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Amazon’s answer to delivery driver shortage: Pot smokers

latimes.com

221–230 of 285 posts

Re: Amazon’s answer to delivery driver shortage: Pot smokers

#221

Some of the comments are assuming that all those who smoke pot are irresponsible or unable to do a job if they do smoke pot (this includes people who may only smoke at weekends/parties btw)

This is an interesting subject. Most people would be pretty worried about a drunk 747 pilot, and want laws and policies to prevent that from happening. A high delivery driver -- better, but a lot of people still don't like that idea. But tired commuters on the road at 6:30am is acceptable.

Could be better informed by numbers here. But hard to say because there aren't reliable tests for "high right now", and maybe not for "tired" either.

Re: Amazon’s answer to delivery driver shortage: Pot smokers

#222

For warehouse workers, this would not be a problem. Although I imagine that could impact Amazon's bottom line. For delivery drivers, it's a terrible idea. Driving large vehicles around people's neighborhoods while high is dangerous. It's a negative externality Amazon is recklessly putting onto the public. Cue mental gymnastics of potheads claiming they actually drive better while stoned.

What are the numbers?

Re: Amazon’s answer to delivery driver shortage: Pot smokers

#223

One underappreciated aspect of this. They will ignore marijuana at time of hire. But they will absolutely test you if there is ever an accident or if you are injured at work (even if you just strain your back picking up a heavy object) before you see an occupational health doctor. If you come back positive in the course of injury, they won't cover your workers compensation bills. They'll fire you (for being intoxicat…

I mean, this has always been this case with alcohol hasn't it? it's legal to consume but not while at work or operating vehicles. if you do so and injuries/death result, you are held liable.

Re: Amazon’s answer to delivery driver shortage: Pot smokers

#224

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm genuinely confused by this comment. Can you explain why you think speculation about the hardware costs of Waymo robotaxi is at all related to a complaint about silly jokes on HN?

The complaint wasn’t about a silly joke. It was about low quality comments. A comment that’s just “I think I remember ________” is about as low quality as it gets — especially when it turns out to be wrong. I know low quality comments. I’ve contributed hundreds of them myself. Check my comment history if you don’t believe me!

Ah OK, I didn't follow because I strongly disagree that that's a low quality comment, even if it turned out to be wrong.

Re: Amazon’s answer to delivery driver shortage: Pot smokers

#225
post #216

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's amazing we have so many volunteers for some of the worst jobs around. Happy volunteers, voluntarily working. You can see it on their faces, at 8:37pm pulling packages out of a van and running to a door, happy little contractors, happily volunteering.

Alright, let's flip the question: what doesn't constitute an "extension of prison labor"? If you think everything is an "extension of prison labor" that's not really an interesting statement. Is being a prehistoric hunter-gatherer also an "extension of prison labor"? It seems to check your boxes. Risking your life to hunt for woolly mammoths definitely seems more risky than delivering packages at 8:37pm, so I doubt t…

Hunter gatherer society actually included A LOT of downtime. People are being worked to death, and it's reflected in the deteriorating mental health that's prevalent.

I'll have to ask the guy next time I see him if he feels like "it's voluntary", because someone on the internet said "well, actually, they choose this!"

The contractor/gig economy is absolutely gross, and the vast majority of people are turning a blind eye because it's just so nice "for the consumer"

The consumer is actually more important than the human. Are you seriously going to tell me you don't understand what's wrong here?

Re: Amazon’s answer to delivery driver shortage: Pot smokers

#226
post #107

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Do something that alters your baseline consciousness long enough and it becomes your baseline. Doing anything over a long period of time with regularity will change you. You have definitely met pot smokers who have, and do live perfectly normal lives because their baseline is better. You probably have no idea who they are.

My nose says otherwise.

You cannot smell pepole who use edible or vape cannabis.

Re: Amazon’s answer to delivery driver shortage: Pot smokers

#227

One underappreciated aspect of this. They will ignore marijuana at time of hire. But they will absolutely test you if there is ever an accident or if you are injured at work (even if you just strain your back picking up a heavy object) before you see an occupational health doctor. If you come back positive in the course of injury, they won't cover your workers compensation bills. They'll fire you (for being intoxicat…

I mean, this has always been this case with alcohol hasn't it? it's legal to consume but not while at work or operating vehicles. if you do so and injuries/death result, you are held liable.

The test for marijuana aren't as useful as the tests for alcohol. Marijuana test may still come up positive long after you are impaired.

Re: Amazon’s answer to delivery driver shortage: Pot smokers

#228
post #190

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Correct... but not really relevant especially if Amazon is still screening for other drugs.

Anecdotally, I have never met nor heard of anyone mixing anything with weed except for tobacco, sometimes . So how is this "correct"?

Because I know people that have mixed drugs like that. Usually some type of euphoric. So it is correct, though I don't know if it's particularly common.

Re: Amazon’s answer to delivery driver shortage: Pot smokers

#229

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is an extension of prison labor. Work in prisons is often not optional, and if it is the inmate may not earn "good behavior" time if they choose not to work. It also averages something like $0.60/hour across the country. I don't think $17/hour & mandatory sobriety are anything close to prison labor, but I will grant you that it isn't consistent or fair to fire someone that tests positive for marijuana if they we…

> It also averages something like $0.60/hour across the country Is that equivalent to disposable income? What percentage of people in the US are left with $24 (or less) disposable after 40 hours minimum wage? I had a friend who was left with NZD20 to spend on themselves after a full week of work (after food, shared rent, power, and other true expenses; non-smoker with zero savings of any kind).

Without overtime, $17/hour works out to nearly the exact personal median wage in the US, and I don't think that making more than 50% of the population is a situation that can be accurately compared to forced prison labor.

So, yes: Some people have no disposable income at all. Some live in debt. Sometimes they have no choice, sometimes it's poor planning. None of that is the equivalent of forced labor, Or longer imprisonment if the prisoner chooses not to work.

To be clear though, I haven't done a thorough examination of my own opinion on the ethics of prison labor, wages, etc. I'm not stating an opinion on that one way or another. I'm just saying that it is not a valid target of comparison against Amazon's wages in this case.

Re: Amazon’s answer to delivery driver shortage: Pot smokers

#230
post #158
post #118

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Something I learned from a pot smoker: they sometimes mix it with other drugs for higher effects.

I actually inject my marijuanas, personally. Three or four marijuanas is enough to do me in for the night. But I stay away from the hard shit, like alcohol.

I go for jenkem when I'm looking for a deep fix.

You'd better be careful, more than 4 Marijuanas is overdose territory.

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