You’ve probably heard the adage, “Work smarter, not harder.” It’s worth pointing out that this adage does not count laziness as intelligence, nor criminal activities to avoid effort as smarts in action.
If the Homes County Sheriff’s Office in Florida is to be believed, one Latavion Lewis might have learned these lessons about that adage a bit too late.
According to WDHN-TV, Lewis, a FedEx driver who hails from Alabama, faces charges after he dumped packages in the woods or by the roadside in order to avoid working late.
Lewis’ arrest was announced in the run-up to Christmas, when the package delivery service is usually the busiest.
According to a Dec. 21 media release from the sheriff’s office, they responded to multiple cases of FedEx packages being found by others in places that definitely weren’t where they were supposed to be. The local post office was then contacted.
“HCSO contacted FedEx to assist in identifying the driver assigned to deliver the missing packages,” the sheriff’s office said in the release.
“FedEx identified Latavion Lewis, a contracted worker from Alabama, as the individual responsible for delivery,” they added.
According to the release, they then “made contact with Lewis, who agreed to meet with deputies at the Holmes County Sheriff’s Office.”
“During the interview, Lewis admitted to deputies that, due to the late hour, he chose to discard the undelivered packages at several locations rather than return them to the FedEx warehouse.”
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That certainly worked out exactly as he planned it, I imagine.
“As a result of the investigation, 44 packages have been recovered so far. The recovered packages went to the Bonifay Post Office, which ensured they were delivered to their rightful owners,” the release continued.
“Lewis was taken into custody and charged with Organized Scheme to Defraud, Grand Theft, and Illegal Dumping.”
Al.com reported that while he was delivering the packages in Florida, Lewis has addresses listed in Montgomery and Houston counties in Alabama.
“Homes County is close to the Alabama state line,” the outlet noted.
As of Dec. 23, Lewis was still being held in a county jail — not a pleasant way to spend the run-up to Christmas, I imagine.
It’s unclear whether Lewis, 28, has any prior record.
What is clear is that, unless the media release from the sheriff’s office is profoundly misleading, this was a man who probably should have thought better about his scheme to avoid working late.
One understands, of course, the pressures that delivery drivers face on the job, especially around Christmastime.
In the weeks and months to come, perhaps Lewis becomes a cause célèbre among those who disdain the pressures of the modern Amazon/e-commerce society and the workload it puts on delivery drivers, especially around the holidays.
However, quitting is always an option. No matter what, it’s better than jail — even if it’s indicative of the poor work ethic among Americans these days.
Working beats not working, yes — but not working also beats prison and a criminal rap, too. Do keep that in mind.
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