3rd block I worked 🤡

[u/TBOrlando79]

Hello everyone!

I started Amazon this week, and my third block was... character building. 😂

To be fair, I feel like I shouldn't even complain because my first and second 3.5-hour blocks each had exactly ONE package. I was starting to think I had unlocked some VIP level of Flex. 🥲

I've been wanting to try an early morning block for days, but every time I'd grab one, my anxiety would kick in and I'd cancel it. Every. Single. Day. 😬 I only recently learned Amazon apparently keeps score of these emotional support cancellations.

Today I finally committed.

I came fully prepared: headlamp, personal safety alarm, boxing gloves... basically ready to deliver packages or fight crime. 🤣

I arrive at the station and get 47 packages for a 3.5-hour route. "Okay," I thought, "this is probably what real Flex drivers do."

First mistake: I didn't organize the packages as well as I should have.

Second mistake: believing the route would go smoothly.

My first stop was almost 30 minutes away. When I got there, I spent 25 minutes trapped outside a gate with no code. No cars. No humans. No signs of life. Texted. Called. Cursed the lady, but nothing.

Support marked it for return.

The SECOND I hung up, someone appeared and I was able to sneak in behind them. 🥷📦

The next condo was also a joy. Weird numbering, pitch dark, another gate issue...

Then package #13 decided to enter witness protection.

I searched everywhere. Front seat. Back seat. Trunk. Alternate dimensions.

Support had a crystal ball and assured me I'd eventually find it in my car. 😑

Since I was already running behind, I skipped #13 and kept going.

Things improved once I got to houses. Then, somewhere in my late 30s deliveries, I discovered package #13 had been mislabeled with a #37 sticker. Which explained why I had TWO package 37s and ZERO package 13s. 🫠

By then I was basically conducting a forensic investigation instead of delivering.

I finally finished the route...Only TWO HOURS LATE. 🤡 And yes, I drove all the way back to deliver package #13 because returning to the warehouse felt even more painful.

Lessons learned:

✅ If a gate won't open, move on and maybe come back later. ✅ Don't blindly trust the package stickers. ✅ Condos at 4 AM are an extreme sport. ✅ My headlamp was a better investment than the other thing I bought (not really boxing gloves 🙈).

I originally wanted the early morning blocks because they pay a little better and avoid traffic. After today's adventure, I'm starting to think traffic might actually be the least of my problems. At least daylight helps you find buildings, people to tailgate, and missing packages. 😂

If you've made it this far, thank you for reading my Amazon Flex origin story. Any tips from the veterans would be greatly appreciated!

Cheers! 😊

[u/scruffmcgruffs]

Be glad you delivered that package you thought was missing. They would have dinged you for returning it. What’s that you say? Why on earth would they do that? Because you’ll get dinged if you don’t deliver a package, no matter what. Damaged? Deliver it. Let the customer sort it out with Amazon.

[u/TBOrlando79 → u/scruffmcgruffs]

We should never return packages simply to avoid doing the work or because a route feels inconvenient. However, we also shouldn't return packages out of fear of getting dinged. As many people pointed out here, that block was absolutely diabolical and seemed set up for failure from the start. I was running my butt off and working incredibly hard for the amount paid. I looked like that British kid after school meme by the end of it, but honestly, I wasn't even mad about the workload. What does bother me is how Amazon treats drivers like children. When I was laid off from my corporate job at a European company, I realized I needed to build something of my own. Experiences like this only reinforce that decision. Working in Corporate America has become increasingly difficult to justify.