Hard Times?

"TheRealBicycleBuck" (therealbicyclebuck) 09/07/2015 at 07:03 • Filed to: None

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I spotted this last night when I went pick up our pizza. I know the photo is terrible. It’s a Mercedes with the pizza delivery guy lighted sign on top. It was also running with nobody in it. For at least 15 minutes. I have no idea which one of the guys in the restaurant owned it.

I delivered pizza when I was young. It was never too much effort to turn off the car when I got back to the restaurant. So it made me wonder and I came up with a few ideas:

It’s diesel and he thinks it’s more efficient to leave it running. ( I have no idea if it’s really diesel)

It has a bad battery or starter. He bump-starts it at home and he leaves it running for his entire shift.

It’s so dang hot in Louisiana and his a/c is going out, so he has to leave it running if he wants it to stay even slightly cool ( I’m inclined to believe this one)

He’s a lazy bum and can’t be bothered with pulling keys out of his pocket, inserting them into the ignition, and starting the car manually

He has a proximity key and just keeps forgetting to hit the start/stop button.

He’s a not-so-spoiled rich kid whose parents make him work to pay at least part of his own bills

He really just wants someone to steal the car so he can get the insurance, pay off the note, and stop working at a pizza place to make ends meet. This one makes me sad.

Rock on Mercedes-driving pizza guy. You inspire us all.

Alex B > TheRealBicycleBuck 09/07/2015 at 07:26

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He's a high schooler and he's driving his parents hand me down car?

TheRealBicycleBuck > Alex B 09/07/2015 at 07:29

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That would fall under not-so-spoiled rich kid who has to work to pay his part.

Chris Li > TheRealBicycleBuck 09/07/2015 at 08:15

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Millionaire pizza delivery person

jkm7680 > TheRealBicycleBuck 09/07/2015 at 08:17

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You don’t have to be rich to drive a $4,000 Mercedes.......... Hell, you don’t even have to be spoiled.

TheRealBicycleBuck > Chris Li 09/07/2015 at 08:18

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Good idea - Undercover Boss was on the scene! Maybe not - it wasn’t a Camaro.

That Bastard Kurtis - An Attempt to Standardize My Username Across Platforms > TheRealBicycleBuck 09/07/2015 at 08:30

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There's a guy near me that delivers pizza in a very tastefully modified Honda S2000. Probably the best pizza delivery car I've seen.

for Michigan > TheRealBicycleBuck 09/07/2015 at 10:30

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One of the delivery drivers at the local Papa John’s drives a dark gray E90 3-series. Definitely the nicest delivery car in town.

The next nicest is a green late model Mercury Grand Marquis, also over at Papa John’s.

Most interesting would probably go to the girl who delivers for Padrone’s in a green Dodge Stealth.

TheRealBicycleBuck > for Michigan 09/07/2015 at 10:44

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I wonder how the vehicle of choice affects tips.

for Michigan > TheRealBicycleBuck 09/07/2015 at 10:59

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Having delivered in a Fiero, an EJ Civic, a BK Mazda3, and an 02 Grand Caravan, my experience says it doesn’t matter. None of those are luxury cars though, so I can’t say if that would make a difference.

What affects tips most, in my experience, is how likeable the driver is. The more personable and physically attractive a driver is, the higher they’ll average in tips. Even if you screw something up, as long as you’re pleasant and kempt and the customer is a decent person, you’ll generally still get a decent tip.

TheRealBicycleBuck > for Michigan 09/07/2015 at 11:11

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I only delivered in one vehicle. I was always prompt, clean and courteous as were the other drivers. We never really talked about tips, so I never knew how we compared.

What I did learn was that tips were highly dependent on the customer. Some tipped well, others not so well. A few barely had enough to pay the bill ( but seemed to have plenty for smoking dope, which they offered in lieu of a tip). The worst wouldn't control their dogs, wouldn't turn on the porch light, didn't have an address on the mailbox and didn't tip - all strategies used to delay the delivery so they could get it free. The only problem? We weren't Dominoes and had no 30 minute guarantee.

for Michigan > TheRealBicycleBuck 09/07/2015 at 11:31

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I’ve found all of that to be true. Eventually you pick up on who tips well and who doesn’t so you know what to expect ahead of time. What we do can only influence tipping so much.

And I’m so glad we don’t have to deal with that stupid 30 minute guarantee. Our delivery times are usually in the 15-20 minute range, but it would be awful if we had a time limit.

wafflesnfalafel > jkm7680 09/07/2015 at 11:38

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yep - but you need a job to pay for repair bills and gas... We’ve got a kid near us that used a old, first gen 750il to deliver for a while.

pjhusa > TheRealBicycleBuck 09/07/2015 at 11:51

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I saw a Bentley Conti GT as a Pizza car at the local pizza place. A BENTLEY CONTI GT.

TheRealBicycleBuck > pjhusa 09/07/2015 at 12:02

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Makes you wonder if someone was being punished or perhaps being exposed to the “working” class.

pjhusa > TheRealBicycleBuck 09/07/2015 at 12:15

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Maybe the owner’s son? This place has good business and seems to rack up good profit.

TheRealBicycleBuck > pjhusa 09/07/2015 at 13:04

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Could be, but I doubt it. There were three people that I saw. One was an older fellow, one was a younger guy, but he was the cook, and the third was the cashier. She said she was feeling a bit flustered since it was her first night in charge without a GM in the shop.