Travel advisories urged people to stay indoors and postpone plans to be on the road or on a plane while Hurricane Hilary causes havoc in California on Monday. The tropical storm was downgraded when it made landfall in Mexico’s Baja California peninsula on Sunday. Officials and meteorologists warned of flash floods and mudslides. On Monday streets were flooded, power lines were down and mudslides erupted in Southern California.
Residents heeded the call, but to ensure they are settled with all the necessary supplies at home, delivery vans and scooters filled the streets.
Delivery drivers on a slippery slope
Despite the serious warnings from weather experts, it appeared Amazon drivers were still out and about to get those last minute orders to the community.
There are concerns that with the recent wildfires, little vegetation to hold the hillside, rain can slide down rapidly and cause mudslides.
Airport traffic had also been impacted. Major airlines like United, American, Southwest and JetBlue issued warnings that the storm could impact their flights to airports in California.
Despite the widespread concern among travel and logistics companies, the delivery sector seems to be pushing for more business.
Spotting delivery vans
Many people spotted Amazon and Doordash vans in the streets, raising concerns about drivers’ safety and livelihood.
While some are concerned about the delivery drivers still working in these conditions, it seems the delivery process had been paused in some areas.
A trip worth the while
Many are asking on social media whether the delivery drivers facing the harsh weather will at least be tipped accordingly.
DoorDash delivery drivers’ tips have been in the spotlight lately. Last month a Texas woman was cursed by a delivery worker after she tipped him $5 on a $20 order. The DoorDash delivery driver was allegedly fired. This placed the US tipping culture back in the spotlight.
People identifying themselves as Amazon employees turned to social media accusing the retail giant of “deliberately ignoring messages of concerned employees for hours” during the appalling weather conditions.
Amazon response
Amazon has not yet responded to any of the statements made on social media or to media queries.
Doordash temporarily suspended its service in Los Angeles on Monday due to the storm.
Doordash said in a statement: “To keep our community safe, DoorDash is activating its Severe Weather Protocol and temporarily suspending our operations in parts of Southern California.”
About the author
Mia is a multi-award-winning journalist. She has more than 14 years of experience in mainstream media. She's covered many historic moments that happened in Africa and internationally. She has a strong focus on human interest stories, to bring her readers and viewers closer to the topics at hand.
