When have you heard anyone complaining about relying on takeout? All I see on this thread are a bunch of people complaining about people who rely on takeout.
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It is inherently human nature to judge other people for their choices.
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Missed that. Brain has been overly busy with work and assumed NYC because NYT. 
Well⌠it IS a âlocalâ newspaper after all 
That wasnât about anybody on this thread but happens quite often on life when talking with other people
/s
Huh. Did not read that way (mostly because of the reference to your place of residence). Throw that back-slash s into the post itself, why donât you, so no one misreads it!
Nah. Iâll just step away for a while.
I donât know if this has been mentioned upthread, but one thing that might be influencing the over-reliance on delivery is the relentless marketing by the companies. I have Uber installed on my phone (for their cab service) but it automatically gives you access to Uber Eats and I get daily emails offering high discounts on delivery and the wording in bold capitals is along the lines of : youâve been working so hard, let us take care of dinner, itâs only a click away - yada, yada, yada. And random push notifications on my phone until I managed to switch it off. So some people must be sucked in by those emails and notifications and succumb to the convenience of just ordering through the app.
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Could you share your circumstances and tactics? Iâm always interested in what people are juggling (hours/type of job, commute, caring duties, location, whether one has a car-- access to goods, space for storage, etc) and how they do so through careful organising. Models for proceeding are helpful.
So would you like to share you how did it? Or how you are doing it now? (I do a lot of batch cooking and have things ready for assembly, but it can be boring and at least I donât have kids or other people to cook for.)
I imagine it must be very attractive for people whose workdays are non-stop (like yourself, no? Youâre in medicine and that can be brutal). Imagine having that as an option on a day that has extracted all energy (mental and physical).
Your post really has me thinking about the intersection of labour, tech, and capitalism. Not going to push those thoughts but the politics of food and food choices are really rich sites for reflecting on this.
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Are these websites?
Itâs probably just breeding a new kind of servitude. The dads of a fair number of my patients (mainly immigrant families) work as delivery drivers or cab drivers. They are on zero-hours contracts. The pros are they can be a bit flexible with their hours but the reality is their earnings are so low they are working as many hours as possible. This has a toll on their family life - they can only briefly visit their sick child in hospital. The mother often speaks very little English and is reliant on the father for transport, so her visiting gets limited as well (non-English speakers will often not take up the departmentâs offer of charity support to bring the mother to hospital to visit baby, sometimes itâs just the motherâs expressed milk that gets sent with the charityâs driver). My general impression is that these folks are enduring this incredibly hard life to give their kids a better shot at life. On 2 occasions, a taxi driver has proudly revealed to me their daughter is a doctor (once they clocked I was a doctor too). I think being a cab driver is probably more tolerable than being a delivery driver (though many people do both roles if possible to supplement their income).
Should we support these workers by using these services (even though their earnings and rights within said employment are very limited) or should we avoid using delivery services because they treat their employees so badly.
As a relatively high earning individual with crappy hours - of course Iâm tempted to order in. But itâs a rabbit hole I donât want to fall down. As an immigrant myself, Iâm hardwired to save my money for a rainy day.
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There are a lot of deals to lure people in, some deals tied to other companies such as Amazon. Free delivery, buy one get one free,.bonus points leading to free stuff or loyalty status, etc.
The gaming aspect probably creates a dopamine loop for some people.
My neigbourhood in Toronto has narrow sidewalks and a lot of restaurants nearby which gives it a high walkability score. It should be a Walkerâs Paradise.
It has become difficult to navigate on foot at times, because of the reckless delivery people on ebikes and bicycles. Some delivery guys ride their bikes the wrong way on bike paths. Riding bikes on the sidewalk, sneaking up behind elderly pedestrians and sometimes colliding with them. Dangerous uturns in front of streetcars and city buses, not considering vehicle blind spots. I realize many are broke and frantic. Itâs a sad situation in Toronto right now.
Some UberEats drivers keep stealing tip jars from small businesses in Toronto..UberEats has not been doing anything about it. Some restaurants post these people caught on camera. Some return to do it again. Very sad.
One thing that does bother me is how people in downtown Toronto order delivery when the roads are treacherous. A lot of the delivery people ride bikes and are new to Canada.
The delivery drivers donât always understand the danger of ice on the road, for their own stopping and avoiding of others, as well as the amount of time and space it would take another vehicle to stop if the delivery driver runs a red.
Our hospital system is collapsing, and we really do not need more unnecessary accidents filling the emergency rooms, not to mention more collisions causing gridlock that prevent the police, ambulances and fire trucks from getting to more serious accidents, and injured or sick people.
When it is snowing and you yourself donât want to be outside, or driving, why order delivery and expect someone else to delivery your take-out on a bike? (More Marie Antoinette behaviour imo) When the streets and sidewalks arenât plowed, and the schools are closed?
I understand if someone who is recovering from illnesses or surgery, or is disabled , needs food delivered during a storm.
I donât understand able bodied people choosing to put a delivery driver through more risk during a storm when there is food in the pantry and freezer at home.
Of course, itâs a YMMV.
One other sad thing I have noticed, is delivery drivers with their backpacks, in line outside the foodbank.
One benefit of working at some restaurants in Canada is that there is a staff meal and staff discounts on food.
Iâm not sure whether DoorDash or UE has any type of meal programme for its gig workers. Probably not.
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This course of conversation very much reminds me of the hysteria years back over Millennials ordering expensive avocado toast and being broke.
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At least they werenât getting the avocado toast delivered via DoorDash!
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Some Millenials (and maybe a few GenXers and Boomers) currently are ordering Avocado Toast through DoorDash in the Greater Toronto Area. LOL
Interestingly, it was my Boomer cousin who introduced me to Avocado Toast right before the Furor about Millenials spending all their money on Avocado Toast.
I know, only because I often order brunch online and pick it up myself, often eating my take-out brunch on a park bench near the restaurant before the eggs and potatoes get cold. Avocado Toast also continues to be offered at some of the coffee shops in my neighborhood, running around $15 CAD at a coffee shop, maybe $20 CAD at a restaurant with take-out. Which is a fair price when an nice-sized avocado costs $3 CAD.
People are also ordering McDs and Wendyâs through DoorDash. Limp Soggy Fries, waiting at reception to be picked up in my building,
The closest McDonalds is located around a 300 meter walk away.
Ugh, they are the absolute worst. Iâve seen these guys drive up on the sidewalk narrowly missing pedestrians, drive through the middle of a walking path in a park(!!) almost hitting my dog, cut the wrong way down a one-way street while weaving in and out of rush hour traffic (we were stopped for a light, but still, it was crazy to see)⌠Can shaving seconds off a delivery really be worth the risk??
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Also, takeout is generally considered less healthy than homemade food; delivery services are putting mom and pop restaurants out of business; delivery services exploit shift workersâŚ
Almost everyone agrees that getting the family fed is priority 1, but we also know that the majority of Americans cannot afford $2,800/month in food costs. Glamorizing it in the NY Times doesnât sit very well.
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Iâm sorry youâre seeing the same kind of poor behaviour where you live.
I have seen delivery drivers and delivery cyclists in Toronto drive the wrong way down one way streets, as well as make illegal turns while ignoring the posted signs, as well ignoring the people honking at them, and the people telling them they are breaking the law. Itâs really something. Itâs not all delivery drivers of course, but itâs happening enough to change the vibe in the city.
I have also witnessed some arguments on the street when people have attempted to let delivery people know when their behaviour has been dangerous, illegal or inappropriate.
