Video of Amazon worker driving through floods sparks debate about working conditions

A TikTok video of an Amazon driver braving flooded roads in Detroit to deliver people’s parcels has gone viral and has people questioning the pressure Amazon drivers are under.

In the clip, a black Amazon van can be seen driving through on the flooded road while other drivers have given up on their journey and pull their vehicles over on the side of the road.

TikToker, @plantmami5 captioned the video jokingly: “When Detroit floods but u still gotta deliver those Prime packages.”

After heavy rainfall in Detroit on Friday, dozens of the state’s highway pump stations in Metro Detroit had mechanical issues or were without power Saturday which also contributed to the flooding, The Detroit News reported.

Though it appears this flooding wasn’t going to stop the Amazon driver in their tracks.

The video has since gone viral, receiving over 5.7m views, 1.1m likes.

People were able to find the dark humour within the clip, especially given Bo Burnham’s Amazon song “Bezos, I” was playing in the background.

One person wrote: “I think he’s [driver] lowkey trying to destroy the van, godspeed, comrade.”

“The devil works hard but Amazon delivery drivers work harder,” another person wrote.

Someone else added: “This looks like a zombie apocalypse where the survivors found a working Amazon delivery truck.”

“Best use of this sound,” a fourth person replied.

But, this footage has also sparked a debate about the working conditions at Amazon.

One person said: “This TikTok is funny but the reality of it is actually really sad :/”

“The sad part for Amazonian drivers is that if they don’t drop off all of their boxes they might as well not come back bc they’ll be fired anyways,” another person commented.

Someone else wrote: “That Amazon driver knows it’s that or get reprimanded. Poor Amazon employees.”

“This man [the driver] needs a raise,” a fourth person replied.

But this isn’t the first an Amazon driver has been captured doing their job in extreme conditions.

In another viral TikTok, an Amazon driver in Chicago was filmed delivering a packages in the midst of a destructive tornado’s aftermath.

An Amazon spokesman said: “Our Delivery Service Partners (DSPs) and their drivers should never make a delivery if they feel unsafe on road.

“When it comes to severe weather, we have processes in place to monitor weather events at the local level and adjust route lengths, cancel routes, or even close Delivery Stations and call drivers back off road if necessary.

“If any of these were to happen, the drivers receive push notifications via their Amazon Delivery App and via their DSP instructing them on next steps and to return to station, if necessary. Above all, drivers can always return to station if necessary or contact us for additional help via their Delivery App.”