“Please Make Him Famous” — Amazon Worker Stands Ground Against “Crazy” Customer

To call the holidays hectic would be an understatement. We've all got groceries to put away, decorations to put up, and gifts to wrap and subsequently hide so Christmas isn't ruined.

And a good chunk of holiday shoppers are getting their gifts from Amazon. Oftentimes, these packages will arrive faster than Santa can bring them on his sleigh — Prime offers same-day, next-day, or two-day shipping.

But this isn't an easy task. There's a reason why Amazon is offering 7% cash back on purchases for Prime cardholders if their deliveries can wait to arrive until after the holidays.

That's because the drivers delivering those packages are managing a logistical nightmare.

Additionally, customers are on-edge, too, scrambling to make sure everything they need ordered offline is delivered to their domiciles in a timely fashion so that they're primed for their end-of-the-year festivities.

An example of these tensions coming to a head is evinced in a viral clip featuring an Amazon driver named Sean (@sean5five), whose exchange with a customer accrued over 1.2 million views.

In the video, Sean, shooting from his POV, confronted a customer who followed him around demanding a package. Sean calls him out when the guy finally stops his car and rolls down the window: “Are you serious right now,” to which the guy fires back, "Yeah, I’m f—-ing serious…Can I have my package?"

Sean appears to try and maintain his composure, even when the unhappy package recipient insinuates that taking a break makes him less of a person. Furthermore, he states that because he doesn't work delivering packages for a living that he doesn't take breaks while he's at work. "You take breaks at your job," Sean asks. The man snaps, "No, I don’t take breaks. I’m not a f—-ing Amazon driver."

The video was titled "PLEASE MAKE HIM FAMOUS," and Sean provided further explanation: "Actual encounter I had with an Amazon customer 30 minutes ago. He decided to follow me around for 30 minutes and approach me until I finally had to just leave my deliveries and go somewhere safe."

Sean added that he was cautious when dealing with the man following him, as he didn't want to be on the receiving end of personal ire that culminated in violence. "Never know who is crazy enough to hurt someone."

Most of the comments were from users who seemed to overwhelmingly be on Sean’s side of the confclit. One person wrote, "I hope you took those packages back to the warehouse and showed them the video," to which Sean replied in the comments, "I did."

Another commenter added, "That derogatory remark about him not being an Amazon driver was not called for. Mr. Amazon employee... you are Amazing!!!"

Another took a swipe at the customer’s attitude, with one taking note, "Bro is driving a Jeep, not a Lambo."

Sadly, it appears that Sean documented what looks like an alarming statistic that has increased over the years — a spike in anxiety among our species during the holiday season.

A recent survey found that 28% of Americans are experiencing more holiday-related stress in 2024 than in previous years. The increase in collective social frustration can be attributed to financial pressures, along with the post-election cultural war hangover, missing loved ones, and increased usage of social media.

Furthermore, changes in the way that we shop are also a factor that contribute to events that take place like the one detailed in Sean's video. Online shopping, same day food/item delivery have undoubtedly skyrocketed, with nearly 30% of Americans now relying solely on e-commerce platforms like Amazon for many of their day-to-day necessities, including gifts for their loved ones during the holidays.

Additionally, a lot has been written on how fast changing times can also inspire heightened levels of stress. And with the nature of how lifestyles are changing rapidly in the consumerist space, the world can feel like its rapidly changing and this could, on a subconscious level, can affect different people in different ways.

Take malls, for instance. While malls are still alive — barely — online shopping has fundamentally reshaped how we move throughout the season. But for some, the end of a social consumerist could have a significant mental impact on their well being.

As an example, what was once built as a sprawling mecca of shopping, dining, and entertainment, the Pittsburgh Mills Mall, was built for $143 million and sold later for $100 at foreclosure.

This natural shift means more pressure on delivery drivers, who are behind the wheel of the holiday grind.