GOIN' POSTAL

When I heard this story:

GOLETA, Calif. (AP) - A female ex-postal worker opened fire at a mail processing plant, killing six people before committing suicide with an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound, authorities said early Tuesday. One other person was listed in critical condition.

It made me think of Ken Levine's description of a character from '24':

CHLOE -- CTU agent, computer whiz, and my favorite character on television even though I often want to slap her. Could not be more snotty, could not have worse people skills. She’s the template for every US postal employee.

If so, I'm glad she spells her last name wrong. My Dad worked for the Post Office for thirty years; it gave all five O'Brien kids a shot at a college education, and his union benefits have been a huge help for Mom in her later years. But he never went postal; he'd be the last person you'd expect to do so.

Then again, he worked as a letter carrier. It seems to me that every time you hear about this kind of story, it always involves people who work inside a post office - mail sorters and the like.

On the other hand, one of my brothers is a letter carrier and I could see him succumbing to that kind of rage....

Still, I don't think I'm far off in my idea that there must be something about working indoors at a post office which triggers such a rampage.

Didn't 'The X-Files' do a story similar to this once?

At any rate, my prayers go out to the victims and their families....

BCnU!
Tele-Toby