美國現(xiàn)實主義小說家厄普頓?辛克萊曾經(jīng)在其1906年發(fā)表的烏托邦小說《屠場》(The Jungle)中描繪過芝加哥屠宰場工人為了謀生而采取的一系列驚奇手段,事實證明在2020年,曾經(jīng)的歷史再一次粉墨登場,只不過故事的主角由屠宰場工人變成了亞馬遜的送單司機。為了快速搶單,這一次,這些司機們直接把自己的手機掛在了送貨點外的樹上。
和中國物流不同,亞馬遜在幾年前就推出了一款名為Flex的應用程序,允許當?shù)赜脩粼谄淦脚_上注冊為兼職司機,幫助完成包裹在最后一公里的配送工作。一般情況下, Flex會特別獎勵那些全食超市配送單及亞馬遜自營站點訂單,兩至四小時的配送工作可以拿到18美元/時的酬金。
司機們做出把“手機掛樹上”的迷惑行為,其實也就是為了鉆亞馬遜系統(tǒng)的空子,讓系統(tǒng)誤認為自己就在站點附近。根據(jù)Flex的獎勵標準,離取貨店越近的司機越可能被派單。一旦接單成功,樹上手機的信息就會同步到另一部手機當中。據(jù)彭博社報道,這個辦法不一定是司機們的自發(fā)行為,很可能是有組織性的集體策劃。
一些知情司機表示,樹上的手機就像是一個主設備,接單后就會把訂單分派給周邊司機,這其中應該還存在著一位司機與亞馬遜之間的神秘中間人。此人將多部手機同時懸掛在樹上,把訂單分散到多個賬戶,以此規(guī)避亞馬遜的系統(tǒng)檢測。但無論如何,這種做法都違背了亞馬遜官方的相關政策。
另一位知情人士告訴彭博社記者,一些被派單的司機可能根本沒有通過亞馬遜Flex平臺的資質(zhì)審核,所以神秘中間商會從司機18美元/時的報酬中抽去8美元。針對這一現(xiàn)象,亞馬遜官方拒絕置評。
從樹上“長”出的手機或許也在提醒著我們:在今時今日這樣一個后疫情時代,兼職工作之間的競爭早已愈演愈烈。(財富中文網(wǎng))
編譯:陳怡軒
美國現(xiàn)實主義小說家厄普頓?辛克萊曾經(jīng)在其1906年發(fā)表的烏托邦小說《屠場》(The Jungle)中描繪過芝加哥屠宰場工人為了謀生而采取的一系列驚奇手段,事實證明在2020年,曾經(jīng)的歷史再一次粉墨登場,只不過故事的主角由屠宰場工人變成了亞馬遜的送單司機。為了快速搶單,這一次,這些司機們直接把自己的手機掛在了送貨點外的樹上。
和中國物流不同,亞馬遜在幾年前就推出了一款名為Flex的應用程序,允許當?shù)赜脩粼谄淦脚_上注冊為兼職司機,幫助完成包裹在最后一公里的配送工作。一般情況下, Flex會特別獎勵那些全食超市配送單及亞馬遜自營站點訂單,兩至四小時的配送工作可以拿到18美元/時的酬金。
司機們做出把“手機掛樹上”的迷惑行為,其實也就是為了鉆亞馬遜系統(tǒng)的空子,讓系統(tǒng)誤認為自己就在站點附近。根據(jù)Flex的獎勵標準,離取貨店越近的司機越可能被派單。一旦接單成功,樹上手機的信息就會同步到另一部手機當中。據(jù)彭博社報道,這個辦法不一定是司機們的自發(fā)行為,很可能是有組織性的集體策劃。
一些知情司機表示,樹上的手機就像是一個主設備,接單后就會把訂單分派給周邊司機,這其中應該還存在著一位司機與亞馬遜之間的神秘中間人。此人將多部手機同時懸掛在樹上,把訂單分散到多個賬戶,以此規(guī)避亞馬遜的系統(tǒng)檢測。但無論如何,這種做法都違背了亞馬遜官方的相關政策。
另一位知情人士告訴彭博社記者,一些被派單的司機可能根本沒有通過亞馬遜Flex平臺的資質(zhì)審核,所以神秘中間商會從司機18美元/時的報酬中抽去8美元。針對這一現(xiàn)象,亞馬遜官方拒絕置評。
從樹上“長”出的手機或許也在提醒著我們:在今時今日這樣一個后疫情時代,兼職工作之間的競爭早已愈演愈烈。(財富中文網(wǎng))
編譯:陳怡軒
It sounds like a futuristic version of The Jungle, Upton Sinclair's dystopian 1906 novel about Chicago slaughterhouse workers: But instead of toiling in meatpacking plants, modern day Chicago workers are resorting to desperate measures to earn a few bucks from Amazon—notably hanging phones from trees to win jobs.
According to Bloomberg, the phone-hanging scheme lets drivers game the system by which Amazon awards delivery routes though its Flex app, which pays $18 hour/per hour for routes that take two to four hours to complete. The Flex app awards routes from Amazon's warehouses and from Whole Foods grocery stores, which the company owns.
The purpose of hanging phones in trees is to trick Amazon's dispatch mechanism into believing the drivers are closer to a warehouse or store than they really are. The Flex app awards routes in part by a driver's proximity to a pick-up point. The phones in the trees contain the Flex app and are synched with other phones belonging to the drivers. As Bloomberg describes, the scheme appears to be run by a single group or individual who masterminds the operation:
“The phones in trees seem to serve as master devices that dispatch routes to multiple nearby drivers in on the plot, according to drivers who have observed the process. They believe an unidentified person or entity is acting as an intermediary between Amazon and the drivers and charging drivers to secure more routes, which is against Amazon’s policies.” “The perpetrators likely dangle multiple phones in the trees to spread the work around to multiple Amazon Flex accounts and avoid detection by Amazon.”
A person familiar with the scheme told Bloomberg that the mastermind likely takes an $8 cut from the $18 hourly wage paid to the drivers, who may in some cases lack documentation required for the job. Amazon declined to comment on the phenomenon.
The phone-hanging tactic may reflect increased competition among workers for Flex jobs among workers at a time when Uber and Lyft rides—another popular source of so-called gig work—are in decline due to the pandemic.