Jeff Bezos vs. Jane Austen: Amazon will deliver its packages to English gardens

LondonAmazon has decided to eliminate not only all the businesses on the streets of our towns and cities, but also one of the quintessentially English traits: gardening, which is more than just a hobby; it's a way of life idealized by much of the islands' literature. Among others, and perhaps the most captivating, is that of Jane Austen. Examples abound throughout her work. The very essence of the garden. Austenian It would be the garden of her home in Chawton, a village in Hampshire, in southern England, about 95 km southwest of London. The writer lived there for seven years, and in the garden she cultivated flowers and vegetables.

And she was happy and free. Because Austen understood and experienced gardens as a space of personal "inner freedom," something that was often or always reflected in the character of many of her characters, who saw themselves reflected in or projected their personalities onto the garden.

Beyond the many symbolic interpretations that gardens hold for scholars of the author ofEmma or ofPride and Prejudice —and also from Mercè Rodoreda—, one of the most repeated quotes about the English character is that "If their house is their castle, their garden is their passion." A passion under threat thanks to Jeff Bezos, the owner of Amazon.

Why? Because English gardens could soon become, instead of cultivating roses or orchids, landing platforms for Prime Air packages. The British Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has only just approved the necessary changes to the airspace management regulations around the town of Darlington, in northeast England. Thus, the tech giant will be able to launch its first drone delivery service in the UK. If everything goes according to the company's plan, the orders won't arrive at the doorstep, but will be deposited—or perhaps even dropped—in the customer's garden.

The company is avoiding giving a specific date for the start of the delivery flights, but testing has already begun. The plan is ambitious: up to ten deliveries per hour, twelve hours a day, seven days a week, from a logistics center located in Symmetry Park, in Darlington. Initially, the aircraft will take off from theHelipad from the large warehouse and will reach a height of between 55 and 85 meters. For customers in a hurry, it may be tempting: deliveries in less than two hours for purchases weighing no more than 2.3 kilos. The price? For the moment, it's a mystery. But it will have an extra cost, just as overnight delivery does for Prime subscribers.

The giant's old dream

This isn't the first time Amazon has tried to launch this service. It's a long-held dream of Bezos, who has spent over a decade envisioning skies filled with robotic delivery drivers without labor rights. Amazon already conducted tests in Cambridge County ten years ago, but shelved the idea, partly due to airspace restrictions. Since then, Amazon has continued experimenting in various US cities, and not always without setbacks. The US Federal Aviation Administration investigates a recent incidentFrom November of last year, a company drone severed an internet cable, leaving a customer without service. It was little short of an act of self-sabotage.

But Amazon assures that everything is under control in Darlington. The service will use its most modern drone, the MK30, equipped with sophisticated obstacle detection and avoidance technology based on advanced artificial intelligence models. The drone's cameras are capable of recognizing people, animals, other aircraft, and everyday obstacles such as clotheslines or trampolines—common features in British gardens that don't usually appear on satellite maps. If the system detects an unexpected object, a separate computer can take control of the drone and order its automatic return to base. Safety is, according to Amazon, the top priority. David Carbon, vice president of Prime Air, insists in a statement that the drones have been designed to operate quietly and efficiently, and that the noise is comparable to that of a van delivery. The company even argues that the disturbance will be less than that caused by drivers knocking on doors or reversing on any street. Not all Darlington residents see it the same way, but some have expressed concern in the local media. Meanwhile, model aircraft enthusiasts fear that drones will interfere with their hobby. hobbyThe permit granted by the CAA is, for the moment, temporary and expires in June, although Amazon can request an extension. Current British regulations require drone operators to reserve specific airspace, as the rules on how these devices should detect and avoid other flying vehicles have not yet been fully defined. The regulator is confident that legislation will allow routine flights starting in the coming months. Darlington thus becomes an open-air laboratory for the future of e-commerce. What is certain is that no 21st-century author will ever again be able to write what Jane Austen said about William Collins, one of the characters inPride and Prejudice"Working in this garden was considered one of her noblest pleasures; Elizabeth could not help but admire the composure with which Charlotte spoke of the health benefits of exercise, while discreetly confessing that she encouraged her whenever she could." For the writer's contemporaries, gardening was not only a physical activity but also a ritual of morality and, at times, self-control. From now on, it may be a risky activity, as all gardening enthusiasts are exposed in Bezos's little birds.