COVID-19 - On the Ground

[chiknbut]

My daughter needs something like 500 hours of driving time in order to get her license. So we've decided to monetize the effort and get her some experience driving in Chicago. So she signed up for Door Dash and Postmates and we spend Thursday's, Friday's and Saturday's driving around the city delivering food.

It's been an interesting perspective. Here are my observations:

1. It's pretty amazing to see how some restaurants have altered their business model to do delivery/pickup only. Some are incredibly efficient (Chipotle) and some are completely lost (Buffalo Wild Wings).

2. In general, people are super nice. Lots of tips, very appreciative.

3. It's amazing what people will spend in delivery fees for ice cream or alcohol.

4. There's a Door Dash Convenience store, unmarked in a warehouse district, that has pretty much anything you'd need. I'm sure every city has one. You can make a killing doing delivery just going there and to door steps.

4. With the lack of cars on the road, speed cameras turned off, etc., the overall "asshole driver factor" is redlining, big time. Off the charts.

5. While waiting in line to pick up at a restaurant, the number of delivery people who speak very little English is kind of startling. Goes to show you the ease associated with these delivery apps.

You and your daughter are doing a great thing. Thank you.
I laugh about efficiency and inefficiency. My mother has had some really bad experiences with restaurants and delivery services that you would think would be competent.

Few questions.
I assume YOU (and not your daughter) signed up for Door Dash and Postmates. Right? I say/ask that because I assume they don't let unlicensed drivers deliver for them.

Are you and her taking cash tips? I ask because I am concerned for your and her well being. I don't care what any "expert" says, I believe the virus can be on cash. I hope you and her are being careful.

As far as the asshole driver factor, I'm unsure what I would attribute that too. There are always A LOT of asshole drivers in the city. Yesterday I noticed there were a lot of people who seemed to be lost and confused driving around in my neighborhood.
Do you feel people are driving angry/upset? Drunk/high? Actually lost/confused?

Thanks for your concern, Gutman.

Very few people tip in cash. The app makes it very easy for people to do otherwise.

Yes, I signed up for the services and we've agreed to split the money. My money goes to gas, which, last time I checked, is under $2 a gallon just West of Humboldt Park!

As for the "asshole factor," I think it's A LOT of delivery people who are lost. But it's also the people who know they can pretty much get away with anything on the road right now - little fear of getting a ticket or being pulled over. I see three or four cars a night blow through red lights like they're emergency vehicles.

[Deleted User 289]

Have you delivered to gutter yet? Hold the goddamn cheese please.

I laughed.
1) I would deal with cheese these days. God bless the restaurants and delivery people for trying to make sure idiots like me stay fed.
2) I am extremely apprehensive about having delivery people come to my door. For two reasons. 1) I don't know if they have the virus. 2) As I have mentioned, at least one person in my building has the virus. My guess is there are at least several. I try my best to ride the elevator solo and I try to keep my distance from everyone. If I knew it was chikn or his daughter delivering to me I would be thrilled and would tip them generously but I sincerely wouldn't want either of them to get on an elevator in my building - or be exposed to someone in the lobby of my building.

[chiknbut]

Have you delivered to gutter yet? Hold the goddamn cheese please.

I laughed.
1) I would deal with cheese these days. God bless the restaurants and delivery people for trying to make sure idiots like me stay fed.
2) I am extremely apprehensive about having delivery people come to my door. For two reasons. 1) I don't know if they have the virus. 2) As I have mentioned, at least one person in my building has the virus. My guess is there are at least several. I try my best to ride the elevator solo and I try to keep my distance from everyone. If I knew it was chikn or his daughter delivering to me I would be thrilled and would tip them generously but I sincerely wouldn't want either of them to get on an elevator in my building - or be exposed to someone in the lobby of my building.

Gutman, what I'm seeing a lot of now are people who request that the deliveries be left either in the lobby of their high-rise building near the doorman's station or even outside their front door. We are required to send them a picture once the delivery is made.

It's pretty efficient. Again, I'm amazed at how people have adapted.

And as far as thanking restaurants and delivery people, let's also thank the people who stay home and don't want to cook.

[Deleted User 307]

So New Yorkers are supposed to cover our faces now when we go outside. Obviously I don't want to do this, but I want to at least show I'm trying to do my part. All I do now is go to grocery store about once a week for meat and perishables, and go for runs three times a week.

I have no real PPE. Any (serious) ideas on how to go about complying with this face covering? I don't have any bandannas or loose fabric that I know of. Would feel weird running with a scarf on.

[ousdahl]

No one’s gonna think a scarf is weird.

Except for the word itself. You ever just stop and think about that word? SCARF!

But yea, are there any stories of a dude with a mask or bandanna walking into a liquor store and the clerk thinks it’s a holdup?

[Deleted User 307]

No one’s gonna think a scarf is weird.

Except for the word itself. You ever just stop and think about that word? SCARF!

But yea, are there any stories of a dude with a mask or bandanna walking into a liquor store and the clerk thinks it’s a holdup?

In a T-Shirt, Shorts, all sweaty, and a scarf on my face? Seems off. And scarf is a funny word.

[ousdahl]

Yeah, it does seem off.

If you’re gonna knock off a liquor store, no shorts, at least put on your jncos.

[Shirley]

chiknbut, what an adventure to share with your daughter, and get paid to do it!

I hafta think this sort of thing is going to be a huge and ongoing time-consuming pain in the ass for a whole lot of people and businesses out there:

https://twitter.com/crampell/status/124 ... tfw">April

Edited to add:

https://twitter.com/NicholasJMaggio/sta ... tfw">March

[Geezer]

Dispute the charge and let the credit card company fight with the gym.

[ousdahl]

There was a similar uproar with ski resort services, from lessons to lodging.

Many businesses gave a runaround, offering “future credit” instead of actually heeding the situation and offering a no-questions-asked refund.

One resort in particular is getting a lot of heat for doing so, especially cuz the title to the property got repossessed and no one knows if the place is even gonna be in business. (Just days after suspending operations, and in the middle of the fight over refunds, they also announced they’re laying off every employee.)

I guess I get it - businesses often operate on thin margins, and want to hang onto whatever revenue they got. but it seems so short-sighted, and lacking any good faith. It’s not like y’all tourists just decided not to come, THERE’S A FUCKING PANDEMIC GOING ON!

The question executives should have asked is not whether they can afford to loose the revenue, but whether keeping the revenue is worth the hit to their reputation, and worth the potential costs of fighting some class action suit.

Shrug.

[Deleted User 307]

Holy shit, I just asked a NYSC friend, he said they are still indeed getting charged, and in exchange for not freezing, he's getting "upgraded" to the tier above his level.

My gym automatically froze my account.

[CrimsonNBlue]

Guys, you're not just buying a gym, you're buying a lifestyle.

[Deleted User 307]

Guys, you're not just buying a gym, you're buying a lifestyle.

You're thinking of Equinox. NYSC is just a gym.

[CrimsonNBlue]

Guys, you're not just buying a gym, you're buying a lifestyle.

You're thinking of Equinox. NYSC is just a gym.

Well, then you can't put a price on "Community!"

[PhDhawk]

My gym started charging like 38 bucks a month instead of 55.

Not sure how they came up with that number. Not sure what the right/fair amount would be.

[Deleted User 307]

My gym started charging like 38 bucks a month instead of 55.

Not sure how they came up with that number. Not sure what the right/fair amount would be.

69% of your normal price. Nice.

[Shirley]

My gym started charging like 38 bucks a month instead of 55.

Not sure how they came up with that number. Not sure what the right/fair amount would be.

69% of your normal price. Nice.

It would be nice if, in return for you agreeing to pay your reduced dues, they pledged to pay their employees 69% of their pay, (and not fire or lay people off), until things normalize.

[jfish26]

My gym started charging like 38 bucks a month instead of 55.

Not sure how they came up with that number. Not sure what the right/fair amount would be.

69% of your normal price. Nice.

It would be nice if, in return for you agreeing to pay your reduced dues, they pledged to pay their employees 69% of their pay, (and not fire or lay people off), until things normalize.

I don't think it's out of line to ask about this.

[Deleted User 307]

That's just not how capitalism works.

[jfish26]

That's just not how capitalism works.

It's how your wallet can work, though.