If there’s one job that’s been quite a burden to bear this year, it has to be being a deliveryman.
Due to the pandemic, the need for deliveryman has risen quite significantly, but the fact that they are humans as well is what escapes most of us.
These people are risking their lives to deliver goods while trying to stay safe from getting infected. The risk is real, and yet they brave it daily because it’s their job. And yet, it’s only part of the struggle they face.
The remaining problems come from us as customers who sometimes believe that we are superior to them. Power corrupts, whether you admit it or not, and it shows in the way we treat the deliveryman.
One perfect example is how we demand our food to arrive on time and choose to only see one side of the picture, without giving a thought on how it likely impacts the mentality of a deliveryman.
Can you imagine the stress a single delivery upholds? The deliveryman has to ensure that he meets the specific time, so he rushes on the road only to end up in an accident. One such case recently happened in Bedok with a Grab deliveryman getting caught up in an accident with a bus. And there are so many other cases out there, with similar situations involving deliveryman.
He has to ensure that he is kind to the customer not knowing if he’ll be treated the same way; thus, every delivery becomes a gamble. And just like that, every delivery becomes the first day at a new job. Imagine the anxiety it carries with that sort of responsibility.
At the end of it all, he has to hope that he did everything right while awaiting the ratings of the customer to avoid getting fired for poor performance. Especially, given how difficult it is to get a stable job in our current pandemic situation.
We are holding the lives and livelihood of a deliveryman whenever we order something, yet most of us treat this privilege as a right. You may argue that not all deliveryman is as kind as the rest and I agree, but that’s the same sort of gamble that a deliveryman faces daily as well.
So, the best course of action for everyone to make things better is by not assuming. Be kind, and kindness will follow. Be understanding if the delivery is late. Be patient because it’s another human who is struggling like you. You are no better than the deliveryman who is working to support his needs, and they are no better than you. Everyone is equal, in one way or another.