More accurately, the company simply pressured me into resigning. My wife and I, now both in our 40s with elderly parents and young children to provide for, could do nothing at the time but sit in a corner of our house and cry until morning.
Eventually, the tears dried, and I had no choice but to get back on my feet. My degree did not help me find another job in my field, and no company was willing to hire a middle-aged man like me.
Out of desperation, I became a deliveryman and a ride-hailing motorbike driver. Some say this job offers flexibility and freedom, but that is far from the truth. It feels like running on a hamster wheel as the moment you stop, you lose your income.
Every day, I take as many orders as possible, trying to meet the target to earn a bonus. But that bonus is tiny and most of my earnings from deliveries are swallowed by expenses. Rain or shine, I stay on the road, delivering food and transporting passengers.
Outside of the peak holiday months, I make at most VND170,000 (US$6.7) a day, and that is only if I push myself to exhaustion.
And then there are moments when I have to stand in front of office buildings at noon, stomach growling, waiting 10 or 15 minutes while young office workers casually stroll down to pick up their meals.
If I ask a passenger for directions, I risk getting a bad rating for being “talkative” or “annoying.”
I know I am not alone. Delivery drivers all face the same risks, including harsh weather, accidents, customers refusing to pay, or, more recently, outright mistreatment and violence.
Yet, despite everything, delivery drivers are an essential part of modern life. We transport goods and bring meals to busy people. Still, we receive little to no real protection.
Perhaps what delivery drivers need most is not just a stable income but a basic level of respect, the same one that every honest job deserves.
*This opinion was translated into English with the assistance of AI. Readers’ views are personal and do not necessarily match VnExpress’ viewpoints.
