Amazon Drivers Are Pretty Torqued at 'Wayne.' And 'Jimmy'

If you happen to stumble upon a thread on Reddit that features Amazon drivers griping about a mystery supervisor named Wayne, it's likely not a real person they're complaining about, but an amalgam of all the horrible bosses that exist at the retail giant. That's per 404 Media, which reports that "all bad bosses at Amazon are now named Wayne." In other words, employees "have created a new archvillain manager to joke about their impossible workload"—an "all-seeing" dispatcher who "assigns undoable routes and impossible-to-complete package loads, and is generally overbearing and unpleasant." More about "Wayne" and how he came to be:

• Original post: The phenomenon started with a since-deleted Reddit post that features a lengthy, expletive-filled complaint about an apparently real dispatcher named Wayne. Things took off on Reddit from there, with everyone turning their boss or dispatcher into a "Wayne" so they can anonymously grumble about their workload.

• OK, but who's 'Jimmy'? That's the other alias (also sometimes spelled "Jimmie") that drivers have created to dump on. The person behind the original anti-Wayne post called "Jimmie" a "liar."
• Sample threads: One Reddit post whose wrath is directed at Wayne (and working conditions) is titled "Yeah ... f--- Wayne" and shows the nearly 200 stops one driver has to make during their workday. Another, tagged with a "RANT" label, shows all the stops one driver has to make all over town, with the caption, "Gotta love this crap. Amazon thinks we can teleport." Other complaints are found here, here, and here. One thread gets an especially enthusiastic response to a driver flipping the bird to a street sign for Wayne Drive.
• Amazon's reaction: Company spokesperson Branden Baribeau tells 404 Media that delivery personnel "are able to provide feedback directly regarding routes and we work closely with them to set expectations." Baribeau also notes that drivers are kept in the loop on best safety practices, are encouraged to take breaks during their workday, and can "use their Amazon delivery route app to find restaurants or coffee shops nearby."
• Wayne's reaction: The author of the 404 Media piece, Jules Roscoe, wants it, from the original Wayne, if he's available and willing to speak. "Due to identifying information being removed from the Wayne posts, it is not possible to contact Wayne for comment," Roscoe writes. "If you are Wayne and you would like to respond, please email me!"

(More Amazon stories.)