I saw this news the other day. Recently, extreme wind weather of over ten levels has appeared in North China. Beijing issued the first city-wide orange wind warning in nearly ten years[1], Hebei is preparing to suspend classes[2], and various flights and competitions have been canceled one after another. But only delivery riders are still working. Logically, in such rare extreme weather (which should also be caused by capitalist unplanned production), all pedestrians should try to avoid going out, riding electric bikes is even more dangerous, and delivery riders, oppressed by bourgeois platforms, are forced to ride at high speed to earn a living and support their families, disregarding their own safety. Under these circumstances, accidents are almost inevitable. But the most disgusting thing is that the state media “Qianlong.com” opportunistically published a classic piece of bad news, with an article titled “In the Windy Day in Beijing, Delivery Riders Persist on the ‘Delivery Line’”[3], saying:
On April 12th, a strong wind swept through Beijing. Many citizens chose to “stay indoors unless necessary,” yet many delivery and courier workers still shuttled through the streets and alleys, ensuring that residents’ basic needs were not affected.
In the photos accompanying the article, delivery riders are shown alongside fallen tree branches and knocked-over shared bikes, clearly illustrating the difficult living conditions of delivery workers, yet the state media shamelessly promotes an inspiring narrative.
Moreover, bourgeois platforms like Meituan and Ele.me are also very hypocritical. They issued notices:
On the afternoon of the 11th, Meituan told China News Service that they had issued a wind weather warning to riders in Beijing, reminding them to slow down and avoid high places, and to report any accidents promptly via the rider app. During extreme wind weather, riders can use Meituan’s free delivery lockers, and Meituan will flexibly provide weather-related subsidies. Meanwhile, Meituan will actively allocate transportation capacity to ensure the supply of daily necessities under safe conditions.
Ele.me stated to China News Service that they had prepared safety and wind protection measures for riders in advance, establishing a “safety production” special team and activating emergency mechanisms for special weather, ensuring the safety of personnel while meeting urban and community needs, and providing better service. They will also adjust their delivery services based on local requirements and actual conditions.
To ensure rider safety, Ele.me pushed weather alerts and safety reminders to riders. These include slowing down, avoiding trees, billboards, and temporary structures, preventing falling objects, paying attention to electrical safety, and fire prevention. They also optimized routes and protected dispatching, matching riders with more flexible delivery times, shortening delivery distances, and implementing measures such as no-fault policies and exception reporting in relevant situations.
Ele.me also stated that bad weather inevitably impacts travel. They thank citizens for understanding, support, and care for riders, urging everyone to stay safe.
Additionally, Meituan said that their bike-sharing service established a special team to proactively reduce the number of vehicles on the road, bring vehicles back into storage, conduct inspections, and relocate operational vehicles to sheltered areas for cross-stacking. Going forward, Meituan bikes will closely monitor weather changes and increase manpower and vehicle deployment to help restore urban order.
In essence, they say they want to restore urban order and consider rider safety, but at the same time, they expect riders to “persist through wind and rain” and continue accepting orders. Ele.me offers no substantial subsidies, and Meituan’s claims about subsidies are also very disgusting:
To commend riders providing daily necessities during extreme weather, Meituan will give cash subsidies to participating riders, ensuring their income while safeguarding delivery safety.
This is the classic rhetoric of promoting motivation, without mentioning exploitation or that riders have to risk their lives to make a living. Instead, they package themselves as “commendable” and “helping residents restore urban order.” Moreover, traveling in extreme weather already cannot guarantee delivery safety.
Regarding risks, Meituan said:Journalists learned that in response to the recent strong wind weather, various delivery platforms have urgently activated emergency mechanisms, providing safety training for riders to ensure delivery safety.
Meituan stated that on the morning of the 10th, they issued a wind warning to riders in Beijing via the rider app, reminding them to slow down and avoid high places, and to report any emergencies immediately for prompt response and assistance.
Safety training! It’s laughable—riders are also humans. Is there anyone who would voluntarily deliver death? Aren’t they all forced by life to take risks to earn money? What is “reminding riders to slow down and avoid high places”? It’s a condescending statement from the comfortably well-off capitalists who cannot possibly understand the feelings of riders working in high winds.
There are already reports online of a rider in Wuhu, Anhui, being injured by falling tiles from a building caused by strong wind[4], and there are probably more cases. Comparing the bourgeois claims of rider safety priority is a satirical picture. Some videos online also show that riding in such strong wind is very difficult, and electric bikes are often blown askew. If an accident occurs and the rider is hospitalized, who will pay the medical bills? What if someone dies? Later, capitalists might say it was the rider’s voluntary choice or that the rider was too greedy!美团、饿了么：极端大风下，确保人员安全，保障民生需求|美团_新浪财经_新浪网
外卖骑手因大风被砸伤？美团：事发安徽，目前已送医_腾讯新闻
