# Does anyone here work (or has worked) at an Amazon Fulfillment Center?



## QuantumCybin (Apr 14, 2016)

So I just started as a picker last week; for those of you who don't know, a picker is literally a worker that walks all over the warehouse and grabs items from the shelves, puts them in a bin, and then loads it up on a conveyor belt. Rinse, wash, repeat ten hours a day, four days a week. Can anyone recommend some good walking shoes? Even if they're a tad pricey? Pickers walk an average of ten miles a day so I'll be putting the work on them.

The fulfillment center here in Chattanooga is pretty massive; I've never had a warehouse job before but all of my past jobs required I was on my feet all day so I don't mind the walking. There's over eight miles of conveyor track inside 

Now, they don't let you bring your phone, iPod, etc. into the building. However, they do let you wear watches, and that brings me into my next point. 

As you can imagine, walking and walking and walking and walking for ten hours a day with little to no variety can be a little dull. So, I've been thinking about something but I'm wondering if anyone here can give me some feedback. I have an Apple Watch. I know the internal storage of the watch lets you hold a roughly 500 song playlist locally on the watch itself. Now, I'm pretty sure you don't need to have your phone within Bluetooth range to access those 500 tracks.

What I'm thinking is I can wear my watch to work, and have a pair of bluetooth headphones that look like earplugs. We're allowed to wear earplugs at work, and they're the kind that have a wire linking them, just like an actual pair of headphones. Would it be possible to pull something like this off? It's not like I'd be rocking the fvck out so damn hard I couldn't hear anyone or do my job; just some background noise. Anyways, thanks for taking the time to read this


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## High Plains Drifter (Apr 14, 2016)

On the watch/ tunes... I certainly wouldn't risk a warning/ write-up/ potential dismissal with such a new job. I mean.. it depends what their particular views are on this as well as how important this job is to you... but I surely wouldn't hit the ground running with "Lemme see how I can get around this". On the other hand... 10 hours is a pretty long time to go without music lol. Best of luck with that. I can't help you there. 

Everyone's different so who knows what shoe will work for you. I have friends that spend 8+ hrs a day in $30 dollar Walmart/ Payless type shoes, other friends happily walking a lot in Chuck Taylor's, and still others that wear steel-toes regularly without issues. 

For me, I have found no other salvation for my feet that rival Merrell foot-wear. I replace them only after approx 2 years and that's due to them just finally wearing out... NOT because of foot pain/ issues. I currently go back and forth between Moab & Ventilators right now in a mid. I don't have very high arches and my feet are a little wide so YMMV.


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## QuantumCybin (Apr 14, 2016)

Yeah, I'm pretty sure if they figured out what I was doing they'd be pissed so I'm probably not gonna end up doing it, even if it probably would work. A man can dream...

I mean the shoes I have right now aren't terrible, but they're not made for walking long distance in. Feet are definitely done by the end of my shift. Thanks for the information man! I'll look into that brand.


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## Demiurge (Apr 14, 2016)

You can always upgrade the current sneakers with some of those gel-style insoles. They're usually ~$15 for a set so much cheaper overall.


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## QuantumCybin (Apr 14, 2016)

I was thinking about doing that as well. Are there any brands that are known to be better in terms of comfort and longevity?


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## UnderTheSign (Apr 14, 2016)

Wear safety shoes. I've been in this kind of work for 10 years and trust me, steel toes are a godsend with all the stuff that falls out of the shelves etc.

I agree on the music not being a good idea. There's a ban on ipods for a reason. It's also for your own safety, unless of course you'd like to kiss a forklift.


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## FILTHnFEAR (Apr 14, 2016)

Trust me, I use to pick orders on reach trucks for years, it'd been great to have some tunes to pass the day. Unfortunately, instant death or severe mutilation are only one tiny mistake away when involving forklifts. Gotta be on your toes in that kind of environment. 

And if that Amazon is anything at all like the Amazon center here in Indy, it's a total zoo.

As far as your feet are concerned. I used to use the gel inserts in any shoes I wore. They work quite well. But if you don't mind spending a little, check and see if you have a place called The Good Feet Store around you. My dad had some issues being on his feet all day and the arch support inserts he got there helped tremendously.

Good luck at your new job.


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## QuantumCybin (Apr 14, 2016)

Thanks for all the responses guys, I appreciate it. Yeah, if I was actively around forklifts I wouldn't even consider it, but the way the pick modules are set up at this fulfillment center, there's no forklifts anywhere. The forklifts are sectioned off in other areas of the warehouse. I'm usually on the second and third floor. Imagine a grocery store, endless aisles upon aisles of things. That's how the pick mods are set up here.

I'm on my lunch break right now, I'll have to look more into this foot stuff when I get home


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## M3CHK1LLA (Apr 15, 2016)

new guy starts at amazon 



gets comfy pair of shoes 



puts gel inserts in them 



is gung-ho to do a good job 



is told not to use phones, ipods, mp3 players etc 



sneaks iwatch in 



uses blue tooth ear buds that looks like safty ear plugs 



is asked to unload truck 



gets heavy load to end of truck ramp 



has periphery cranked to 11 



does not hear co-workers screaming WAIT! STOP! HOLD UP! 



the following is the result...


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## NicePants (Apr 15, 2016)

Nailed the landing.


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## QuantumCybin (Apr 15, 2016)

Dude hahaha that was ridiculous. Makes me want to watch a compilation of warehouse fails, I'm sure they're out there....


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## TheKindred (Apr 15, 2016)

What about bone-conduction headphones? Ultimate stealth option 



man-implants-magnetic-headphones-becomes-music-cyborg


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## QuantumCybin (Apr 16, 2016)

It's so funny how the inventory system works here. It's all computerized and to us mere humans, it literally is chaos. There is no apparent categorization for how items are stored. What I mean by that is when you look inside a bin on the shelf, you'll never know what you'll see. In one bin, I've seen a few bibles, some kids toys, a box of pop tarts, and the scariest, largest butt plug I've ever seen. Not even kidding


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## CircuitalPlacidity (Apr 16, 2016)

If you could accidentally ship me a new tablesaw that'd be great.


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## M3CHK1LLA (Apr 18, 2016)

QuantumCybin said:


> It's so funny how the inventory system works here. It's all computerized and to us mere humans, it literally is chaos. There is no apparent categorization for how items are stored. What I mean by that is when you look inside a bin on the shelf, you'll never know what you'll see. In one bin, I've seen a few bibles, some kids toys, a box of pop tarts, and the scariest, largest butt plug I've ever seen. Not even kidding



soooo....before you got this job, how many butt plugs had you seen?


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## QuantumCybin (Apr 18, 2016)

M3CHK1LLA said:


> soooo....before you got this job, how many butt plugs had you seen?



You know, as soon as I posted that I was like "some smartass is going to insinuate I have prior experience with butt plugs"  

Let me rephrase: the first butt plug I have seen IN PERSON hahaha. I would have preferred the pop tarts, personally, although they were the unfrosted kind. Who actually likes those? Doth thou lack taste buds?


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