7 miles (10.8 km) east-northeast of Somerville. Valhermoso Springs has a post office with ZIP code 35775.

Mail Isolation Control and Tracking (MICT) is an imaging system employed by the United States Postal Service (USPS) that takes photographs of the exterior of every piece of mail that is processed in the United States. The Postmaster General has stated that the system is primarily used for mail sorting, though it also enables the USPS to retroactively track mail correspondence at the request of law enforcement. It was created in the aftermath of the 2001 anthrax attacks that killed five people, including two postal workers. The automated mail tracking program was created so that the Postal Service could more easily track hazardous substances and keep people safe, according to U.S. Postmaster General Patrick R. Donahoe.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mass shootings in the United States</span> Incidents involving multiple victims of firearm violence

Mass shootings are incidents involving multiple victims of firearm related violence. Definitions vary, with no single, broadly accepted definition. One definition is an act of public firearm violence—excluding gang killings, domestic violence, or terrorist acts sponsored by an organization—in which a shooter kills at least four victims.

Melcroft is an unincorporated community in Saltlick Township in Fayette County, Pennsylvania, United States. The community is located along state routes 381 and 711, 10.9 miles (17.5 km) east-northeast of Connellsville. Melcroft has a post office, with ZIP code 15462, which opened on September 13, 1918.

On May 31, 2019, a mass shooting occurred at a municipal building in the Princess Anne area of Virginia Beach, Virginia. The gunman, DeWayne Craddock, who was a disgruntled city employee, fatally shot 12 people and wounded four others before he was killed by responding police officers. It is the second-deadliest workplace shooting in U.S. history after the 1986 Edmond post office shooting and the deadliest mass shooting in Virginia since the 2007 Virginia Tech shooting.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act</span> United States federal statute

The Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act (PAEA) or the Postal Act of 2006 is a United States federal statute enacted by the 109th United States Congress and signed into law by President George W. Bush on December 20, 2006. It was meant to overhaul the United States Postal Service (USPS) after a financial crisis affected the Service in 2001. It was the first major overhaul of the USPS since the Service became an independent agency in 1970.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2021 San Jose shooting</span> Mass shooting in San Jose, California

On May 26, 2021, a mass shooting occurred at a Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) rail yard in San Jose, California, United States. A 57-year-old VTA employee, Samuel James Cassidy, shot and killed nine VTA employees before committing suicide. It is the deadliest mass shooting in the history of the San Francisco Bay Area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Royal Oak post office shootings</span> Mass shooting in Royal Oak, Michigan

On November 14, 1991, a mass shooting occurred at the United States Post Office in Royal Oak, Michigan, United States. In the incident, a disgruntled former postal worker, identified as 31-year-old Thomas McIlvane, shot and killed four post office employees before committing suicide.

References

  1. 1 2 Lee, Seungmug; McCrie, Robert (2012). "Mass Homicides by Employees in the American Workplace" (PDF).
  2. ↑ Vick, Karl, "Violence at work tied to loss of esteem", St. Petersburg Times, Dec 17, 1993
  3. ↑ "The Year in Review 1993", Los Angeles Times, December 31, 1993
  4. ↑ Musacco, Stephen (2009). Beyond going postal: Shifting from workplace tragedies and toxic workplace environments to a safe and healthy organization. Booksurge. p. 34. the notion of 'going postal' as a myth is not supported by the overwhelming evidence to the contrary
  5. ↑ Gregory K. Moffatt, Blind-Sided: Homicide Where It Is Least Expected, at 37 (2000).
  6. ↑ "On August 20, 1986, a part-time letter carrier named Patrick H. Sherrill, facing possible dismissal after a troubled work history". The Journal of Employee Assistance. 2005. Retrieved September 12, 2007.
  7. ↑ Levin, Doron P. (November 15, 1991). "Ex-Postal Worker Kills 3 and Wounds 6 in Michigan". The New York Times. Retrieved February 26, 2008.
  8. ↑ Withers, Charlie. "The Tainted Eagle".
  9. ↑ A post office tragedy:the shooting at Royal Oak, report of the Committee on Post Office and Civil Service, House of Representatives, 102 Congress, ISBN   9780160386589"
  10. ↑ Holusha, John; Archibold, Randal C. (February 1, 2006). "Ex-Employee Kills 6 Others and Herself at California Postal Plant". The New York Times. Retrieved May 3, 2010.
  11. ↑ "Death Toll in Calif. Postal Shooting Rises: Calif. Sheriff's Deputies Say Woman Accused in Post Office Killings May Have Also Shot Her Former Neighbor". ABC News.
  12. ↑ "Seven dead in California postal shooting". CNN. January 31, 2006.
  13. ↑ "US ex-postal employee kills six". BBC News. January 31, 2006. Retrieved January 4, 2010.
  14. ↑ Musacco, 2009
  15. ↑ "Permanent.access.gpo.gov Report of The United States Postal Service Commission On A Safe And Secure Workplace August 2000" (PDF).
  16. ↑ Calvert, Justin. "Postal court case dismissed" . Retrieved June 25, 2003.
  17. ↑ Willistein, Paul (March 18, 1994). "'NAKED GUN 33-1/3' SO FUNNY IT SHOOTS HOLES IN WINTER'S DEPRESSION" . The Morning Call . Tribune Publishing.
  18. ↑ Ashburn, Jo (1996). Afterlife Official Player's Guide. Infotainment World Books. p. 130. ISBN   1572800844.
  19. ↑ August, Melissa; Castronovo, Val; Dry, Rachel; Grace, Julie; Martens, Ellin; Nugent, Benjamin; Orecklin, Michele; Rawe, Julie; Ripley, Amanda (September 11, 2000). "Deliverance". Time. ISSN   0040-781X . Retrieved October 8, 2022.
  20. ↑ Battersby, Matilda (March 12, 2015). "Going Postal with Terry Pratchett". The Independent . Independent Digital News & Media. Archived from the original on January 25, 2021.
  21. ↑ Pape, Allie. "Brooklyn Nine-Nine Recap: Going Postal". Vulture. Retrieved August 7, 2018.

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