Mailman fired after talking to press

Ryan Bradford, the San Diego postal worker we recently profiled in our "Mailman meme" story, has been removed from his post.

On his blog today, Bradford gives a detailed account of the United States Postal Service's reasoning behind his firing. 

Among other things, Bradford is charged with "unacceptable conduct" and "failure to follow instructions," but it appears that the main reason USPS is letting him go is because of his interview with CityBeat. Here's an excerpt from the post:

Apparently, what reeeally ground their gourd, what reeeally ruffled their tail feathers, what reeeally burned their britches (and the main reason I was removed from my job, my livelihood) was a case of hurt feelings. Martinez’ “main problem” with me does not appear on the official NOTICE OF REMOVAL.

I’m an “injustice to the postal service!” (a quote which is going on every one of my book covers from now on).

So I guess I’m the first one who’s ever complained about their job. I would argue that the “no real incentive to deliver mail faster”  statement is a watered-down version of what you hear every morning among the other carriers, or that it’s a statement neither new nor revelatory—in fact, it’s the same sentiment shared and written about nearly 40 years ago by Charles Bukowski in his memoir Post Office, although that reference may be lost on Martinez who doesn’t seem like the literary type.

Click here to read the rest of Bradford's detailed, behind-the-scenes account.