An Amazon driver in Detroit area quit his job mid-shift via Twitter, leaving behind the keys in the ignition and abandoning his loaded truck at a gas station after feeling frustrated. The tweet has since gone viral making the driver Derick Lancaster internet famous within hours. Many Amazon drivers have been lately complaining that they have been overburdened as the number of deliveries per day has skyrocketed since the Covid-19 outbreak.
The e-commerce giant, however, hasn't taken the incident lightly and has said that it will investigate the matter and take necessary action. Lancaster has cited multiple reasons behind abruptly quitting his job.
Shock or Surprise?
It is difficult to say if Amazon felt shocked or surprised after it received Lancaster's resignation via a tweet, which by that time had gone viral on social media. Lancaster, a 22-year-old driver, started his day with a van full of packages to be delivered to customers. However, at around 2.30 pm after he entered a Southfield gas station, he took the decision to resign from his job. He took to Twitter, typed his resignation, left the packaged-laden delivery truck in ignition with the keys in and took a Lyft ride back home.
"I quit amazon f*** that driving s*** i left the van on 12 mile and Southfield y'all can have that bitch and it's full of gas wit the keys in the IGNITION," he Twitted. By Wednesday evening, the tweet had more than 10 million interactions. Lancaster decision may have been impulsive but he has his set of reasons for quitting. He said that he was getting late for his sister's graduation party because he was working. Later, he said that he was dejected with the long working hours, number of deliveries and pay because he would often end up working more than 12 hours a day.
Warning Bell for Amazon
Lancaster said that at time he would have to work for 13 hours to deliver more than 100 packages a day for $15.50 per hour. "Mentally, my health -- I just couldn't keep working 13 hours a day for that company," he said. However, he never thought that his resignation over Twitter would attract so many likes and retweets.
Amazon later in an e-mail said, "This does not reflect the high standards we have for delivery partners. We are taking this matter seriously and have investigated the matter and are taking appropriate action." That, however, doesn't end the issue here.
Lancaster said he has also been receiving several messages from Amazon employees thanking him for speaking up. The e-commerce behemoth has often drawn criticism for alleged mismanagement, poor working conditions at its fulfillment centers and long working hours. Also, the company has lately been accused of lack of protection and safety measures at its warehouses amid the pandemic.
