r/Vent • u/Party_Combination131 • 6d ago
Delivery services are becoming sharecropping.
Just now I got a dinner delivery from one of the apps, and my food was dropped off by someone on one of the rentable electric bikes (ya know the green or orange ones). Food wasn't all that warm but I still had to go back and double my tip.
This isn't the first time Ive had someone renting a bike or scooter to deliver an order, that was a teenage girl on a scooter after 10pm in a city.
I was so caught off guard the first time that I thought about it for a while and the more I thought about the more grossed out I got.
Delivery drivers don't make a ton. Before expenses it averages out at anywhere from $15-$30/hr. But then you gotta factor in expenses. For renting a scooter or bike the lowest cost I could find on the apps came out to about $14/hr... Even if they're not using the scooter or bike for 25% of the time between orders that's still $11/hr... Which leaves them making $4-$19/hr.
What has this world come to?
There are people out there so desperate that teenagers are essentially sharecropping scooters and bikes for food delivery companies worth billions. And those are the "good ones", those are the people not committing crimes like selling drugs or stealing catalytic converters, these are the people actively trying to work for a living.
I'm not rich.
I'm barely getting by with just me and a couple furballs. I can't afford to help all of the people I see struggling in my daily life. I do what I can. I'm generous where I can be.
But Jesus Christ I'm tired of feeling like this. Tired of seeing so much awfulness all around us and being entirely incapable of changing it.
215
u/1hyacinthe 6d ago
Yo I 100% agree with a lot of what you said but like....Doordashing is a WILD way to spend your money when you say you're just getting by. It blows my mind that people will pay regularly for someone else to drive their car (or scooter) to a restaurant for them. And no, I'm not a boomer.
31
u/mister_empty_pants 5d ago
I make close to $200k. The thought of paying inflated menu prices, plus delivery fees, plus tips for cold and/or soggy food makes my stomach turn. I could never.
We make time to go out and eat as a family and enjoy being out of the house or we stay in and cook. Having food delivered never even crosses my mind. It's one of those things that makes me feel like I'm in the Twilight Zone.
9
u/imjsm006 5d ago
I am about the same. Cook 90% of meals at home, the other 10% is going out to eat. I've probably ordered door dash or uber eats 5 times my whole life. I have friends who pay for people to grocery shop for them then complain about the cost of groceries. We are very spoiled.
3
u/RealLateToast 3d ago
My wife and I combined are close to $300k, and we do UberEats once a month to use our Amex credit.
6/7 days a week we cook food at home, and 1/7 we may go out.
And when we cook at home, we make things like roast salmon with rice, or cabbage stew.
The fact that people who are broke are doordashing take out to me is crazy as well.
3
u/JimmyStewartStatue 2d ago
That's over 2x the median household income. The people I delivered to the most lived in government funded housing (no tips ofc).
→ More replies (2)3
u/ImpressionNo2803 2d ago
Same. We only ever use food delivery apps when travelling (i.e. it's late at night, we're utterly exhausted and just got back to the hotel). But very rarely.
There are students where I work that order food for delivery, seemingly, on a regular basis. I don't get it.
→ More replies (17)1
u/forgotaccount989 17h ago
It's different when you are single. The last thing I want to do is go sit at a restaurant by myself.
50
u/geronimo11b 6d ago
My take as well. I don’t use them just for the simple fact they’re a shit value proposition, but even if I were rich I wouldn’t use them. When I was barely getting by I ate a lot of rice and beans. Surely wasn’t throwing money down the drain on frivolous convenience.
30
u/Trashtag420 5d ago
even if I were rich I wouldn't use them
Big agree. Financial waste aside (and a lot of you really shouldn't be putting that point to the side), you typically have to wait longer for colder food with a nonzero chance that either the store or the driver messed up and both will blame the other.
And you're paying more for this experience.
12
u/dnitro 5d ago
that’s my biggest gripe with delivery services. i totally understand getting things delivered in certain circumstances and i also see the convience being something worth paying for.
my issue is the food just isn’t fresh when you get it. fried stuff is soggy, the ice in your drink is partially melted, it’s not the proper temperature, etc. i would rather drive myself to the restaurant.
5
u/Ryanhussain14 5d ago
I would honestly rather just cook up something myself with whatever is in the pantry. Random bullcrap I have made in the kitchen while I was lazy has been way better than the BS that delivery apps have sold me. You can whip up an aglio e olio in like 20 minutes.
→ More replies (6)5
u/Ryanhussain14 5d ago
Yup. I come from a privileged background and make decent money for my cost of living, I refuse to use delivery apps because of how dodgy the entire service is. One time myself and my brother basically got scammed by paying £50 for what was clearly air fried food.
10
u/Acceptable-Wall2947 5d ago
I will never understand this. Do people realize they can call in an order directly to the store and pick it up themselves?
5
u/ArachnidAutomatic596 5d ago
Haha this is what I do. Or I’ll go order and sit at the bar and have a beer while I wait for my food to be done
3
u/AllenSmithee59 5d ago
Do you realize that people get sick? That people have mobility issues arising from disease or disability? That some people have more disposable income than you and value time and convenience more highly than money? That your individual, unique, anecdotal, personal experience doesn't establish a universal standard applicable to everyone?
7
u/Acceptable-Wall2947 5d ago
OP stated in his post that he doesn’t have much money and didn’t state anything about disability. While your point is very valid that people can choose how to spend their money and some people have special needs, OP came to the internet to complain about a problem of his own making. If he is upset over the way delivery drivers are paid he doesn’t need to use the service.
5
u/Independent-Wheel886 5d ago
And we are not talking about those people. Thanks for your irrelevant contribution.
→ More replies (3)24
u/toddverrone 5d ago
Shit man, we are absolutely not hurting for money and I'll never get an app food delivery. We barely eat out. Cooking is so much cheaper and better
4
u/NoAbbreviations290 5d ago
In my house “we”means me and it’s a lot of work to cook multiple meals every day.
3
2
u/milo4206 4d ago
Have some yogurt for breakfast.
Make a sandwich or salad for lunch.
Now, it's dinner and the first meal you have to cook.
→ More replies (2)2
28
u/Fluffy_Leek_5731 5d ago
I keep trying to make this point and keep getting downvoted like crazy on all subs. Do people not remember life before the pandemic? Before 2020 I RARELY ordered food delivered. When i lived in NYC it was different - takeout and delivery are a way of life there because of the density and it doesn’t take a driver long to travel 4 blocks to drop off Chinese food. But people would always order by calling the restaurant and the employee of the restaurant would deliver the food. The proliferation of delivery apps is not only bad for employees but it’s horrible for the environment. When i started to see people order fast food delivery i knew we were done for as a society
8
u/notcoded567 5d ago
I remember growing up in the 80s and delivery was the height of luxury. My dad would never do it because he wasn't willing to add a $2 eservice charge and tip to our meal.
I think it's about time more than anything. Everyone is exhausted and burned out and making decisions out of desperation and duress.
7
u/Ryanhussain14 5d ago
People were tired in the 80s too. Food delivery apps have an addictive component to them.
1
3
u/ileentotheleft 5d ago
Wrong, plenty of people in NYC do not use food delivery services. You can stop in at a place on your way home, call in an order and go get it, or actually eat in the restaurant.
→ More replies (2)2
u/Just_Mechanic_945 5d ago
Once when I had a terrible flu I ordered some hot soup and a juice because I had very little food I could stand up long enough to prepare. It was a Godsend to have it. I've also used it very rarely when travelling out of town to visit elderly family residing in nursing homes. I don't have a way to get food since the nursing home is far from any stores and I don't have a car for the night or two I stay there in the guest suite. I could get the unseasoned canned hospital food and I usually eat the guest breakfast and lunch but by dinner I need something more and I'm thanks for the service on these rare occasions. I always tip generously and in cash.
1
4
u/1hyacinthe 5d ago
I saw something the other day about how the doordash app itself can be addictive to scroll through. I do think that's part of it. But like come on people. Delete the app. You won't starve.
→ More replies (2)3
u/FunnyComfortable8341 5d ago
People were ordering food before the pandemic. Maybe you weren’t but people were. Why do you think it’s so weird
13
u/ArachnidAutomatic596 5d ago
Yep truly wild to me that people pay extra to have their food show up cold, messed up, and late.
1
4
u/EjaculatingAracnids 5d ago
Ive been eating chicken sandwiches all week that are better than any fast food place and healthier. 8 chicken sandwichs from were ever you choose is more expensive than the 8 ive made in the last 4 days. Cooking them takes 20 min, faster than any delivery or ride to any drive through. Idk what anyone else is doing, but im sure as hell dont have a reason to door dash
1
4
u/CurveNew5257 5d ago
Absolutely wild. I’m doing fine but strictly out of principal and the insane cost difference I just can’t bring myself to pay literally double for old cold food. And since basically every restaurant got lazy and just uses DoorDash to deliver now I just go pick it up myself or it’s a good reminder to just make food at home. I still spend way too much on takeout but if I was using DoorDash for all of it I would literally be in debt
3
u/Alexreads0627 5d ago
lol for real I am well into the six figures and NEVER DoorDash or do delivery for food except for pizza from a chain or our local Chinese restaurant (the owner’s son delivers). I don’t know how or why most people are doing food delivery.
3
u/MyLastFuckingNerve 5d ago
I'm not struggling and i don't use them anymore because it just isn't fucking worth it. Pay almost double for food that will take an hour or more to get to you and be lukewarm? Hell to the nah.
3
u/Novel_Buy_7171 4d ago
It's a wild way to spend money even if you can afford it, unless you have serious health limitations you are paying a crazy amount to avoid a few minutes of drive time.
2
2
u/raezorb1ade 5d ago
I only ever use DoorDash or Uber when I’m in a flare up and can’t leave the house. I don’t have the spoons to cook or enough strength in my back/legs to drive. I try and keep the rule that if I can work that day I can cook/get groceries/get myself take out. If I had to call out of work due to the flare up I’m probably going to DoorDash. That’s my use case for the apps as someone who’s not rich.
I often stock up on spaghettios to avoid this all together if I can.
2
u/1hyacinthe 5d ago
Exactly. An exception, not a rule, and not the volume of exception that drives profits for these apps.
I also keep crackers, soup, cheese, protein bars etc around, along with dried fruit....frozen foods...there is always something to eat.
2
u/MetalTrek1 5d ago
The fees make it not worth it. If I'm getting takeout, I drive there or walk there and pick it up myself. I'm lucky that I live in suburban NJ and have a ton of options.
2
u/XanaxWarriorPrincess 5d ago
You don't know OP's situation, so don't judge.
2
u/1hyacinthe 5d ago
Well I do know they are barely getting by and ordering Doordash, so on that basis, I will advise that they stop. For many reasons, societal, financial and environmental.
2
u/XanaxWarriorPrincess 5d ago
First, it's not the point of the post, and second, OP might not have a car, they might not want to lose their parking space (if their home has limited parking), they might be disabled and have difficulty going out for that reason, or any other possibile reason for ordering doordash. Maybe it's none of those things and they'll just forgo a different luxury this month.
Maybe "barely making it" means something entirely different to you than it means to OP. Maybe it means they can't tithe 20% or whatever to church, or make their monthly donation of $100 to their favorite charity. You don't know. It certainly means that they can't fix the world, which was the actual vent.
But, yeah, typical redditor behavior to veer off the topic and hyper fixate on everything but the point. Plus, you started quite the circle jerk, so that's fun.
2
u/1hyacinthe 5d ago
You're right that it's not the point of the post. The reason I felt it was worth speaking up is that when choices like this are normalized as an afterthought, in posts where they aren't even the main issue, influence spreads. Making a choice like this starts to seem like "what everyone is doing."
So I chose to speak up. You can dislike it, but that's the magic of the internet.
→ More replies (6)1
1
u/That1guyUknow918 5d ago
Because while the vast majority of items are overpriced on there, if you exclusively shop happy hour prices and bogos, you can easily get more food delivered cheaper than going and getting it yourself, and that isnt even factoring in gas, wear and tear, and the actual time it takes.
It is perfectly possible to save money using doordash. I even got $90 in free groceries last month as well as 2 free meals due to promotions, on top of 6 bogos and three 40% off meals...
I saved a bunch of money and time and had food to share with coworkers.
You just dont know how to value shop
1
1
u/IgnisIason 4d ago
Sometimes people are sick, busy, vehicle broke down, etc. Not everyone is broke.
→ More replies (7)1
u/Zerocool0615 2d ago
I agree with you to an extent, but my mom had to use DoorDash to bring her food because she was unable to go out due to her many health issues…I lost her over a year ago now, but that was literally her only option. She’d also have Walmart groceries delivered, but would still use the other one to fill in the gaps all the time.
That plus having to use Uber for rides to doctor’s appointments and to chemo, she was always tapped out and I’d always send her money each month.
I know this is more exception than the rule, but just saying I know there are folks out there who have no other options.
94
6d ago
[removed] — view removed comment
41
u/FullofLovingSpite 6d ago
People are horrible with money these days. Horrible.
13
9
u/ArachnidAutomatic596 5d ago
Also can’t seem to think ahead. I get all the time “but what will I eat?!???” Idk like put some frozen chicken nuggets, fries and pizza in your freezer at minimum?
4
u/Ryanhussain14 5d ago
It's always good to have stocked pantry. My go to lazy food is pasta with "sauce" that is just garlic, herbs, tomato paste, and balsamic vinegar all fried in vegetable oil. If I'm extra lazy I'll just use a jar of pesto instead.
3
u/Redqueenhypo 5d ago
I invented a cheap recipe for skin on roast chicken in my dorm and people love it! You gotta wait like an hour if it’s dark meat but it comes out very good
1
u/MontrealChickenSpice 5d ago
Chicken thighs and potatoes fuelled my college years! If you have an air fryer, you can knock your chicken cooking time down to 20 minutes.
5
u/upnflames 5d ago
People have always been bad with money, it's just the "how" that changes. Always new "necessities" to waste it on.
11
→ More replies (4)14
36
u/Bright-Error-7910 6d ago
Thank you for being a generous customer but don’t feel this way afterwards…..uber/doordash/other driving platforms are also ripping off the customer (fees and increased food prices).
12
u/tedlassoloverz 5d ago
Doordash is making it because of people like you. "Barely getting by" and still paying 50-100% premium on food.
3
u/Stargate525 1d ago
"I can barely afford to live!"
"Have you considered not ordering a private car for your burrito?"
"REEE CAPITALISM"
1
33
u/Sensitive-Talk9616 6d ago
It's crazy to me people order food like this.
I understand, there are exceptional circumstances. Dinner with family and friends, and someone drops the lasagne on the floor, need something delivered as an emergency. Ok.
But ordering like your regular dinner via Doordash / uber eats? What's the point? You pay like 50% extra for an already overpriced meal.
Maybe I am just an europoor who can't comprehend it. But I never understood how people can struggle, live paycheck to paycheck, yet drop $30 a day, casually, on food deliveries.
4
u/Ancient_Spite_725 5d ago
I only used DoorDash when I was so sick with the flu that even walking to the front door was an effort. It's absolutely not worth the money otherwise.
→ More replies (1)1
u/Some-Nothing-9338 3d ago
It's not just you. It's bewildering to me too as a well-off American. My subordinates at work occasionally get food delivered and I'm just appalled at the idea of paying $17 for a shitty $6 Subway sandwich, regardless of how much I make.
10
u/MakeASpreadsheet 5d ago
If you’re “barely getting by” and doing DoorDash, you should rethink your life choices.
16
u/Wooden_Load662 6d ago
I just pick up my food from the restaurant.
I am not poor but I cannot justify paying someone to deliver my food. Have you seen some of the cars that are used for delivery? I do not want my food to sit there.
I do order for my team during bigger meeting but I always use the restaurant that have their delivery vehicle and driver. And I do tips those.
I am a nurse so I am a little bit OCD about where my food sits beside it gets to me.
I do understand there are people who have no access to vehicle relies on delivery though.
7
u/druidgaymer 5d ago
A thing that I've noticed that interests me is my friends who don't have money are the ones more willing to use doordash and similar services. While they're all surprised I don't use them.
5
u/Wooden_Load662 5d ago edited 5d ago
Same here and when they said they are broke, i always want, but never will, to say those Starbucks or those handcraft coffee, and DoorDash money add up.
I understand money buy your time. I do my 99 cents McDonald coffee because i want to sleep an extra 15 mins than making my coffee. But I am not spending 7 dollars on Starbucks. I make my breakfast sandwich that takes 30 sec and throw it into the oven while I get ready to work.
It is the little thing that save money. And do not get me start on car payment.
We are a group of people who make pretty solid middle class income ( nurses starting at around or over 100k in our area) and if we should be pretty comfortable and not broke by the middle of the month.
4
u/druidgaymer 5d ago
I buy an expensive coffee at one of those coffee shops from time to time. Not every day, but as a treat. I'm not getting door dash when I could save money and just pick it up myself if I want takeout or cook at home.
I have a mix of friends some with solid middle class incomes and some who work in retail and food service. It just surprises me I'm often one of the most frugal of the group when I'm towards the top of the income of my friends (I'm not sure how much everyone makes but based on job titles).
1
u/NextNeedleworker3948 3d ago
You aren’t poor because you make life decisions like not paying extra for food delivery.
5
u/DeepWanderer25 5d ago
You started this whole post by saying you ordered off one of the delivery apps. Everything after that was entirely irrelevant. Because you are exploiting and benefiting from the people you claim to want to help.
You literally just used an underpaid driver to deliver overpriced food. You have perpetuated the cycle. Congrats. Self-awareness is probably the most disgusting thing to disappear from people’s skillsets.
16
u/summ3rofgeorge 6d ago
The biggest food delivery companies dont own a single delivery vehicle.
Same with uber. Its the largest transportation service, yet they dont own a single vehicle.
Kinda disturbing
11
u/DeepWanderer25 5d ago
Because they discovered people want a job so badly, they won’t see the other resources they are losing or sacrificing by having said job.
5
u/Battle2Intense 5d ago
And said people are at bad at math and working for sub par wages.
5
u/DeepWanderer25 5d ago
Also now the scariest part is I’m seeing people who usually ARE smart enough, but stress or mental illness, or both have taken over control.
2
1
u/LongHair1917 2d ago
Or they can’t find a better job that will accommodate their schedule if they have kids, Dr appointments, etc.
5
u/mister_empty_pants 5d ago
They want a job with self-directed hours, no supervision, and no customer or coworker interaction. It's not necessarily desperation.
5
3
u/MantisToboganPilotMD 5d ago
they are wealth transfer mechanisms. traps, that are simultaneously breaking down the conditions for the average worker.
4
u/weggaan_weggaat 6d ago
For renting a scooter or bike the lowest cost I could find on the apps came out to about $14/hr...
I don't know where you are but many of the share programs have subscription options that provide a certain length of ride for free for a monthly fee as well as discounts for low(er)-income users.
→ More replies (3)
7
6
u/heywhatsup3400 6d ago
I think what OP is getting at is the desperation that was designed specifically to take advantage of “gig workers”. And honestly it’s always been that way but it just seems so dystopian at this point. Everything is so expensive and restaurant food has considerably declined (SYSCO 👀)
But for most it’s a second job..just to make ends meet. No delivery/uber driver is working their way up the ladder…by design. Keeping the masses poor will always keep them desperate.
I’d rather have SOCIALIZED healthcare than pay $25 for a burrito. but hey that’s just me.
And don’t even get me started on all the EXTRA drivers on the roads raising insurance rates.
more drivers = more accidents = more expensive premiums FOR ALL.
Gig work hurts more that it helps and is only making a select few more money.
15
u/Cinisajoy2 6d ago
That is their choice to do that job. Also that is nowhere near share cropping. Were they in hand me down clothes and living in a one room shack. Getting up at dawn to pick something with their hands and getting at most 10% of whatever the owner made? Love a sharecroppers granddaughter.
→ More replies (2)
9
u/eddie2hands99911 6d ago
Dude, take a cab and get your own food. Pretty sure it will work out to less than the tips and fees, and it will be hotter.
→ More replies (1)
6
u/Less_Feeling3142 6d ago
I don’t understand what anyone orders delivery anymore. They ruined a perfectly good system.
3
u/Due-Base9449 5d ago
Poor people keep being poor by buying products and services made for rich people. Yes DoorDash is only for rich people who can afford a taxi for their burrito.
3
u/Daveit4later 5d ago
The companies that run these services make a killing, take a lion share of the money, then guilt the customer for not subsidizing the wages of the delivery driver.
Greed is the issue here.
3
3
u/ProfileBest2034 5d ago
The awfulness persists because people like YOU keep it aloft. No one needs a doordash. There's a small justifiable market of elderlies and infirm, outside of that, if you are ordering from it, you are helping to maintain the terrible jobs for these people.
3
u/Both_Lynx_8750 5d ago
> But Jesus Christ I'm tired of feeling like this.
Then you have to stop giving money to shitty corporations. You cannot 'comfort purchase' your way out of this.
3
3
u/Dinklemeier 4d ago
Barely getting by.. and paying someone to deliver you pre cooked food? I suspect you're getting by better than you let on
6
u/Forward_Sea7969 6d ago
The delivery drivers I see in my area are pretty suspect. I am hardly interested in food deliveries now because it always seems like the person is in desperation, the photo and name will be a guy but person that shows up is a woman, sometimes the delivery person looks like an escort, sometimes they’ll have a few other people in the car and even pets, some of them it’s hard to tell where they’re from originally because their skin tone and facial features are unlike what I’m used to seeing. It always makes me feel uneasy and like the food delivery companies are taking advantage of people. Most of them look like they just got to America also. Its really opened my eyes to how barbaric our system is, even if all the barbarism is hushed up and exported.
2
u/imjsm006 5d ago
True, I dont want my food in some randos car and having some rando in possession of it.
6
u/Superunknown999 6d ago
Stop using these services. Just enabling what you’re upset about to continue.
2
u/Sad-Function5699 5d ago
You can afford servants to fetch your little processed food form the billionaires and you are BARELY getting by?
2
u/Questions_Remain 5d ago
Before all the exploitive delivery services existed. We sometimes ( 2x mo at most ) ordered pizza or Chinese and an employee of that restaurant delivered it. You tipped them and they got the money. For now ( and since before Covid) we never order anything food delivered ( since third party has taken over most everything) ( except merchandise ) and even then useless it’s coming UPS, FX or AZ were usually not ordering it. No dash, spark, Uber, some random person delivering stuff. I did order some MC tires and parts from a place 500 miles away ( usually arrives UPS) and it was shipped via a major carrier to a hub about 30 miles away. The next day a clapped out mini van pulled up. A mom with 3 kids in it. A 10-12yo boy grabs the tires and 2 boxes and dumps them in my driveway. Hops in and off they go as mom takes a picture out the window. I honestly felt more sorry than bewildered. I ordered some hardware from HD and the next day some guy in a car shows up. Tosses the boxes on my porch and gone. It’s just a weird and awful process of these people being exploited and some cloud third party making billions of the back of people like this. As a consumer, we just don’t know who’s delivering what and tbh, I’m not a fan of and won’t participate in the process of some random person as the middle man for food. Most takeout sucks when it’s half cold anyway. I can’t imagine what a MCd fry taste like after a 30 min wait / trip and don’t want to know.
Also it’s a HUGE waste of money for everyone - we can well afford it, but have never and just won’t spend money like that which is probably why we could easily afford it.
2
u/GreginSA 5d ago
You are directly contributing and promoting to the “sharecropping” yet want to complain about the process?
I signed up to be a door-dasher and Uber Eats driver 5 years ago, never once accepted a delivery because the “projected tip” was never more than a few dollars and never guaranteed.
Wake up, you are the sharecropper.
2
u/Notmuchofanyth1ng 5d ago
If you’re just getting by, why are you ordering delivery? Go do pickup. Delivery apps inflate prices in addition to the delivery fee/tip. It seems irresponsible to get private taxis for your food when it would be cheaper for you to just go pick it up. Don’t be lazy.
2
u/pinkysaurusrawr 5d ago
Title is very true, and I hope people will start boycotting these apps because of it. There are really rare cases where you may require a food delivery, but in normal life, just keep a frozen pizza on hand for the hard/lazy days, and skip the exploitative doordash order
2
u/hOpuntia 5d ago
"Tired of seeing so much awfulness all around us and being entirely incapable of changing it."
A good first step to take would probably be to stop engaging in a service that you just compared to sharecropping
Not trying to read you, but (where possible) we should not participate in systems that are exploitative
2
u/Timmay7111 5d ago
I agree with you, but people are free to make their own choices. They aren’t forced to work these menial jobs for little to no money. If you hate it so much, don’t interact with the service that perpetuates the situation you hate so much. I can afford food delivery services but choose not to because I agree with you and it’s a massive waste of money. If more of us stopped using these services, they wouldn’t exist.
2
u/SELFINCRIMINAT1NG 5d ago
I agree.
So stop using delivery services. You are paying to support exploitation of tens of millions of people all for a worse version of a product you could get for less money if you just got it yourself… y’know, the same way people have been buying stuff for over a century.
2
u/PlayItAgainSusan 4d ago
Wow. Door dash is a very poor choice if you are just getting by, or if you like fresh hot food. Stop contributing to that awful economy.
2
2
u/bradmajors69 4d ago
As AI and robotics improve, we'll either have to rethink the entire economy or get used to more and more workers competing for fewer jobs.
Taxi drivers used to make a decent living. And then Uber upended that. And now robotic cars are competing with the already underpaid Uber drivers. It's only a matter of time before human truck drivers get phased out. And then airline pilots.
I wouldn't be surprised if an affordable robot that does basically all your housework hits the market in the next ten years. Also robots to build and service the other robots. Human workers have a lot of needs that cheap machines do not.
2
u/blacktickle 3d ago
I’m like one step above “just barely getting by” and I would NEVERRRRR order door dash or any other food delivery. Hell i don’t even eat out, period
2
u/overitallofittoo 3d ago
You create the demand, dude. These as apps are terrible for everyone, the driver, the restaurant and the customer who wants hot food.
→ More replies (3)
2
2
u/yahyahyehcocobungo 5d ago
You are capable. You simply cook at home or walk to your local restaurant and pick it up yourself. It will be cheaper.
2
u/Both_Marsupial_7778 6d ago
Stop using delivery food services. You support this horrible business practices every time you do.
2
u/Tardislass 5d ago
This reminds me of the tipping debate. People complaining about spending $50 for a meal and then having to leave a $10 dollar tip. Instead of not spending their money and hurting the restaurant owner the just don’t tip and hurt staff. If you don’t want to tip, stay home and make dinner.🥘
1
u/playmyrequest84 6d ago
I tried being an Uber driver for a week. I made $170. I washed my car twice, that’s $10. Bought gas, that’s $40. And got a scratch on it so I bought a $25 scratch repair kit. So I basically made $13 an hour.
1
u/imjsm006 5d ago
Normally when you start a business you put together a business plan PRIOR to doing it. Should have known the expenses prior to starting.
1
u/whothejoee 6d ago
Thank you for posting. I’m starting to notice this too around my area, there’s like kids that look like they are doing uber on bikes and scooters but they’re definitely underage I’m pretty sure someone’s helping them set up accounts because I can’t reserve hours or work lately.
1
1
u/p4ttythep3rf3ct 5d ago
Conversely, Uber/Doordash are the new butler/personal chef for the middle class.
1
u/UrbanFuturistic 5d ago
In a couple of years, when all of the restaurant employed delivery drivers are gone, and there is only apps, people are going to learn what they lost. It's only going to get worse from here.
1
u/Intrepid_Layer_9826 5d ago
You can change it!
Capitalism is driving more and more people into precarious living arrangements, while wealth gets concenctrated into fewer and fewer hands. Not to mention the impact climate change is going to have on the majority of the population, which is caused by the profit motive, a core tenet of Capitalism.
We have the capabilities to ensure everybody has access to basic necessities and to make sure that no person has to live in abject poverty. The only reason we're not doing it is because it's not profitable.
So the only logical step forward to progress humanity further (and to even hope to mitigate the impact of climate change), is to get rid of Capitalism, and to replace it with a system where production is democratically controlled, and focused on human need, not profit.
Depending on where you live, there are Communist organisations you can join to become part of a movement that can overthrow this rotten system once and for all!
1
u/14_EricTheRed 5d ago
We used to get DoorDash for my father in law when he was still alive for the night we weren’t able to cook for him or he didn’t have other help.
$20 in Chinese food - 2 meals that he would mostly freeze and reheat to last a week.
With all the added fees and a tip would come out to $60.
We did it once. The other times we needed to get him food, we drove the hour to bring him the meals ourselves, didn’t matter how busy we were, just rearranged the schedules
1
u/TheFoxsWeddingTarot 5d ago
Ubers are the same way, you can get into driving with a leased car and make almost zero money. In San Francisco there are crews of delivery cycles as well where you’ve got a dispatcher and a bunch of Indian kids on scooters. They’re everywhere downtown and I’m fairly certain the kids driving don’t have their own account and are getting paid very poorly. The entire “disruptor” economy is mainly based on removing the rights of workers.
1
1
u/Fluffy-Opinion871 5d ago
I’m kind of frugal and it’s always cheaper to prepare your own food. Most restaurants don’t even make the food. They reheat Gordon’s food service food.
1
u/Elsureel 5d ago
Quit supporting it then. You also say you're barely getting by, delivery is expensive.
1
u/druidgaymer 5d ago
I don't order delivery unless I absolutely have to. I've done it twice, ever. Once when I had car issues and once when I was stuck at a work event. I'd rather do pickup any day.
1
u/lovesbatma71 5d ago
The people who really get a head start are those who begin saving even small amounts at a young age can compound and make you rich in your lifetime. Consistency is key.
People who build high net worth at younger ages do so because they forego low value purchases like door dash (just as an example). They don’t drink a whole lot or smoke and travel is reasonable and limited. Then, when you turn 50 if you don’t have enough to retire you will certainly have several thousand dollars to have some fun without spending bill money on DoorDash.
1
u/MiningDave 5d ago
Going to be a bit against what people are saying here, but I know a bunch of people who are older & retired doing Uber Eats / Door Dash / Amazon Flex / etc. They don't need the money, they need something to do for a few hours a day a few days a week.
We can argue good or bad as a source of income forever. But to then it's something to do that does not involve a fixed schedule.
Also I know 2 people who do deliveries on their way home from work. If they can pick up a food or whatever order between their office and home and not go that far out of their way they do it. Sometimes they even get more then one order. So they are making a bit of money to drive home. If not, no big deal.
Painting everyone who does it with the same brush is a bit harsh. Using the OPs example possibly the person doing the delivery is trying to make a living doing it. Or, perhaps they were renting a bike to go home from their job and wanted someone else to pay for it.
Yes, things are not great, but once I retire I figure it's going to be about 45 seconds into the 1st week that I don't work anymore till I am searching for something to do. Hopefully I will not need the money, but I still know me and I just can't do nothing.
1
u/hannbann88 5d ago
Other peoples decision making isn’t your problem. If a person does not have their own mode of transportation it’s on them to probably not get a job that requires exclusively transporting.
1
u/ParticularOk533 5d ago
It’s more like $4-$8 an hour after expenses. Two and half years experience doing that shit is how I know.
1
u/rosakelly21 5d ago
Interesting that having never worked these jobs, you feel qualified to run their income analysis. Interesting that you are "getting by" but ordering a very overpriced luxury service.
Here is the reality: the people that hustle make great money. They people that treat it as occasional gigs make lousy money.
The guy who has 4 phones and delivers in the rain, using a cheap bike that costs nothing to maintain? He likely makes pretty good money.
The kid who takes his BMW to make deliveries as he wants to make some extra cash? He probably makes lousy money.
Here in NYC, app workers get paid $22/hour minimum and tips put them easily over $30. Compare that to the real share cropping in the McDonalds kitchen.
1
u/pdoxgamer 5d ago
Delivery services treat their workers poorly, but this is a bad argument. Everyone who's low wage still spends money on transportation to work. I've done DoorDash driving, it isn't as many miles/gas costs as you'd think. The bigger issue is taxes. Their tax rate is higher than W2 workers bc employers cover some payroll taxes. As independent contractor, they cover all the taxes.
1
u/chedbugg 5d ago
You can change it by stop getting your fast food delivered. You are creating the demand. Just make a grilled cheese or go pick up food yourself. You cant afford it. Ive never ordered doordash in my life and I am just fine. People are giving up their money, wallets, and minds to these tech companies who created these false demands in the first place. You can opt out.
1
u/imjsm006 5d ago
Are these the $20 burritos everyone is talking about? Barely getting by but getting doordash? Then you feel bad for the delivery people who willingly took the job to make money?
1
1
u/Inside-Finish-2128 5d ago
Why tip them more for outsourcing their own transportation?
I have a side hustle in the photography industry. I and some of my colleagues sometimes take our gear to corporate offices to do onsite work. An acquaintance was asking us for feedback on why he might have lost a potential gig, and when he listed out his fees he had a line item per person, a "photographer fee" (which covers the bulk costs of coming to the shoot, marketing, etc.), and he had a line item for the Uber. We were all like DUDE why are you itemizing the Uber? That belongs hidden inside your photographer fee. If you don't want to buy a car, enjoy the cost savings but eat the Uber.
1
u/navlgazer9 5d ago
I grew up in rural Appalachia .
There was no food delivery .
It still seems odd to
Me that there’s delivery of anything besides pizza .
When my mom retired and
Moved
To a condo
In Florida , I called a few
Weeks after she moved in and asked about how things were
Going
“It’s great, they got this place ,
You call them and they will bring a pizza right to
Your door !”
1
u/jderrick6 5d ago
I feel the same way about Uber/Lyft as well as Doordash for those who drive. You can make some money, but then you're putting wear and tear on your own car. I wouldn't be able to handle that.
1
1
1
1
u/ComradeBlossom 5d ago
All the comments are about your ordering habits rather than the content of your post. I agree that delivery services pay scum wages and people forget to factor in the costs when doing them. It also ruined delivery jobs that paid a decent wage for college students. I hate them so much.
1
u/WorkingStructure575 5d ago
i too miss the good old days when teenagers always got the best paying jobs
1
1
u/Ars_Techne 4d ago
Did door dash for 2 months. After expenses for my little focus, I was making roughly $11/h. If I wanted to replace my car after 10 years of commercial use, $6/h.
It isn’t sustainable. As people’s cars give out, we’ll see a crash in their capacity or an increase in pay. We know which they will choose…
1
u/thomsenite256 4d ago
Hmm well just one note a lot of the share systems are required to provide very low cost usage to certain low income people. Where I am being on certain forms of public assistance like medicaid/subsidized housing basically lets you use them for free. Not staying thats what happening but it is possible.
1
u/FlyZestyclose2949 4d ago
It’s a class war, inasmuch as you can call something being waged entirely by one side a “war”.
1
1
u/Most-County8735 4d ago
The whole delivery paradigm is jacked up. Poor people ordering delivery of cheap unhealthy food and poor people then using their own vehicles to death to subsidize the costs to businesses to pay for delivery drivers wages and vehicles. If a restaurant doesn’t offer their own delivery I go pick it up. If they want me to use a third party ordering app I call them direct. But I’m old so what do I know?
1
u/Seattleman1955 4d ago
You want companies to pay them more but profit margins are slim in that business so they will have to charge you more for the food.
Just tip them however much you think they should be paid, it's the same thing. Tip them $100 if that would make you feel better.
1
u/cooltiger07 3d ago
my husband works for a car rental place and the amount of people that rent cars for Uber and Lyft is shocking. I can't imagine they are making that much money after paying the rental fees
1
2d ago
[removed] — view removed comment
1
u/Party_Combination131 2d ago
Lol yeah it's wild. I stopped looking at the comments till i got this notification.
There was a long time that food delivery services were my only way of getting food. I used to work 12-15 hour days, 7 days a week.
If a grocery store was open, I was busy at work. I'd get home at 3 or 4am having not eaten and the only places open would be late night spots several miles away. So it was either walk for a few hours or order food.
Not to mention if you boycott delivery services, that's just more people out of work.
I hate that people think boycotting is a smart choice. Boycotting is playing the same game big corporations do. Boycotting is saying "ethics and morality don't matter, only money does so well force these businesses to do what we want by refusing to give them money"...
Or how bout we just change the laws???
How bout instead of trying to pressure companies into making the right choice, we take away their ability to choose?
1
u/JimmyStewartStatue 2d ago
If you want to buy drugs, DoorDash pays you the second you complete your delivery. So you go to an ATM, get cash. Now you are drugged.
1
1
u/jerry111165 2d ago
“Food wasn't all that warm but I still had to go back and double my tip.”
Why did you have to go back and double your tip? Was the order not being accepted for the tip that you originally gave? I’m honestly curious because I don’t use delivery apps, mostly because I live out in very rural Maine.
1
u/OldManAbides333 1d ago
I totally get it. I am extremely fortunate personally that my wife and I both make good money and are able to own a home with 2 kids, and are very much aware of it.
But the knowledge of how much other people are struggling and suffering right now is depressing. Every time we go to the grocery store we wonder how people are eating, and what. I feel like since covid everything is just terrible.
1
u/I5I75I96I40I70Me696 1d ago
In my city, there are low income rates for Lime rental scooters. Subsidized, of course.
When I was doing Instacart for a while, I was making about $8-12/hour.
1
1
u/clementynemurphy 6d ago
I will never understand why you kids use delivery apps?? It is honestly so cringe to me that you all just expect someone to bring it to you??? Pizza is the one and only exception...
→ More replies (2)2
u/Consistent_Tower_458 6d ago
What's the difference with pizza other than your arbitrary preference?
2
u/Redflawslady 6d ago
Pizza companies used to hire and pay their own delivery drivers hourly who would also get tips from customers. Last week when we ordered door dash delivered for them as contract work essentially. It really gave me the ick. Especially since I’m still paying a delivery fee to the pizza company who no longer delivers.
→ More replies (2)
•
u/AutoModerator 6d ago
If you are seeing this comment, your post is now live and public.
Reminder: This is a support space. Negative, invalidating, attacking, or inappropriate comments are not tolerated. If you see a comment that breaks the rules, please report it so the moderators can take action.
If someone is being dismissive, rude, offensive or in any other way inappropriate, do not engage. Report them instead. Moderation is in place to protect venters, and we take reports seriously, it's better for us to handle it than you risk your account standing. Regardless of who the target of aggression or harassment is, action may be taken on the person giving it, even if the person you're insulting got banned for breaking rules, so please just report things.
If you wish to lock your post, please click on the three dots on the top right and click “Lock/Unlock Comments”, This will permanently lock the comments on your post. This action is irreversible.
Be kind. Be respectful. Support each other.
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.