Door Dash

[Anonymous]

As a mid fifties white collar worker, my kids are teens. Like many men of my age I don’t have a huge friend group, and, while my kids are loving and good, they spend a lot of time in their rooms or play Xbox or bike rides to friends houses.

So during the pandemic I started watching tik tok and learned about the side hustle life style. So last week I signed up for Door dash to be a driver for when I have stretches of boredom on the weekend. I did it Saturday and today.

It was exhilarating to dash around. I chose areas where I thought I wouldn’t know people. Awkward moments were to be avoided. I found it was efficient snd most restaurants had the food ready to go and were super respectful. The pay was really low. $2.50 for most deliveries. And, it’s true most people don’t leave any tip at all. One person living in a lower income type of area gave a tip equal to the food cost. Such nice generosity. The app is useful and intuitive but the map on it is not good. I used my car’s directions.

I likely won’t do it much more unless I want that thrill of driving around but thought I’d report it here.

[Anonymous]

I never tip less than 10.00. I appreciate DD.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:As a mid fifties white collar worker, my kids are teens. Like many men of my age I don’t have a huge friend group, and, while my kids are loving and good, they spend a lot of time in their rooms or play Xbox or bike rides to friends houses.

So during the pandemic I started watching tik tok and learned about the side hustle life style. So last week I signed up for Door dash to be a driver for when I have stretches of boredom on the weekend. I did it Saturday and today.

It was exhilarating to dash around. I chose areas where I thought I wouldn’t know people. Awkward moments were to be avoided. I found it was efficient snd most restaurants had the food ready to go and were super respectful. The pay was really low. $2.50 for most deliveries. And, it’s true most people don’t leave any tip at all. One person living in a lower income type of area gave a tip equal to the food cost. Such nice generosity. The app is useful and intuitive but the map on it is not good. I used my car’s directions.

I likely won’t do it much more unless I want that thrill of driving around but thought I’d report it here.

Always good to have new experiences. Thanks for sharing.

I am getting back to some of my volunteering (food bank, etc), checking out some tennis and sewing lessons.

[Anonymous]

A friend of mine does Uber from time to time for that same reason.

[Anonymous]

$2.50 a delivery doesn’t seem worth it at all.

[Anonymous]

Interesting post. I'm glad you had fun! I'm surprised more people didn't tip. It sounds like you were able we to pick your delivery area, since you avoided places where you'd be recognized? $2.50 seems low, but I have heard of people making a good amount as a successful side hustle. Did you see ways that you could have maximized your income better or worked more efficiently over the weekend?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Interesting post. I'm glad you had fun! I'm surprised more people didn't tip. It sounds like you were able we to pick your delivery area, since you avoided places where you'd be recognized? $2.50 seems low, but I have heard of people making a good amount as a successful side hustle. Did you see ways that you could have maximized your income better or worked more efficiently over the weekend?

There are peak hours I could have worked and I did that for about an hour. You get an extra 1.50 or 2.50 per order. I also could select a more upscale area perhaps hoping for bigger tips. The order flow can come fast. I imagine with an extra couple hours it could have been pretty worthwhile.

[Anonymous]

Thank you for sharing. I admire you trying that out. I worked part time at large volume discount department store for a couple of years. It was good exercise rushing around and I got to know people that I never would have in my other job. I saw it as a hobby that paid a little bit of money.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Interesting post. I'm glad you had fun! I'm surprised more people didn't tip. It sounds like you were able we to pick your delivery area, since you avoided places where you'd be recognized? $2.50 seems low, but I have heard of people making a good amount as a successful side hustle. Did you see ways that you could have maximized your income better or worked more efficiently over the weekend?

There are peak hours I could have worked and I did that for about an hour. You get an extra 1.50 or 2.50 per order. I also could select a more upscale area perhaps hoping for bigger tips. The order flow can come fast. I imagine with an extra couple hours it could have been pretty worthwhile.

Upscale area prob would have allowed you to do a higher volume of orders, thus earning more in orders and tips, but not necessarily have yielded more in tip money per order. Lower income areas may identify more with the plight of the Door Dash worker and tip more.

[Anonymous]

My two daughters last summer did door dash and Instacart.

The best tip was an elderly lady in outer Potomac. She bought around $500 worth of food. Had not shopped in weeks. Was stocking up. Was a mansion. She was waiting for my daughters and asked them to bring it all to kitchen. Gave a very big cash tip on top of Instacart fee.

Worst was an equally rich old lady. Was in Bethesda luxury condo with small order, zero parking, had to park in tow away zone, risk car towed turn women demanded it be brought up to apt and she did not tip!!

Craziest one a 23 year old guy half naked playing Xbox order a hamburger and soda cane to door just in boxers as daughter handed him burger. He was right by front window gaming half naked.

Most people were nice. My daughter did 20 deliveries a week all last summer