This article is more than 1 year old

YOU ARE THE DRONE in Amazon's rumoured new parcel delivery plan

It's like Uber, but for picking the delivery driver's pocket

Amazon looks to be exploring a new way to cut costs by turning you - or anyone willing to deliver parcels - into its drones.

In an idea that's most likely a stick with which to beat its delivery contractors, the retail Leviathan reportedly wants Americans to download an app, and if they see a parcel delivery that's convenient to them, pop by one of its warehouses and grab the parcel to take to someone's home.

What could possibly go wrong?

The Wall Street Journal scooped the story behind its paywall, but Reuters re-reported the idea as being built under the internal name “On My Way”.

The usual one-percenters love the idea, naturally enough, with a Morningstar analyst telling Reuters that getting passing randoms to grab a parcel and drop it off will be quicker than using parcel services.

El Reg can't help but think this idea is somewhat less viable than mass delivery-by-unmanned-aerial-vehicles, as humans will surely realise that the pittance they'll get from the company won't be worth the time or fuel. Us humans may be falling for all sorts of things in the digital age. Hopefully being turned into drones isn't one of them. ®

More about

TIP US OFF

Send us news


Other stories you might like