Postie's tearful apology after furious backlash over viral TikTok
A postie has issued a tearful apology after a video of her making a joke went viral on TikTok, resulting in vicious backlash.
The 'TikTok postie' or Laura Orgill (@lauraorgill), a Welsh postie who works for the Royal Mail, recently shared a video which was intended as a joke.
"When a customer takes longer than two seconds to answer the door," the caption on the video says, using a sound which has recently become a "trend" on the platform.
In the video, Ms Orgill is seen putting a flyer in the mailbox, alerting the customer they missed the postie and have to collect their parcel from the post office.
More than 2.3 million people have viewed the video since it was uploaded and the joke was lost on several people.
One person said they had sent the video to Ms Orgill's employer and another said if her manager saw it, she would be sacked.
Several people came to Ms Orgill's defence and urged others to calm down, explaining the video was just a joke.
"This is hilarious but angers me at the same time," someone else said.
A few pointed out it takes longer than two seconds for a postie to fill out one of those forms, meaning no matter what, a postie will be at your door for quite some time.
She even made a video in response to someone asking why posties can't just leave the parcel at the door.
She said doing so was a sackable offence and suggested if someone is unable to get to the door quickly or they're going to be out, they could leave a note for the postie to drop the parcel off at a nearby neighbour's house.
Postie's tearful response to backlash
Ms Orgill was out delivering parcels when she found out her video had made national news.
While she had responded to some of the criticism in other videos, she then made two more clips filmed in her truck.
She cried as she addressed the ordeal, explaining she was "very upset".
"All I did was used a trending sound, and try and think of a funny scenario or the people think the posties do to match the sound and unfortunately, people have taken it seriously," she said in the video.
"All I'm trying to do is use my platform to spread positivity, fun, you know, during such uncertain times, which has now led to me being upset."
She pointed out none of the good things she had accomplished over the past year, like raising money for charity, ever made the news.
In the first of the two tearful apology videos, she says she better get on with delivering the mail and then thanks her followers on TikTok.
"I just want to say a massive thank you to everyone for the kind messages today we really, really do appreciate it," she said.
In the second video she explains a journalist from a UK publication knocked on the door of her family home, trying to get Laura's side of the story.
"All this just because I was just trying to cheer people up while I've done my delivery round," she said.
Since starting her TikTok, Laura has amassed over 759,000 followers.
She started her TikTok at the start of the coronavirus pandemic, and Royal Mail even expressed their support in the past for her trying to bring cheer to people during the past year, Wales Online reported.
The Royal Mail even featured the 'TikTok Postie' in a video which featured on one of their Facebook pages and donated to Cancer Research UK when she was raising money on her platform.
"Our postmen and postwomen always go the extra mile to get customers their mail as quickly and as conveniently as possible," a Royal Mail spokesperson told Wales Online.
"We have discussed this with the employee concerned, and reminded her of the need to always uphold the highest standards."
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