UPS Driver Caught On Video Tossing, Kicking Packages
A UPS delivery driver in Hawaii was filmed by a cell phone camera throwing around packages like a rag doll at a loading dock in the midst of the Christmas rush.
The incident of apparent holiday rage occurred on the island of Oahu and was caught on video on Wednesday afternoon around lunchtime. See footage embedded below, which also contains some audio commentary.
Oahu is the third largest of the Hawaiian islands, and home to about two-thirds of the state’s population as well as Honolulu International Airport.
According to one news outlet, the UPS employee in question, who some might suggest lacked or wasn’t feeling the Christmas spirit, went postal with some parcels that were pouring out of a crowded truck.
“Nearby construction workers who shot the video say the driver became frustrated when he couldn’t maneuver the vehicle. He then took those frustrations out on the packages,” Hawaii News Now reported. “At this time of year, UPS hires many seasonal employees to help with the holiday rush. It has gotten so busy in Hawaii that local managers are now going out on delivery routes, the company says.”
“Whether you’re a top-shelf Grinch…or a full-blown holiday zealot, the month of December presents unique forms of stress for everyone…Dude throws, kicks, and otherwise mishandles the packages in a way that only December could inspire,” Complex noted.
To make matters worse, at least some of the packages probably contained expensive and fragile Christmas gifts that could have been broken in this incident given that it occurred in an upscale shopping area of Waikiki. “The loading zone where the incident occurred was at a building that’s often called Luxury Row. The area houses stores like Tiffany & Co., Coach, Saint Laurent Paris, Chanel, Gucci, Montcler, Bottega Veneta, Miu Miu, and Hugo Boss.”
In a statement in response to the video, UPS indicated that it disciplined the worker in question but would not go into specifics of what that entailed, Channel 2 KHON in Honolulu reported.
“This is not how we train our drivers. UPS emphasizes delivery care and safety for placement of packages in vehicles and handling, despite a busy day and increased volume at this time of year. We identified the driver, took corrective action and have been engaged with the customer at this delivery location. We would not discuss specific individual personnel matters.”
REAL LIFE GRINCH: UPS Driver Throws Packages Out Of Truckhttps://t.co/oK9KbSMwBd pic.twitter.com/jQduz58w5z
— Q104.3 (@Q1043) December 19, 2015
“We are sorry this has happened, especially during this time of year, but this does not reflect the hard work of so many UPS drivers and others loading and unloading around Hawaii,” added UPS spokeswoman Susan Rosenberg.
UPS delivers about 18 million packages a day, and twice that during the holidays, the company indicated.
Earlier this month in Pasco County, Florida, a doorbell surveillance camera at a home revealed a UPS driver throwing packages on a front stoop.
“I’ve gotten several packages from UPS before where they are dinged up and a couple of them damaged and actually now I know why,” the homeowner told 10 News in Tampa.
In October, 2014, a UPS driver on Long Island, New York, kicked a package containing a device worth $12,000, and was reportedly suspended after the incident was caught on surveillance video.
In January, 2015, a security video caught a UPS driver tossing a parcel over a gate and then urinating on the homeowner’s property in Houston. The seasonal employee in question was fired.
[Photo by Ron Wurzer/Getty Images]
