Can We Get Some Accurate Figures on the Economy, Please?

Still working on my "best skylines" post, but in the meantime, last night, while DoorDashing, I was lamenting to Mark that a little 20-ounce bottle of pop now costs $3.20.

When grocery shopping, last week, we noted even a small bag of  Kroger brand coffee is $8, a package of 2 chicken breasts is $9 (now on sale at Kroger this week for $6), and even a 1-lb package of low-grade hamburger meat is $7. 

This is why people are eating bad-for-you fast food more than ever - because it's not a financial advantage to cook your own meals anymore, unless you cook in bulk and have leftovers, because you can get an entire meal at McDonald's for the price of 2 chicken breasts at Kroger with no side items.

Also, the price of gas is just a few pennies under $4 a gallon, which means $15 of gas takes me about 40 miles for dashing around town. Thank God our car is fuel-efficient, but others aren't as lucky.

Speaking of which, People ...

The base pay for each DoorDash and Uber Eats order is $2 an order, unless there's a special promotion going on or nobody has accepted it. 

Of course, $2 doesn't even cover 1 gallon of gas, right now.

So if you don't tip at tip under the price of a gallon of gas at $4, , you are essentially asking us to pay out of our own picket to bring your food to you.

The app will go up in 20-cent increments for 3 times until somebody either finally accepts the offer or, if every single driver rejects it, then your order will get stacked on to another order nearby to make it worth their gas trip.

Then, when your order gets stacked, you may or may not get your order first, it depends on who is the closest or furthest away.

So at $2 base pay, when you ask somebody to deliver your food to your home 10 miles away during rush hour, don't get mad that it took too long or your food is cold (even though most of us have insulated bags). 

Because we're not doing it in revenge -  it's how the app works when you tip like that. It means your cheap-ass bid was so low that literally every driver in town rejected it at least 3 times, until it finally got bundled with another order in your area, making it worth their gas trip - and that, my friends, is on YOU. 

Also, FYI, we aren't allowed to touch your food or even open sealed bags - so we can't physically check if the orders are correct ourselves unless we saw them make it.  

Typically, if I notice special orders or instructions, I will ask about whether or not things were done, but again, I have to take their word for it because we're not allowed to open sealed bags, and we're definitely not cutting into your steak to see if it's cooked correctly. 

Having said that, until yesterday, though other dashers have, I've had no complaints until yesterday about being late or cold food, except my first day, when a road was closed and the customer knew it and I made it on time, which they promptly threw in the trash lol.

I think it's partly because I communicate with the customer about what's going on "The restaurant is behind - would you like to wait or cancel?" or "There's been an accident, traffic is unusually slow (with a picture to prove it), my apologies, but on my way!"

I actually had a customer behind me at a restaurant overhear me and say "That's really nice of you, I wish other drivers called and gave us that choice and let us know what's going on. Often they just disappear or it takes an hour, but we don't know why."

It's just good customer service, right?

But THIS guy, he wanted Outback Steakhouse delivered to him 11 miles during rush hour, having entered no tip. 

I saw that order go around 3 times on the app, and it must've been rejected by every single driver until it came back stacked on with another order in his area.  Since it paid $17, I took it.

THEN he had the audacity to text me while dropping off the first order - which the app directed me to deliver first because it was on the way to him - and say "Why did you turn left and go to someone else first, I ordered 45 minutes ago - will my food be cold now?"

I called him personally and explained that we don't know who ordered first, we are directed by the app, and it has us drop off the closest order first, but apologized for it being this way, and assured him that his food would still be hot, I have an insulated bag.

He seemed irritated but okay and thanked me for communicating that with him, so at least I didn't get a bad review - whew!

Now - I understand times are tight and it's harder to tip, I really do - but if you can even afford to eat out at all, right now - but you want to conserve your own gas - AND you can already afford to already pay for not only the food, but the $3 service fee on $1 to $5  delivery fee on top of  it? 

Then you can afford to the tip, because otherwise, you're expecting  total strangers to bring your food to you at their own expense.

And if you can't afford all those fees -  then either don't order out at all - or perhaps consider getting off your couch, getting in your own car and paying for your own gas to get your food yo' DAMN self. 😂

Also last night, while waiting to pick up a DoorDash order, a late-60s-ish man was asked if he wanted a drink to go with his small burrito bowl.

He said loudly, in a line of people behind me "No, thank you. I can't afford one in Trump's America, even with my senior discount."

I exclaimed "Amen" and joined others in a round of applause, which included most of the customers behind him and the staff. 

A few made thin-lipped faces and scowls, but most cheered.

The reason we clapped was, not only was it a true statement that he was brave enough to say publicly, but because it shocked us because white males past a certain age - with the exception of my husband and a few others in my region - almost always support Trump.

Honestly, my gut tells me, from prior experience, that we're just about to cross the threshold into the beginning of a recession - but gut is not enough, we need statistical proof.

And yet how would we ever get it, besides noting the continued inflation and our own instincts based on prior experience -  because Trump has fired 2 labor secretaries for publishing job statistics that weren't flattering, and worse, has repeatedly try to fire the the Federal Reserve Director Chairman, Jerome Powell, for not lowering the interest rate (which is usually the hallmark of a better economy/end of inflation)?

Mind you, 2 of the above 3 people were HIS hires - so now, he's just shooting messengers bearing accurate bad news.

Yes, some peop