Delivery Duty Despite Chain Snatching
Mamta Kumari| Jaipur2 hours ago
One day I was going to make a delivery. During this, two miscreants snatched the gold chain from my neck and fled. I fell off my scooter. All the goods were scattered on the road. But I got up, gathered the goods, made the delivery on time, and returned.
This is Rita Sharma, a female gig worker from Jaipur, who delivers goods to people’s homes even at night. Rita Sharma said, ”I got married at a young age. My husband and I separated 16 years ago.
Since then, I have been a single mother. I am doing two jobs for the education and better future of my son and daughter. I have only studied up to the 8th grade.”
During COVID, Rita came to Jaipur from Gwalior (Madhya Pradesh). To give her children a better future, she started working as a delivery partner. She delivers goods door-to-door from 6 PM to around 1:30 AM. She says she can only sleep for about three hours at night.
Rita says, ‘As a woman, working in quick commerce felt challenging initially. My children are my motivation.’
To understand the challenges of female delivery worker in Jaipur, Bhaskar reporter stayed with her. Read special report
Rita said that due to the company’s safety policy, she does not go to the customer’s doorstep at night.
Rita said that due to the company’s safety policy, she does not go to the customer’s doorstep at night.
The delivery journey started at 6 PM
At 6 PM, when Rita left her home for the store, the reporter also went with her. After reaching the store, Rita’s ID became active. Around 11 PM, she received an order in the Vivek Vihar area.
Taking her belongings, she packed her bag and put it on her back. The reporter also followed her. After some time, Rita reached her drop location. She called the customer. The customer asked her to come to the building’s lift. Rita handed over the order near the lift. The customer said, ‘Thank you’ to her.
On this, we asked Rita if she delivers to the customer’s doorstep. Rita explained that according to the company’s safety policy, it is forbidden to go to any customer’s doorstep at night.
Female customer got angry when order was not delivered to door
After returning to the store, Rita received another order. This time the location was Champanagar. Rita said, ”This is an area that feels a bit deserted and scary. But I go there every day. Now I don’t feel scared.”
After reaching the destination, Rita called the customer. A woman answered the phone. The female customer asked Rita to come up to the higher floor.
Rita told them that due to the company’s safety policy, going upstairs at night is prohibited, and they would have to come down to collect the order. At this, the female customer got annoyed. She told Rita, ‘If you can’t come upstairs, then you shouldn’t be doing this job.’
Rita waited there for some time. After this, the customer came downstairs. Rita handed over the order to her and left from there.
We asked Rita if she didn’t feel bad when the customer spoke like that. To this, she said, ‘Ma’am, this always happens. We deal with so many customers every day. Some people are good, while some are rude like them.’
Rita said that some people are good, while some behave rudely.
Rita said that some people are good, while some behave rudely.
Someone said – Saw a female delivery partner for the first time
After delivering the order, Rita returned to the store. Around 12:30 AM, she received another order. As soon as she saw the order, Rita came smiling and said that this time too she had to go to the same area.
This time the location was a boys’ PG. After reaching there, Rita called the customer as usual and asked him to come down. After some time, a student came down. He smiled seeing Rita.
We asked him if any female delivery partner had ever brought his goods before. He replied, ‘Never seen anything like this. Today is the first time I’m realizing that a woman also does this job.’
Last order received at 1 AM
Rita received her last order around 1 AM. To deliver it, she reached a place where she often comes to deliver orders at night. It was a deserted ground. No one was visible there except stray animals and dogs.
After parking her scooter on the side, Rita said, ‘I often come and go to this place. I am never afraid of anything here except dogs.’
Rita Sharma also goes to deserted areas to deliver goods.
Rita Sharma also goes to deserted areas to deliver goods.
Judge’s family felt proud seeing the female delivery partner
Rita said, ‘Once I arrived to deliver an order, my customer was surprised to see that the delivery partner was a woman. She immediately called her husband and children too. The woman’s husband was a judge. The whole family told me that they felt very proud seeing me.’
Rita says that such positive responses make her feel very good and give her the courage to work.
Also received the Best Rider award
Rita said, ‘I have also received the Best Rider award for good work. Everyone at my workplace is also very supportive.’ Rita also uploads videos related to her daily life on her Instagram account.
