What was once a niche profession, has turned into a booming industry. Food delivery riders are everywhere now as anybody, whether you’re young and old, can easily sign up to do the job.
Make no mistake though, despite the easy way to get a gig in the industry, it is by no means an easy job. Hard work, demanding customers, punishing timelines to meet…delivery riders have to juggle all this and more in the course of their work.
To top it off, the pay isn’t that great too.
That’s why it’s usually those that need the extra income are the ones doing the work.
In light of that, should they be given some leeway if they’re caught up in accidents? I’m talking about this incident and others that are similarly minor.
In this instance, one of Foodpanda’s food delivery riders wasn’t paying attention while on the road and rear-ended a car. The rider then pretended to want to make amends, before turning tail and running away.
In this case, the damage is relatively minor. It’ll still cost a couple of hundred dollars to fix though.
While the rule of the law says the Foodpanda driver is definitely liable, morally is that the right thing?
Yes, he’s reckless and posts on the FB page even claims this isn’t his first incident. He’s not even willing to stay and try to settle things with the other driver.
Should we still penalize him (and other food delivery riders) without taking into account his (potentially bleak) situation though?
What if he’s the sole breadwinner of his family? What if he really needs the money to fund his studies? What if he’s working as a Foodpanda delivery guy because he needs the cash for his parents?
The law doesn’t usually take into account your life circumstances; it’s black and white (unless you have connections, money or both).
It’s easy to judge somebody and just want them to feel the full brunt of the law for their wrongs against you, especially if you’re in the right. However, shouldn’t we be more compassionate to our fellow man in light of their personal circumstances?
I’m not saying letting food delivery riders off for their minor transgressions.
What I’m suggesting is that an alternative punishment method perhaps should be considered if the rider’s personal circumstances make monetary compensation something that would affect them adversely.
Jail isn’t always the answer, neither is caning. Fines are fine for those who can afford it.
What punishment then is suited for those who are down on their luck and trying to make ends meet? Community service seems like a potential answer to me…but then again, I’m not a lawmaker.
Perhaps they can come up with something.