If he ever considered them at all, Michael Stuban probably did not envision his proverbial five minutes of fame going quite like this.

Stuban retired from his mid-level management position with the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission last month: Not an occasion that normally generates a lot of fanfare. Unless, of course, you pen a scathing critique of the billion-dollar organization on your way out the door and hit ‘reply all’ to send it to thousands of co-workers — which is exactly what Stuban did.

Call it an “honesty is the best policy” policy taken to the extreme: Stuban bluntly eviscerated the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission for “phoneyness,” low morale and “out-of-touch” executives.

And in recent days the entire nation seemed to take at least passing interest in his comments, as well as those of Commission Chairman Sean Logan, who was less than impressed with Stuban’s delivery.

“Mr. Stuban ... I don’t believe we ever met, and after reading your Exit Questionnaire, I am grateful that we didn’t,” wrote Logan, who called Stuban’s e-mail “disingenuous” and “inappropriate,” in his own reply-all.

Stuban’s parting shot might have been a deliberate provocation, but it can hardly be called disingenuous. If anything, it seems a blunt accounting of his frustrations as a Turnpike employee of more than three decades.

Point-of-fact: Logan’s response wasn’t a shining example of best management practices either. A scathing internal critique should occasion some thoughtfulness and organizational self-evaluation. Logan’s reply is a lot of things, but thoughtful and introspective aren’t two of them.

If Logan wants to reject Stuban’s argument because of the way in which it was delivered, that’s his prerogative. But it makes him — and, by extension, the entire organization — seem tender-footed and juvenile, and sends the message that the Commission is more concerned with optics than reality.

Being on the receiving end of harsh criticism is never a pleasant experience. But for the rest of us, who have watched in chagrin and exasperation for years as the Commission ricochets from scandal to scandal and sinks deeper into financial distress, it’s actually refreshing.