Seattle's effort to help gig workers hurts gig workers

[GreatWhiteNorth]

9 hours ago, JimmyBT said:

So much for your peace sign huh?? 

Ha! The peace sign and olive branch were meant for Rasta...

Husker and I are a completely different matter!

[billyhoyle]

Does anyone else think Uber eats, doordash, etc, have completely ruined food delivery? Not so long ago, we could get pizza, chinese food, and sushi delivered for about a 2 dollar fee (sometimes no fee at all) and then 5 dollar delivery tip.  Now you are paying at least 15-20 dollars extra for every delivery when you factor in the higher prices that are in the app, the fees, and the tip.  

Edited February 17 by billyhoyle

[Offthemat]

Nothing is free.  The cost of delivery used to be spread across all customers, both walk in and delivery.  Now it is being borne by the customers who use the service. 

[WrestlingRasta]

On 2/17/2024 at 6:52 AM, billyhoyle said:

Does anyone else think Uber eats, doordash, etc, have completely ruined food delivery? Not so long ago, we could get pizza, chinese food, and sushi delivered for about a 2 dollar fee (sometimes no fee at all) and then 5 dollar delivery tip.  Now you are paying at least 15-20 dollars extra for every delivery when you factor in the higher prices that are in the app, the fees, and the tip.  

By ruined, do you mean a service that is a high level of convenience to me is no longer at little or no charge because others saw the opportunity to make an income by providing that service for me?

[mspart]

Well at least in Seattle, it has been ruined for the drivers because their service has been made too expensive by the Seattle law requiring a minimum wage.   That's why it was called gig work.   You get paid by the job.   Now that job is too expensive for many that used to use it.   So sales are down.   It was predictable and was predicted when the Seattle City Council was considering this.   Well, those mean people who have a basic understanding of economics were correct.  Now the gig workers are making less.  

mspart

[billyhoyle]

23 hours ago, WrestlingRasta said:

By ruined, do you mean a service that is a high level of convenience to me is no longer at little or no charge because others saw the opportunity to make an income by providing that service for me?

What are you talking about? The prior system had the driver employed by the restaurant instead of people driving around in cars. The restaurant benefitted because they got more business. The app system is awful because it added a middleman that increases the cost for the consumer. 

[billyhoyle]

On 2/17/2024 at 5:17 AM, Offthemat said:

Nothing is free.  The cost of delivery used to be spread across all customers, both walk in and delivery.  Now it is being borne by the customers who use the service. 

This isn’t true. The cost is higher because of the apps needing to offset costs. A restaurant employing one driver was not a huge cost that was offset by in person dining. 

[JimmyBT]

21 minutes ago, billyhoyle said:

This isn’t true. The cost is higher because of the apps needing to offset costs. A restaurant employing one driver was not a huge cost that was offset by in person dining. 

What restaurants only have one driver?  

[WrestlingRasta]

23 minutes ago, billyhoyle said:

What are you talking about? The prior system had the driver employed by the restaurant instead of people driving around in cars. The restaurant benefitted because they got more business. The app system is awful because it added a middleman that increases the cost for the consumer. 

I’m confused, so the person employed by the restaurant wasn’t driving around in a car? 
 

It’s literally the most basic concept of supply and demand. There became more demand to have your food delivered to your home, other then just pizza and Chinese.  More people began supplying that demand.  The more the demand, the more the value goes up, and the more people make an income in a growing industry. 

[billyhoyle]

37 minutes ago, JimmyBT said:

What restaurants only have one driver?  

Chinese restaurants in the year 2010. 

[billyhoyle]

36 minutes ago, WrestlingRasta said:

I’m confused, so the person employed by the restaurant wasn’t driving around in a car? 
 

It’s literally the most basic concept of supply and demand. There became more demand to have your food delivered to your home, other then just pizza and Chinese.  More people began supplying that demand.  The more the demand, the more the value goes up, and the more people make an income in a growing industry. 

Nope. The delivery apps now go and pick up food and any item really from anywhere. It expanded the service of delivery and made it much worse in the process. 

[JimmyBT]

3 minutes ago, billyhoyle said:

Chinese restaurants in the year 2010. 

Do you think when they delivered by horse in the 1800’s they raised the prices because they had to feed the horse ? 

[JimmyBT]

3 minutes ago, billyhoyle said:

Nope. The delivery apps now go and pick up food and any item really from anywhere. It expanded the service of delivery and made it much worse in the process. 

I get my deliveries much faster now.  Because ……… wait for it ……… there’s more than one driver now. 

[WrestlingRasta]

5 minutes ago, billyhoyle said:

Nope. The delivery apps now go and pick up food and any item really from anywhere. It expanded the service of delivery and made it much worse in the process. 

I guess in the sense that “the world should operate the way I feel is best for me”…..yes, much much more worse. 
 

Meanwhile I see people all around me really enjoying the availability of the service. I wonder if that has anything to do with it continually growing. 
 

Here’s the best part….to each their own. 

Edited February 21 by WrestlingRasta

[billyhoyle]

4 minutes ago, WrestlingRasta said:

I guess in the sense that “the world should operate the way I feel is best for me”…..yes, much much more worse. 
 

Meanwhile I see people all around me really enjoying the availability of the service. I wonder if that has anything to do with it continually growing. 
 

Here’s the best part….to each their own. 

I’m giving my opinion on how shit Uber eats is compared to the prior model. If you like paying 20 bucks to have food delivered, feel free to think otherwise. 

Edited February 21 by billyhoyle

[Offthemat]

And if you go get it yourself, delivery is free, right?

[ionel]

2 hours ago, Offthemat said:

And if you go get it yourself, delivery is free, right?

Might need to go back and review @mspart's fuel tax and price but he does have that 40mpg Passat so ...

[Offthemat]

3 minutes ago, ionel said:

Might need to go back and review @mspart's fuel tax and price but he does have that 40mpg Passat so ...

So, if you sign up, you can get paid to deliver your own pizza?

[ionel]

15 minutes ago, Offthemat said:

So, if you sign up, you can get paid to deliver your own pizza?

Just be sure and tip well. 

[Offthemat]

1 minute ago, ionel said:

Just be sure and tip well. 

And save the receipts. 

[WrestlingRasta]

3 hours ago, billyhoyle said:

I’m giving my opinion on how shit Uber eats is compared to the prior model. If you like paying 20 bucks to have food delivered, feel free to think otherwise. 

A) I’ve never spent $20 bucks to have my food delivered

2) I like sitting on my dock smoking a joint while someone else is dealing with the grocery store crowd doing the shopping for me, and yes I’m happy to pay for that service.

[mspart]

The fact that government putting on their do gooder shoes and making a service go immediately too expensive for most people to pay for and lessening the take home pay of the driver.   All lose.   And this was the case.   The month before the new law took effect, the drivers take home pay was roughly twice what it was the next month when the law went into effect.   And that because the consumer of the service found it too expensive.  

https://komonews.com/news/local/seattles-new-gig-worker-wage-law-sparks-concerns-amid-dwindling-business-profits-food-delivery-drivers-customers-app-based-fees-uber-door-dash-consumers-lose-money

"As required by Seattle law, Dashers now earn at least $26.40, before tips and additional pay for mileage, on any order that originates or concludes in the City of Seattle. As a result of these increased costs, a $4.99 regulatory response fee has been implemented on orders that start or finish in the city," the spokesperson wrote.

The company, which has been outspoken against the ordinance, goes on to say that since the law was enacted, Seattle customers have placed 30,000 fewer orders on DoorDash Marketplace, that Seattle businesses missed out on more than $1 million in revenue, and Dashers are getting far fewer trips.

mspart