3 ms·

Food delivery is, in my opinion, an expensive, almost always disappointing and ultimately unhealthy habit. I can see why it might seem to be an attractive busi

Food delivery is, in my opinion, an expensive, almost always disappointing and ultimately unhealthy habit. I can see why it might seem to be an attractive business, food addiction is legal, socially accepted and the harmful side is slow enough that most people don’t notice. But this is not a “service”, it does not add value for the customer, same category as cigarettes. I don’t think that businesses riding on addictive behaviours should be regulated, but the public should be made more aware of the bad deals they get…

atty 4y ago
There is nothing wrong with food delivery when used in moderation. I use DoorDash once a week to get a lunch delivered on a day where I have meetings running through lunchtime. It saves me time and hassle, and is a fun change of pace. It also came in very handy when a family member of mine was very ill and I wasn’t in the same city. I could order food and have it delivered to them. The service is nothing like cigarettes, where the only point of the product is to get you addicted enough to keep buying more, and eventually give you cancer. That’s not to say that DoorDash et al. aren’t enabling people with food addiction problems, just to point out that there are very many real good uses for the service.
- wyre 4y ago
  > There is nothing wrong with food delivery when used in moderation. This can be said about any addiction. The problem is addiction. If your not an addictive person that’s great, for you, but others are susceptible to addiction.
  - atty 4y ago
    The OP said the service adds no value to the customer and I was specifically refuting that claim. Everyone knows that most addictive things are ok in moderation (I say most because I would argue things like cigarettes and certain other drugs have no benefits to society or the individuals who use them).
siliconc0w 4y ago
I've seen people 'get addicted' to takeout to the tune of thousands of dollars of month in food costs. The fees are absolutely egregious for the cold mediocre food you get. Every once in awhile I'll get something I know travels well but wherever possible I'd rather order direct and local and pickup than use the apps.
jimmux 4y ago
I'm split on this. Personally I never use food delivery for these reasons, among others. On the other hand, I have friends with disabilities who have had a real improvement to their quality of life by making food more accessible.

atty 4y ago

There is nothing wrong with food delivery when used in moderation. I use DoorDash once a week to get a lunch delivered on a day where I have meetings running through lunchtime. It saves me time and hassle, and is a fun change of pace. It also came in very handy when a family member of mine was very ill and I wasn’t in the same city. I could order food and have it delivered to them. The service is nothing like cigarettes, where the only point of the product is to get you addicted enough to keep buying more, and eventually give you cancer. That’s not to say that DoorDash et al. aren’t enabling people with food addiction problems, just to point out that there are very many real good uses for the service.

wyre 4y ago
> There is nothing wrong with food delivery when used in moderation. This can be said about any addiction. The problem is addiction. If your not an addictive person that’s great, for you, but others are susceptible to addiction.
- atty 4y ago
  The OP said the service adds no value to the customer and I was specifically refuting that claim. Everyone knows that most addictive things are ok in moderation (I say most because I would argue things like cigarettes and certain other drugs have no benefits to society or the individuals who use them).

siliconc0w 4y ago

I've seen people 'get addicted' to takeout to the tune of thousands of dollars of month in food costs. The fees are absolutely egregious for the cold mediocre food you get. Every once in awhile I'll get something I know travels well but wherever possible I'd rather order direct and local and pickup than use the apps.

jimmux 4y ago

I'm split on this. Personally I never use food delivery for these reasons, among others. On the other hand, I have friends with disabilities who have had a real improvement to their quality of life by making food more accessible.