By Jane Bokun
‘How hard could it be?’ I stupidly thought.
Go to a restaurant, pick up a food order (with a mask) and deliver said meal to its new owner. No real friendship making or hand holding and it takes about 15 minutes to deliver an order. That’s if the order and the restaurant are in proximity. Some can be miles away from each other and there’s a time limit. There also are lots of people waiting to give you a good or bad review.
“Be kind,” I told one Indian gas station worker when I delivered his chicken dinner. “It’s my first time.”
I’ve decided to always end my deliveries with “it’s my first time” even when I’m a grizzled door dasher.
I’ve seen lots of young people, my own recent Northwestern graduate and more, do the DoorDash and seemingly not have a problem. But I’ve done it three times now and my heart is still pumping out of my chest. I delivered a meal to a man who asked me to leave it outside within a massive apartment complex and I’m still not sure he got it.
“I made $40,” my son told me.
“That’s pretty righteous bucks,” I said.
Even DoorDash, in its brochure, says it might not be easy.
“Our goal is to grow and empower local economies, according to Door Dash literature. To do this, we start by helping the merchants – the local businesses that create 60%+ of the jobs in every city.”
They stand behind their newbies, too. I recently left an establishment because I couldn’t figure out the order. They didn’t even scold me.
It’s clear. For the person in between jobs looking to quickly make some money with very little commitment, it’s a natural progression. For seniors who are bored and like a little chump change, and still drive, it can’t be beat.