Of all the modern capitalistic irritations (to put it mildly), this one I really detest. And not least because of how ridiculously popular it is, wtf people? I watch folks I know, who can barely afford the food itself in the first place, then inflate the price by like 40%, just to eat the already (very!) mediocre food...cold. Solely so that they don't have to leave the house. Just completely unhinged from my POV, and honestly produces almost a sense of alienation in me, I find it so bizarre.

Disclaimer though - I will acknowledge both that I happily enjoy various different foolish things myself, so the point about glass houses is worth my keeping in mind, and also there are some great reasons to use it (limited mobility for one, as another user pointed out).

But sheesh folks. Restaurants largely hate it from my understanding, the drivers doing it hate it (cuz the job - oh excuse me, the preferred exploitation-hiding euphemism is "gig" - is utter shit, a literal minor improvement over straight up homelessness), the environment hates it, the wear-and-tear on a likely broke person's vehicle and the wear-and-tear on already struggling infrastructure...I mean what the fuckity fuck, seriously. How is this so popular, we're all insane and just conveniencing our way to oblivion. SMgoddamnH.

Aside from the aforementioned reasonable uses (largely edge cases, let's be honest), there is precisely one group of people who truly benefit in any serious way from this amazingly destructive nonsense - and wouldn't you know it, it's the exact same group fucking us in every other way! Weird!

Sorry. This one really gets me.

Do Americans really get their shit delivered by car?over here it's motorcycles 99% of the time (and bicycles the other 1%)

Seems rather.... Sluggish and inefficient for delivery drivers to go by car.

Some people have food delivered because they have disabilities. Some have deliveries because they are under influence of alcohol or medications.

First time I ever had Burger King delivered was in Bahrain. That was in 2005. The U.S. didn’t start across the board deliveries through apps until about 2015ish. If I recall correctly. It is expensive no doubt.

Obligatory

I only demand the raw ingredients to be grown halfway around the world, shipped by climate-controlled container in giant cargo boats, trucked from the port to the backstore, kept in refrigerated display cases, and sold in disposable containers.

But it's the last mile that's going to change the world, you see.

Sorry how exactly is tax part of the delivery fee? You pay that either way right? And the service fee?

Ok, but like if I pick it up, then I'm driving both to the restaurant and from the restaurant. Is it not more efficient to have 1 person that drives between all houses to drop off food from a single collection point as opposed to all houses using their vehicles to drive both to and from the restaurant?

I mean if it isn't more efficient, then why doesn't everyone pick up their own mail from the post office?

Do delivery drivers in NYC really use cars? 🤨

I've honestly never quite realized up until now how utterly ridiculous it is that people regularly demand that their food be cooked for them.

I've honestly never quite realized up until now how utterly ridiculous it is that people regularly demand that their food items be prepared and packaged for them.

I've honestly never quite realized up until now how utterly ridiculous it is that people regularly demand that that the animals they eat are slaughtered for them.

I've honestly never quite realized up until now how utterly ridiculous it is that people regularly demand that their grain be milled for them.

Society evolves buddy. I don't churn my own butter, but my grandmas did, and would find it ridiculous I have 247 access to a supermarket selling some. And it's even being kept at an exact temperature, all the time? Packaged without any sweat on it? Ridiculous!