With recent posts showing food delivery riders’ earnings gaining traction on social media, many have started to wonder if this is the dream job to have considering how much they’re getting paid. But Facebook user Wilsiong Lim has come to quell any such thoughts.
On 19 January, Wilsiong took to the social media site to share the hardships that goes on behind the scenes as a food delivery rider and that the job isn’t all sunshine and rainbows.
“[Being a food delivery rider] isn’t as easy of a job as you think. It’s the kind that you have to work 11-12 hours a day, it’s the kind that you don’t even have time to eat, and it’s the kind where you have to work every day of the week through sunshine and rain without any rest,” he writes in his Facebook post.
He explained that before you start envying others for their pay, first think about all the hard work and pain they had to go through to get paid so much in the first place. Being a food delivery rider requires you to handle entitled customers as well as risk your life on the road, especially during rush hour.
In his post, Wilsiong also included photos and videos of him climbing up flights of stairs, riding in the rain, as well as a car accident he had gotten into while on the job to further prove his point. Clearly, delivering food isn’t as easy as it seems.
“And the thing is, it’s not that [these delivery apps] want to work you so hard, give you your next batch at 4.50pm then throw you away. But no matter if it’s raining or sunny, you will need to send out your orders regardless.”
“And with the current system not allowing us to take a break in between batch orders, we only have time to eat while we’re picking up people’s orders. And even then, we’re eating in a rush.”
He also took the chance to ask Malaysians to be more considerate for their food delivery riders when their order comes late as the riders are waiting a long time for their food, too.
“Sometimes it’s really not a problem of the riders. It’s the vendors and stores who take really long to prepare your food,” he explained. “We can spend 30 minutes or even an hour to wait for one order to get ready, which is also a waste of time for us, too. So don’t blame us, we’re just waiting for your food.”
“Be understanding, considerate, tolerant and patiently waiting.”
He finishes his post by reiterating the fact that being a food delivery rider isn’t the best job in the world even if it seems like it pays well and for Malaysians to think twice before they say a job is easy.
Thank you to all the delivery riders out there who continue to send us our food during this MCO period!
