On February 11, in Chengdu, Sichuan Province, security guards in a residential area were caught on video beating a food delivery driver with a rubber baton. The footage went viral on the internet, sparking concern about the living environment of mainland China’s food delivery workers, who are often part of the lower social strata.
The viral video shows a person falling to the ground beside a vehicle, while a man in black continuously strikes with a weapon. The person on the ground struggles to protect their head with their hands and tries to stand up. Some netizens claimed that it was a security guard beating the food delivery driver.
On February 12, the Chenghua District Public Security Bureau in Chengdu announced that the incident took place at the entrance of a residential area on Hualin Second Road. During a food delivery, Shen Mou (25 years old) failed to park his electric vehicle in the designated spot outside the residential area. Zhao Moumou (39 years old), a security guard in the residential area, confronted Shen and was insulted by him. Zhao then used a rubber baton to beat Shen. The police arrived at the scene, took both individuals away, and Shen received medical treatment with no major injuries. Security guard Zhao was administratively detained and fined.
In recent years, due to the continuous deterioration of the Chinese economy and the difficulty of finding jobs, many people, including former middle-class individuals and university graduates who couldn’t find employment, have turned to working as food delivery drivers. This has led to increased competition in the industry. The pressure of survival has resulted in frequent conflicts between food delivery drivers and residential area security guards, traffic police, and restaurant staff.
CNN previously quoted Jenny Chan, an associate professor of sociology at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University, stating that food delivery drivers in China work long hours and face immense pressure. With the economic slowdown in China, people tend to order cheaper meals, reducing restaurants’ income. As food delivery drivers rely on commissions, they are forced to work longer hours to maintain their income.
Due to the tight deadlines food delivery drivers face, they often speed or run red lights, endangering their own safety and that of other road users.
On September 8, 2020, an article titled “Food Delivery Drivers Trapped in the System” went viral on the internet. The article highlighted how food delivery drivers, driven by algorithms and data in the delivery system, are overworked, leading them to violate traffic regulations and put their lives at risk, turning food delivery into a high-risk profession.
On July 21, 2024, in the streets of Shanghai, two traffic police officers stopped a food delivery worker in uniform, first grabbing his phone and then taking his vehicle keys, seemingly intending to impound his electric bike. The food delivery worker pushed one of the officers to the ground, shouting angrily, “Are you forcing me to rebel? … Are you trying to force me?!”