Film vs Reality: What is life really like for delivery riders? | Food Talk Vol.38

In this episode of Food Talk, we invite Yuyang, a new colleague at Foodthink, as our special guest. Not only is he a new member of our team, but he also brings a unique perspective, having worked as a delivery rider for a brief four-month stint in 2021. While he was interested in the labour process of delivery work, he clarifies that he didn’t become a rider simply to “experience life”. During the summer after securing his postgraduate place at Peking University, he faced real financial pressure to make a living. This, combined with experiences shared by his peers, allowed him to quickly integrate into the life of a rider.

In this episode, we follow Yuyang’s perspective to gain a deep understanding of a delivery rider’s daily routine. As a dedicated Ele.me rider, from the end of the morning briefing to the start of deliveries and until clocking off at night, Yuyang faced constant challenges in a high-intensity workday, requiring split-second decisions every minute of every hour. Navigating the tensions between hubs, merchants, and consumers—while contending with system-driven dispatch, complaints, and attendance mechanisms—he had to rack his brains to devise strategies just to gain a fraction more speed, a bit more income, and fewer complaints. At the same time, as a human being, Yuyang could not always function like a machine. In the rapid interactions between various people and the system, the rider’s internal emotions and feelings constitute another dimension that is difficult for the outside world to perceive.

Through Yuyang’s observations, we also see the place of these drifting delivery riders within society: how do they find a balance between economic pressure and the duality of freedom and constraint in their work? Given the extremely high turnover rate, what attitude do delivery riders actually hold toward this job?

Furthermore, how do platform algorithms influence the rider’s work patterns? Under the control of these algorithms, can an act of sympathy from a consumer truly help a delivery rider? Looking at it from the rider’s perspective, one might arrive at a different conclusion.

As a group, delivery riders have received significant public attention due to media reporting, becoming a microcosm of the labour force in the era of the gig economy. However, compared to second-hand accounts, first-hand narratives and reflections are more deserving of being heard. We hope this episode helps you gain a direct understanding of the real conditions faced by delivery riders.

Guest

Yuyang

An INTP youth drifting in Beijing, originally from the Livestock Branch No. 2 in Bayan County, Heilongjiang Province. He currently focuses on issues such as digital technology, agricultural technology, and sustainable development. He previously published an article in The Paper’s Thought Market titled “What Lies Beyond the Algorithm: An Exploration of the Autonomy of Delivery Riders’ Labour”.

Xiaojing

Host of Food Talk.

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Production team for this episode

Coordination/Production: Xiaojing

Music: Banong

Cover art: Wanlin

Photos: Yuyang

Editor: Wang Hao

Contact email: xiaojing@foodthink.cn