Post Office Counters - subpostmaster's GBH.

[tallpoppy]

Hi, newbie here. I'm not sure this is a 'consumer' issue, but I do need tangible help

 

. For years I have collected my pension from my Post Office. Or I did until 24th August,

 

when after transacting my pension, I went to pick up papers,

when the newly installed ex-Guildford - nightclub bouncer? - sub-postmaster dashed round the counter

, slammed his hand on the paper

and bellowed I am not having papers from his shop

- indeed to enforce his still voluble and physical aggression he hard gripped my right arm

- it felt like a stab wound, and frog-marched me from the shop.

 

Thanks to an intended entering customer the doorway was blocked, or I'd have been in a final thrust onto the pavement!

 

This is the gist of my very traumatic and wholly unwarranted ordeal

 

. My arm is still acutely painful, and I'm having relentless physio.

 

I complained to PO, fobbed off by 'customer services' (sis) right through to Executive -

citing there's no CCTV in the papers section (pardon, right next to the till?);

that this is a non-incident as there is no case for him to answer! (pardon?) and so not even a contrite apology;

 

yet they refuse giving me his surname, et al; that I am not prevented (by Post Office) using that Post Office!

I am not risking my life to attempt entering Hades again!

 

Post Office consider the matter done and dusted

- heads in sand would, wouldn't they (rhetorical).

 

I am absolutely abhorrent a representative of the post office is allowed to even touch, let alone violently manhandle a customer (frail, disabled pensioner to boot), without someone taking responsibility.

 

Where do they get these (BUCHAN) mental incompetents from?

Who WILL help.

[i take no comfort that he has upset many customers,

yet wonders why his takings went down in three weeks;

that a 15-year longstanding employee he initially praised helping him,

is now 'incompetent' (huh?)

and he's given a "written warning" to (inducing untenable stress, making her ill].

WHO WILL HELP,

pls?

Edited October 29, 2015 by Andyorch
Location removed

[Sparks_]

Did you report the assault to the police? Was there any other staff or people you know in the shop at the time to make a witness statement?

[obiter dictum]

Who was your complaint addressed to

 

Royal Mail or Post Office Counters??

 

The reason i ask is that they are two totally seperate companies.

 

What address did you contact to lodge your complaint?

[Conniff]

You haven't given a reason why he acted in this manner ??

[fkofilee]

Rsend your complaint to

 

[email protected]

 

Tell them you are not happy with being fobbed off the first time round and tell them that you will be speaking with the Police again shortly.

See what happens...

[tallpoppy]

Thnx for post. Not only did ifear how brutal his violence could become but from past knowledge; there is no guarantee the police would have attended or 'in time! One only sees police presence for the tourists. Also, he so scared me; my immediate reaction was to get away from him asap.He was so red mist, his brainstorm could have been capable of anything! Also there was the girl who served my pension, but could I lose her her job to be my witness. He's already brow-beaten on older staff member-cum-facetious 'written warning' she's I'll with stress. It's a nonsense when notices (seen bishops) say zero tolerance with rudeness to staff won't be to!stated. Yet they can literally beat nine bells out of YOU with impunity!

Anyway, thanks for taking the trouble to write. Hopefully shallow people will always get his karma. Bless you.

[tallpoppy]

Thnx for post. I wrote only post office(not royal mail). Customer services sent such a chronic standard letter, I wrote to CEO (London I think - I'm inmycar without file to hand). She wrote d it will be investigated and get back to me.

 

I received a letter asking to speak to me - the 'customer co-ordinator'? (Ditto file not to hand) was seeing the 'bouncer' at2pm he could see me at 3! Nothing to lose, and I wanted to know the reason (correction excuse) for his unprovoked violence too!

Needless to say it was an utter knee jerk fob off - a protection of fellow comrade in the Brotherhood!

The guy was more concerned about getting back to Paignton in time to play squash that evening!

Hr wroy how HE is satisfied to have made 'a thorough investigation'. One flaw there, I'M FAR FROM SATISFIED (or pain/physiological free).

I don't know who WILL help but as Roosevelt said when you get to the end of your rope, tie a knot in it and hang on!

Thank you for taking the time to write.

[unclebulgaria67]

The girl who served your pension is not likely to act as a witness. If she did i would expect him to find issues to get rid of her.

 

You could go the local newspaper, but they may not want to print a story, unless you have evidence.

[tallpoppy]

Thnx for post. I'm very sorry but I don't know WHY he was so vitriolic and needlessly violent. I wish I did - only that he has proved being an impotent coward to engage mindless violence and against a female; elderly and disabled to boot. Maybe that is how urbanites behave? Down here we are far more passive and gentle. But the more upcountry blow ins we get moving down here (even tourists) the more aggression they bring with them; yet seem to leave any politeness/manners on the M5.

Thanks for writing.

[tallpoppy]

Thnx for post I will write back. And I will have a chat to the police also. But I'm not holding my breath. These days no one takes responsibility and no one wants to know - too much hassle; too much paperwork (police)

Thnx for contact.

[tallpoppy]

Thnx for post. I agree about not putting his staff in the firing line!

Also, village duck races test the journalistic mettle of local reporters down here -too much of fishing to peers, and not wishing to be seen to rock the boat. (Although a tavistock town council staff did put his head above the parapet by advertising for a local hand job!. That went viral, Yet didn't make the local rag either. I digress......

Thnx for contact.

[unclebulgaria67]

Thnx for post. I'm very sorry but I don't know WHY he was so vitriolic and needlessly violent. I wish I did - only that he has proved being an impotent coward to engage mindless violence and against a female; elderly and disabled to boot. Maybe that is how urbanites behave? Down here we are far more passive and gentle. But the more upcountry blow ins we get moving down here (even tourists) the more aggression they bring with them; yet seem to leave any politeness/manners on the M5.

Thanks for writing.

 

Urbanites don't behave that way in general. But you get a few idiots everywhere who spoil it for the rest. My local country post office is very quiet, with the same people running it for the last 30 years. So quiet in fact, that they don't do much business and i cannot see them continuing.

 

Perhaps the sub postmaster is finding it difficult to make a living and he has bad days. You just caught him on a bad day.

[tallpoppy]

Rsend your complaint to

 

 

 

Tell them you are not happy with being fobbed off the first time round and tell them that you will be speaking with the Police again shortly.

See what happens...

 

A ps: further to my answer, no real excuse but I have come into forums late ( I vowed never to - I was savaged by mumsnet the one time I did feature in the media! Only this issue has incensed me enough to dip my toe - but I'm useless at finding my way around forums (replying briefly - do they get to the poster? Etc). Also i live 'off grid' so no 247 electricity equals no signal/internet. But I'm not a quitter. I hate I unwarranted aggression AND injustice.amen

[tallpoppy]

Urbanites don't behave that way in general. But you get a few idiots everywhere who spoil it for the rest. My local country post office is very quiet, with the same people running it for the last 30 years. So quiet in fact, that they don't do much business and i cannot see them continuing.

 

Perhaps the sub postmaster is finding it difficult to make a living and he has bad days. You just caught him on a bad day.

 

No I musn't tar all with the same brush, but our gentle way of life is being eroded by people continuing to live their former rushed, stressful existences rather than slowing down to our pace and trying to fit in. It's so much simpler to attain and still do what you want without being so hyper-demanding all the time? Blood pressure, stroke, heart attacks to the fore instead.

Anyway i take no comfort he has upset many other customers and intended weeks his takings went down 29%. However I am consoled that down here, news (good or bad) is spread by word of mouth, and people vote with their feet...... So? Bfn and thnx.

[obiter dictum]

At the end of the day everyone of us is going to have a bad day sometimes

 

For all we know he could have had a raging toothache

 

Give the man some slack, if it happens again then fair enough but not on first impressions attack all guns blazing. It could cost the man his job for a one off event

[goodatresearch]

But this a little more than being rude isn't it.

 

I think its good the op had evidence of her complaint ad the post master is a ticking bomb and her compliant may help others.

 

At the end of the day everyone of us is going to have a bad day sometimes

 

For all we know he could have had a raging toothache

 

Give the man some slack, if it happens again then fair enough but not on first impressions attack all guns blazing. It could cost the man his job for a one off event

[obiter dictum]

If only you knew the pressure and sales targets these post masters are set now from those on high. If they fail then they are put on a personal improvement plans

 

I go into a local office to buy stamps, not for them to try and flog me travel insurance or a credit card

[goodatresearch]

Im a former night nurse who workec 12 hour shifts, sometimes 7 nights in a row on short staffed wards with very ill patients and some very rude, demanding patients, but i never physically attacked anyone. No excuse.

 

 

If only you knew the pressure and sales targets these post masters are set now from those on high. If they fail then they are put on a personal improvement plans

 

I go into a local office to buy stamps, not for them to try and flog me travel insurance or a credit card

[obiter dictum]

Of course manhandling an individual if wrong but it is still only an unproven allegation

 

We all make mistakes out of character every now and then

 

Why make a mountain out of a mole hill considering the post office have done their own investigation and nothing to answer for

[goodatresearch]

Is it out of character? Why are you making excuses for this person? Whats your definition of making a mountain out of a molehill?

 

Look, I know of many cases where the police have argued its your word against his and then the sh@t has hit the fan and its become a case of "lessons have been learned". Thing is, we all need to report this sort of thng. I hate the attitude just let it slide.

 

 

 

 

 

Of course manhandling an individual if wrong but it is still only an unproven allegation

 

We all make mistakes out of character every now and then

 

Why make a mountain out of a mole hill considering the post office have done their own investigation and nothing to answer for

[obiter dictum]

The title of this post is also incorrect saying Grievious Bodily Harm (GBH)

 

It should be Actual Bodily harm (ABH) or even Common assault if you look up the Actus reus of the offence

 

And i do not like kanagroo court judgements when people know very little of the true events. People not connected are to quick to tarnish a mans reputation with idle gossip

[goodatresearch]

Don't need to look anything up, legally qualified with relevant experience. The post title may be wrong, but is the OPs mistake in the actual offence that relevant?

 

Seriously, are you for real. Might as well disband CAG as none of us know the true events and therefore we could all be accused of idle gossip .Of course, there's always 2 sides of an argument, but without the benefit of the other side coming on CAG, we can only give advise on the version of events as presented. You on the other hand have decided the OP is lying and based your advice on this. Your running your own kangaroo court.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The title of this post is also incorrect saying Grievious Bodily Harm (GBH)

 

It should be Actual Bodily harm (ABH) or even Common assault if you look up the Actus reus of the offence

 

And i do not like kanagroo court judgements when people know very little of the true events. People not connected are to quick to tarnish a mans reputation with idle gossip

[SabreSheep]

When people come to CAG we have to give SOME benefit of the doubt and offer advice base don the information received.

 

We are not here to be judgmental.

 

Any further non constructive remarks shall be removed

[goodatresearch]

Well said. Exactly the point I was trying to make.

 

 

 

When people come to CAG we have to give SOME benefit of the doubt and offer advice base don the information received.

 

We are not here to be judgmental.

 

Any further non constructive remarks shall be removed

[obiter dictum]

My very last comment on this matter

 

Instead of people "Willy waving" and engaging in a points scoring exercise

 

1. An allegation of serious assault has been made against an employee who is employed in a crown establishment

2. That persons place of employment has been named and identified in the original post

 

(Edit)

 

3. No criminal or civil proceding have been instigated

4 the employers own internal complaints procedure has decided no case to answer

 

In my book that falls under not only libel, but continued defamation by certain posters on an open internet forum against the employee and the crown organisation he is employed through

 

The very least that persons place of employment should be redacted to protect the forum from possible civil prosecution from either the employee, or crown organisation he is employed through

Edited October 29, 2015 by obiter dictum