Snippet: The Fast Mile ☇

Ken Bensinger, Caroline O’Donovan, James Bandler, Patricia Callahan, and Doris Burke for BuzzFeed News with ProPublica:

Investigations by ProPublica and BuzzFeed News this year revealed that drivers delivering Amazon packages had been involved in more than 60 crashes that led to serious injuries, including 10 deaths. Since then, the news organizations have learned of three more deaths.

Amazon, which keeps a tight grip on how drivers working for contractors do their jobs, has told courts around the country it was not responsible when delivery vans crashed or workers were exploited. It is a position that is facing more legal and legislative challenges, as some states seek to force tech companies such as Uber to take more financial responsibility for the contract workers who underlie their businesses.

In my experience, Amazon’s own delivery service isn’t very good. They’ve set up their drivers to work under the tightest constraints and generally make up time by racing or carelessly depositing packages wherever. Unfortunately, so many people are concerned with the instant-gratification (seriously, two-day shipping wasn’t good enough?) that this could only get worse. Unfortunately, even if it does, Amazon has managed to remove themselves from any sort of responsibility.