Music mogul, actor and producer Ice-T said that he almost shot an Amazon driver he mistook for an intruder, and he suggested on Twitter that people who make deliveries should wear a vest to identify themselves.
His tweet sparked a debate on social media, with users questioning the wisdom of uniforms (anyone can pose as an Amazon driver) or agreeing whole-heartedly. Current and former Amazon drivers weighed in, along with customers, glad to have a celebrity-inspired opportunity to vent.
Amazon said it would get right on it. Dave Clark, Amazon’s senior vice president of worldwide operations and Customer Service tweeted back to Ice-T but didn’t seem too concerned as he made a joke in his response, People reported.
It’s no secret that Amazon is hurting for drivers, along with every other driver-based app-driven company in the gig economy. The company that made CEO and founder Jeff Bezos the wealthiest man in the world took advantage of the free advertising provided by Ice-T to recruit drivers.
Ice-T’s experience is an example of how diverse teams can improve products, Microsoft product leader Dare Obasanjo tweeted. “A (Black person) on the team would have easily seen the problem with designing a process where random people walk up to people’s doors in the evening with no visible identifier given how people react to us in their private spaces uninvited.”
But like many others people in the gig economy, a lot of Amazon drivers don’t work for Amazon and wear their own clothes to work, a Twitter follower pointed out.
Ice-T’s text message to Amazon also gave customers an opportunity to air their grievances about the quality of Amazon delivery service.
A former Amazon driver weighed in, saying delivery people should have uniforms, and if they don’t, that could be a problem.
Ed Black described his experiences delivering for Amazon while Black. “I Deliver #Amazon in the south… as a black man. Had a few guns pulled on me on the dirt back roads. I’ve had dogs sicked on me on purpose by #MAGA A vest doesn’t help but identify the target.”
Listen to GHOGH with Jamarlin Martin | Episode 07: Tayo Oviosu
Jamarlin Martin catches up with Tayo Oviosu at SXSW 2018. Oviosu is the Founder and CEO of Paga, the leading mobile payments company in Nigeria.
