My Underground Affair with Amazon.com

Who You Hangin’ Wid? Last Weekend? Yes, Amazing!

My Underground Affair with Amazon.com

It all started when one of my daughters told me her friend’s mother had written a book of poetry and it was on Amazon.com. I like poetry and I like my daughter’s friend. I decided to order a copy of the book.

I like Amazon. However, sometimes Amazon.com is kind of creepy. I mean, the way they — like YouTube, are always recommending things to me. It’s like they’re saying, “We know who you are. We know where you’ve been. We know what you like”. It’s like I’m being stalked; which, I suppose, I am.

Also, when I first got my Kindle, I read something I wanted to remember. So, I highlighted a sentence. Then, a message appeared on my Kindle that told me Twenty-three other people highlighted that sentence. Hmmmm. More information than I wanted to know.

I don’t necessarily want others knowing what I’m reading. I’m certain I don’t want others knowing what I choose to highlight. And, as if that were not enough, I read that one day everyone who had a certain edition of ’1984′, had the book disappear from their Kindle.

It seems that Amazon.com had to get the book back because of a copyright issue. Can you imagine that? Your book, that you paid for, just vanishes right off your reader. After that incident, I never underestimated the power of Amazon.com

I ordered Peggy Salvador’s book, ‘In My Eyes’. I was confirming my mailing address when I saw an option for having the package mailed to an Amazon locker. The point that sold me on the idea of the locker was being able to pick up the package at my convenience. I decided to give it a try.

I chose a locker address near the Whole Foods Market where I shop. The address for my locker was at a 24hr-parking garage. Convenient! I received an email when the book was shipped and another email with a special code when the book was at the locker.

I wasn’t sure what to expect since I did no online research about the Amazon locker what so ever. I assumed I would go somewhere where a man or woman would be standing in front of a cage full of all kinds of Amazon goodies. I imagined I would have to wait for that person to check my code against a bunch of other packages — kind of like picking up clothes from the dry cleaner.

However, when I walked into the garage and looked to my right, it was love at first sight.

I saw my Amazon locker. It was big and very yellow and very shiny.

I walked over and stood right in front of the Amazon locker.

An animation on a screen instructed me to enter my code.

I entered my code. Then, silently, and magically, one of the compartment doors opened. I looked inside the open compartment. I saw my package. I took the package out. I closed the locker door. That’s all there was to it.

Amazon.com, I ‘high-five’ you on this one! However, now, I’ll be looking for reasons [buy more stuff] to return to the Amazon locker and enter more codes and open more little yellow doors forever and always.

(But, you already knew that. Didn’t you, Amazon.com):)