Reflections and Observations -- A Bright Passage from the Fantasies of Youth
to Illuminations of Advanced Maturity!
This Episode: Nibbles to the Masses... or, the Adventures of Food Delivery Professionals!
It began a year ago April. They are now some 15 months into the process. For those of us in "robust advancing age," we discover there are diminishing career opportunities for the greying. Happily, there are organizations that will employ anyone who's breathing, slightly, and can produce necessary credentials, such as a valid driving license, for example!
This is a story about an intrepid couple who, joyously, accepted their fate, and secured employment in the restaurant food collection and delivery profession. The experience has been suffused with adventure. And they have learned, along the road, so to speak, a great many new and wonderful lessons about life and the fascinating individuals who populate our urban landscapes!
Some examples... Delivering a "Bento Box" style meal to an Asian individual, the male component of the delivery duo stated confidently to the recipient: "Wing Wei Woo?! Your order sir!" The man's name was Zhang Kao Ding. The deliverer meant no disrespect; he merely thought he was uttering the recipient's correct name, trying valiantly to greet his customer with warmth and a kind of wisdom, certain he had the correct name in his memory bank! The recipient looked confused, but not the least offended. He put it down to occidental ignorance!
The couple delivers a great many food orders to residents in inner-city neighborhoods. On one memorable occasion, the couple picked up two orders of fine cuisine, one a burger and fries from "Lard Man Lenny's" food truck, the second from a fine Asian restaurant. The former was packed in a brown bag, dotted with grease splotches, the latter in a pristine white plastic sack. The couple mixed up the orders, delivering the Asian food to a young couple. The nice man who was handed the brown bag, immediately telephoned the delivery people, demanding his correct portion of far more expensive food stuffs.
Undaunted, the intrepid duo, given a total of 15 minutes to correct the delivery error -- the restaurant was closing in those 15 minutes! -- sped crazily back to the restaurant, probably some 15 minutes away from the south side Milwaukee home of the recipient. They plunked down $35.00 for the replacement food, and sped back to the originally intended recipient. The trip was worth approximately $25.00 or so (time and mileage plus a generous payment "boost" available that particular evening). The customer, now appeased by the duo's commitment to delivery excellence, not to mention admission of their error, their culpability, presented them a $10.00 tip!! Proving, once again, the value of integrity and superior customer service!!
Here's another example... Honesty is a Golden Policy! The couple delivered a fine food package to an African-American woman, not greasy fast stuff! She handed the male deliverer $65.00. "No, no..." the man protested, "You've already paid for your food on the App (meaning the application on a SmartPhone)! I can't take that money." (The man likes to term it an "Ape," amusingly, he thinks!)
The woman said, "Well then, here's $40.00... your tip."
"Good gosh," said the man, "That's too much, that's too generous!"
"I admire and thank you for you honesty," the woman replied. "Here, you must take this." She handed him $25.00. She would brook no further argument. He thanked her profusely and went on his way, with his wife and partner, of course, to the next summons, the next pickup and delivery!
Over the months of their new career choice, the pair has made many remarkable discoveries.
Among them, in inner-city neighborhoods, the residents tend to receive their food packages and
generously tip the delivery drivers. Not always the same in wealthy neighborhoods, where privilege seems to override the need for gratitude and courtesy. There are of course exceptions. Additionally, in the inner city, there's a wonderful sense of community. People sit on their porches with friends, neighbors and family members, chatting amiably, often laughing, sharing both the day's trials and its triumphs.
The two, the "Dynamic Duo" (with apologies to Batperson and BirdBoy, and the people who created various comic books!), do not always earn as much currency as they'd like, even as in the not-too-distant past, but they do tend to make their "nut," or enough to sustain life and limb each working week... sort of!! The earnings downturn is due in large measure to the stinginess of the parent conglomerate. Perhaps the aforementioned will loosen its hold on its coffers as summer surrenders once again to the icy bite of Winter!
In the meantime, given the rampant ageism that infects our society, the pair feels fortunate to have a means of earning a few shekels, or geld, florins, dinars, pesos, pounds, francs, krones, birrs... you know, MONEY!! And they plan to soldier on until they are no longer termed "fiduciary imbeciles," or some such offensive name calling, by the monied set!! The two plan to continue their quest toward amassing great sums of retirement income!! Of course, death might well intervene before that happens... Sigh!!
p.s. The "Sigh" is merely an empathetic gesture on behalf of, in support of and in honor of, too, the subjects of this piece!! Thank You, and may all of your Delivery Take Away orders be fresh... or Hot, or cold, maybe, if that's how you ordered the stuff??...!
Please Note: Other practitioners in the delivery trades are welcome to comment or share their own experiences. Those who drive and deliver stuff to earn their livings deserve to be heard, not to mention, deserve respect and admiration. Damn Right!!
It began a year ago April. They are now some 15 months into the process. For those of us in "robust advancing age," we discover there are diminishing career opportunities for the greying. Happily, there are organizations that will employ anyone who's breathing, slightly, and can produce necessary credentials, such as a valid driving license, for example!
This is a story about an intrepid couple who, joyously, accepted their fate, and secured employment in the restaurant food collection and delivery profession. The experience has been suffused with adventure. And they have learned, along the road, so to speak, a great many new and wonderful lessons about life and the fascinating individuals who populate our urban landscapes!
Some examples... Delivering a "Bento Box" style meal to an Asian individual, the male component of the delivery duo stated confidently to the recipient: "Wing Wei Woo?! Your order sir!" The man's name was Zhang Kao Ding. The deliverer meant no disrespect; he merely thought he was uttering the recipient's correct name, trying valiantly to greet his customer with warmth and a kind of wisdom, certain he had the correct name in his memory bank! The recipient looked confused, but not the least offended. He put it down to occidental ignorance!
The couple delivers a great many food orders to residents in inner-city neighborhoods. On one memorable occasion, the couple picked up two orders of fine cuisine, one a burger and fries from "Lard Man Lenny's" food truck, the second from a fine Asian restaurant. The former was packed in a brown bag, dotted with grease splotches, the latter in a pristine white plastic sack. The couple mixed up the orders, delivering the Asian food to a young couple. The nice man who was handed the brown bag, immediately telephoned the delivery people, demanding his correct portion of far more expensive food stuffs.
Undaunted, the intrepid duo, given a total of 15 minutes to correct the delivery error -- the restaurant was closing in those 15 minutes! -- sped crazily back to the restaurant, probably some 15 minutes away from the south side Milwaukee home of the recipient. They plunked down $35.00 for the replacement food, and sped back to the originally intended recipient. The trip was worth approximately $25.00 or so (time and mileage plus a generous payment "boost" available that particular evening). The customer, now appeased by the duo's commitment to delivery excellence, not to mention admission of their error, their culpability, presented them a $10.00 tip!! Proving, once again, the value of integrity and superior customer service!!
Here's another example... Honesty is a Golden Policy! The couple delivered a fine food package to an African-American woman, not greasy fast stuff! She handed the male deliverer $65.00. "No, no..." the man protested, "You've already paid for your food on the App (meaning the application on a SmartPhone)! I can't take that money." (The man likes to term it an "Ape," amusingly, he thinks!)
The woman said, "Well then, here's $40.00... your tip."
"Good gosh," said the man, "That's too much, that's too generous!"
"I admire and thank you for you honesty," the woman replied. "Here, you must take this." She handed him $25.00. She would brook no further argument. He thanked her profusely and went on his way, with his wife and partner, of course, to the next summons, the next pickup and delivery!
Over the months of their new career choice, the pair has made many remarkable discoveries.
The two, the "Dynamic Duo" (with apologies to Batperson and BirdBoy, and the people who created various comic books!), do not always earn as much currency as they'd like, even as in the not-too-distant past, but they do tend to make their "nut," or enough to sustain life and limb each working week... sort of!! The earnings downturn is due in large measure to the stinginess of the parent conglomerate. Perhaps the aforementioned will loosen its hold on its coffers as summer surrenders once again to the icy bite of Winter!
p.s. The "Sigh" is merely an empathetic gesture on behalf of, in support of and in honor of, too, the subjects of this piece!! Thank You, and may all of your Delivery Take Away orders be fresh... or Hot, or cold, maybe, if that's how you ordered the stuff??...!
Please Note: Other practitioners in the delivery trades are welcome to comment or share their own experiences. Those who drive and deliver stuff to earn their livings deserve to be heard, not to mention, deserve respect and admiration. Damn Right!!
