“We’re putting our lives on the line too” Delivery Rider Shares Struggles Of Working In A Pandemic

While Malaysians never fail to express their gratitude for frontliners like doctors, nurses and policemen, many oftentimes forget that our delivery riders are sacrificing just as much to ensure essential goods are effectively distributed to us.

Recently, one such delivery rider named Sam Lee, took to Facebook to share the many struggles delivery riders face while rushing to complete orders even if circumstances are less than ideal.

In a series of photos shared in his post, Sam was pictured with other delivery riders who were stuck outside a mall waiting for the heavy rain to let up so that they could meet their customers’ orders.

“The thing I fear the most when I’m delivering goods is heavy rain,” said Sam who delivers goods on his motorbike. “We suffered a huge loss today and my motorbike is drenched. It’s really hard to earn money this way. The storm was really heavy, I was soaked but I had to go inside the cold mall to pick up the delivery.”

Unfortunately, this was a common occurrence according to Sam. “Do you think it’s easy for us? We’re actually racing against time. I see their (other delivery riders’) faces and I become more anxious because we’re late!”

“The food is still with me and the task is not finished yet. My phone keeps ringing and the customers are asking where I am. The rain doesn’t stop for us, we must continue regardless. The pandemic makes it even worse!” exclaimed the frustrated rider.

Sam said he wished people were more considerate to delivery riders on the road. “I hope that everyone who sees us on the road will spare us a little respect. It would be nice if you could give way to us. Please think about our safety. We’re putting our lives on the line too“.

In an interview with WOB, Sam said that he became a delivery rider in May this year but has since faced many customers who aren’t considerate about a rider’s circumstances. “Once, I received a very urgent order. But when I arrived to pick up the goods, the vendor didn’t prepare the necessary items yet so of course, I was late. The customer was so angry at me and kept urging me to be faster. They gave me a bad review and complaint.”

When asked what people could do to help these frontliners, Sam told WOB, “I hope everyone can pay more attention to our safety when driving on the road, follow traffic rules and please use the turn signal light when turning or changing lanes. Besides, please don’t brake suddenly without any expectations.”

“We hope customers can try to not urge us because we need to deliver the goods to the customers as quickly as possible, while also ensuring that the goods are not damaged or missing. ”

“I hope everyone can understand the hard work of A delivery rider, as your urging or non-compliance with the traffic rules can cause a delivery rider his life.” He added that reviews were an extremely crucial part of the job. “I really hope customers can give good reviews to riders. Even if you don’t give good reviews, it’s okay. Just don’t give bad reviews. Because we might lose our job at any time due to your bad comments and complaints.”

We need to do better as a society at appreciating ALL our frontliners for their service. Remember the sacrifices that a rider has to make the next time you order your goods. 

Also read: M’sians Share How GrabFood Delivery Rider Delivered Her Meal Despite His Phone Getting Snatched