China food delivery rider treated like a dog by security guard using riot control device

The guard said it was a punishment for the rider trying to enter the compound without his consent.

The passer-by, who claimed to be a courier himself, asked the restrained rider to call the police, and told off the guard by saying: “He is a human, not an animal”.

The compound’s property management company has admitted that the guard’s actions were wrong and asked him to apologise to the delivery rider.

The company also reportedly paid the victim 1,500 yuan (US$210) in compensation.

The incident attracted 8 million views on Douyin, and sparked widespread online outrage.

“It is humiliating to lock his ankle like that as if dealing with a dog,” one observer said on Douyin.

“What gives the security guard such great power to mistreat other people? Apologising as a punishment seems too light,” another said.

“The delivery rider and the security guard, who are both low-wage labourers, are put against each other while the system that caused this remains invisible,” said a third person.

The mistreatment of delivery workers, especially from security guards, often makes news in China.

In one extreme case, a 54-year-old security guard at a residential compound in eastern China’s Shandong province killed a 32-year-old Meituan food delivery rider following quarrels at the compound’s gate in December last year.

Ren Hao, a researcher at Beijing’s Renmin University, worked as a food delivery rider in 2020 as part of a field study.

He said food delivery workers constantly faced discrimination in residential compounds, office buildings and shopping malls.

Some riders had to take off their uniforms to enter such places.

Ren’s teacher, He Lingmin, said many security guards blindly follow the orders of property management companies.

One guard told He there were concerns that riders may drive too fast and threaten the safety of residents.

But riders must make full use of every minute to meet delivery deadlines or they face wage deductions.

China has seen a rise in the number of delivery riders in recent years as the country faces growing unemployment.

Chinese food delivery giants Meituan and Ele.me had 7.45 million and 4 million active delivery workers respectively last year.

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