I counted 11 Amazon vans, including the driver turned traffic cop.
Amazon drivers are already over stressed as they are, so it’s surprising to see “impromptu traffic cop” added to their growing list of responsibilities.
Redditor Rymuhhkhi was driving in South San Francisco, trying to get to the entrance of 101 South from Produce Ave, when he was unexpectedly stopped by an Amazon driver with his delivery van stopped in the middle of a T-intersection.
He whipped out his phone and recorded the unbelievable moment the Amazon driver proceeded to stop traffic, that had the right of way, allowing close to a dozen Amazon vans to blow by a stop sign.
The original video is deleted from the /r/idiotsInCars subreddit, but someone managed to snag a mirror.
2021-12-13-16-49-05.mp4 from Midkniht Emitflah on Vimeo.
Here’s an overhead shot of Produce Ave. As you can see, traffic passing by Terminal Ct. has to yield to two-way traffic on Produce Ave. They have a stop sign.
Here’s a screenshot where the Amazon vans are presumably headed, a four-minute drive to the nearest Amazon depot.
With parking space at a premium, it looks like Amazon is using the nearby Park-and-Fly to store its vans.
When you have multiple delivery drivers leaving at the same time, this is what can happen.
Supposedly this is not an unusual occurrence.
“This happens often in my city.,” says Redditor Spartan2842
“There’s an intersection right in front of the Amazon building, and this happens daily when they leave the building in the morning.”
Redditor ThingsIDontRemember corroborates Spartan’s comment, but with UPS delivery drivers. It seems they do things differently and by the book.
“UPS hires a cop to halt traffic while their fleet leaves the facility. After that, road rules are back to normal no running lights or stop signs that’s just stupid.”
Typically, police and fire officials are the only ones authorized to direct traffic.
But according to CVC 56.04.011,
…a person authorized by the Director of Police Services or a person authorized by law shall direct or attempt to direct traffic by voice, hand or other signal.
This allows drivers like the head of funeral convoys and crossing guards the authority to direct traffic in special circumstances.
They, however, must provide and go through some kind of training.
It’s not clear if the Amazon driver in the video is even authorized to temporarily stop traffic.
Legality aside, although annoying, it looks like a once-a-day sort of occurrence.
If you get caught by this convoy, they’re, at most, causing a 30-second delay in your life.
If you’re the unlucky drivers caught in this morning melee, you can either record the ruckus and report it to police when you get the chance, or take an opportunity to just chill for a few seconds.
way to shill for amazon
They’ve cut me off like this as a semi driver, except no one was directing traffic. They just wouldn’t break the convoy. Why are they doing it? Are they carrying expensive freight? I don’t see a reason.