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Nasty nickname for Amazon employees

January 11, 2012 @ 2:13 am (Updated: 10:16 am - 1/11/12 )

South Lake Union has changed dramatically in the past year. Until recently, geese around the lakes were the only pests. Now, some long-time workers say Amazon employees are more annoying.

Rogue flyers went up yesterday in the Seattle neighborhood, and have been taken down by this morning, defining the thousands of Amazon employees who now work in South Lake Union as "Am-holes."

What makes someone an Am-hole? Here's a definition via an "Am-hole Quiz" from one of the flyers KING 5 News snagged:

1. Think this neighborhood started with your arrival?

2. Do you walk 6 people wide on the sidewalk chatting about Amazon crap and not let others pass?

3. Can you barely resist snapping your fingers at service people in the area? (yeah, they notice)

4. Do you think sexy is contrived casual attire, arrogance, and talking/smelling like a used car salesman?

5. Do you not realize that you are working for an updated version of Sears and Roebuck so you should check yourself?

6. Do you believe for a second that you you are not a highly expendable cog in the corporate Amazon machine?

"Answer yes to any of the above? Boom! You are an Am-hole!" the upset flyer writer says, "To those of you Amazon people that act friendly and normal, thank you and we're glad you're here."

Amazon

The company refers to employees as Amazonians on a sign inside its South Lake Union campus

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Comments (46)


  • Add A Comment

  • anotherfencewalker wrote...
    No problem for me..
    January 11, 2012 8:10 am
    This is why I dont live or work in Downtown Seattle or anywhere near a major sized tech company. The 20 somthings that mostly work at these places are trained in corporate arrogance, public pontificating and general geographic rudeness. Are their exceptions? Sure. Just less of them now than their were a few years ago. Right after the dot-com bust in the 90's they all got real nice and polite rather quickly.
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  • buzz wrote...
    All I can say is...
    January 11, 2012 8:55 am
    ditto!
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • afrikando wrote...
    The Republic of Amazon
    January 11, 2012 8:40 am
    It's true that those of us who have worked in SLU for a while are feeling the rub from the Republic of Amazon invasion. Am-holes stroll the streets, crossing whenever and whereever they wish, without bothering to look up from their texting devices. As if the Mercer mess wasn't bad enough, now we have to creep and weave through wandering pedestrians. I'm terrified of hitting of one of them or, worse, one of their dogs. It vexes me, too, that parking at my office building has gone up a hundred dollars a month since Amazon moved in. I can't blame that on Amazon, however; I blame that on an employer that desires to increase its revenue from parking at the expense of its employees. :-(
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  • Roark wrote...
    Envy is an ugly thing...
    January 11, 2012 8:42 am
    Sounds like some people resent the added commerce and tax revenue generated by these new Amazonians. Maybe they should "check themselves" and realize what their local economy would look like without the "evil corporation" Amazon.com and it's employees not only bringing money into their neighborhood, but spending it to help keep their resentful arses employed.
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  • Caevyan wrote...
    So is arrogance!
    January 11, 2012 9:43 am
    Wow, not too full of yourself are you?
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • HPD 5-0 wrote...
    The anti-Amazon poster just practices the long followed liberal philosophy:
    January 11, 2012 8:46 am
    DO AS I SAY; NOT AS I DO.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • GlennNW wrote...
    not only "Liberal"
    January 12, 2012 5:45 am
    many people "DO AS I SAY; NOT AS I DO" ,, it has nothing to do with political outlook, it is a personality issue... i.e. not following your own beliefs or principles in any part of your life...
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  • mnpat wrote...
    My career involves construction management
    January 11, 2012 8:55 am
    Because of which I'm involved with taking what once was and creating what will be.......everyone hates us, hates the workers involved, hates the noise, the traffic we bring, the fact that those doing the work do in fact eat food which disrupts their routines; everyone goes out of their way to make sure we know how much we have destroyed everything good in the world and replaced it with everything that is bad in the world. It is the state of affairs and requires delicate public relations………….but once someone has something, it is pretty clear they don’t want you disrupting or rocking their world especially in Seattle where most folks tend to feel even more special then the rest of us…….this should and could be worked out with a little effort folks.
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  • Moondoggie wrote...
    Roark
    January 11, 2012 9:38 am
    Did the article have so many big words in it that you couldn’t read it all the way to the end? The poster made it very clear; "To those of you Amazon people that act friendly and normal, thank you and we're glad you're here."
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • hereandthere wrote...
    Social Commentary
    January 11, 2012 9:44 am
    This isnt about economics, its not about politics, its not about urban development or gentrification. This is about someone smart and clever, keeping other inconsiderate people accountable for thier behavior. I love it.
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  • HPD 5-0 wrote...
    How is this idiot poster maker...
    January 11, 2012 10:17 am
    ..."keeping other inconsiderate people accountable for their behavior"? Do you think anyone will pay attention to this and alter their behavior?
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • GlennNW wrote...
    you're right on
    January 12, 2012 5:47 am
    this is about behavior, nothing else
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • vanderleun wrote...
    Well, let's face it.... when all is said and done
    January 11, 2012 9:49 am
    they really ARE holes. Aren't they?
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Exhausted wrote...
    Typical Chuck
    January 11, 2012 10:34 am
    You have it all figured out who this person MAY be and also assuming SHE rides a bike. If anyone else would have thought this, you would have been the first to point that out. Thanks for proving that even YOU can be a stereotype!!!!!
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  • Itisme wrote...
    Is it an age thing?
    January 11, 2012 10:49 am
    Might the "Offenders be younger and maybe GASP different form the poster? Every area changes all the time. That is called progress. I feel everyone needs to live/work together and make all things better. But what do I know I'm an old man from the counry not a city slicker.
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  • winter wrote...
    lol
    January 11, 2012 11:07 am
    god you people are haters. you are just jealous of those 23 year old kids making $100k a year.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • GlennNW wrote...
    not jealousy
    January 12, 2012 5:53 am
    @Winter.... this is not about jealousy, it is about effectively stealing from society.. if that 23 year old is providing a benefit WORTH 100k, no problem.. BUT most are not, they have hooked into a legal theft ring providing only a fraction of what is being paid for.. a stable economy, without inflation, requires an even and fair trade of services.. NOT a vacuous sucking of resources into a concentrated spot... How many people could have that same job for the same pay... only a few because they are stealing many times what the service they provide is worth..
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