August 30, 2019  UBER EATS

A couple days ago I saw someone delivering a tray of noodles by bicycle.  I could not see what kind of noodles he was carrying as the food was mostly covered up by a furoshiki, a traditional cloth used for carrying or wrapping clothing or other items.  I always enjoy seeing people riding along delivering traditional Japanese fast-food, balancing a tray of sushi or noodles on an upturned hand.  The riders never seem to be too rushed.  Their deliveries are usually close to the restaurant, and saving a few seconds is not worth the risk of spilling everything all over the street.

An hour or two after seeing the noodle delivery guy I saw an Uber Eats rider nearly run over someone.  I have been hit from behind by Uber or other food delivery guys (it seems to always be men) careening along crowded streets or sidewalks with large boxes strapped to their backs.  Fortunately, I have only been hit by the boxes, wider than the rider’s body, and not by a bicycle.  I don’t know how many times I have watched Uber Eats riders ignoring traffic signals come close to being hit by a car or truck, possibly risking their life.  I did recently see an accident scene where a rider knocked over and injured two people, sending a woman perhaps in her 30s to the hospital via ambulance.  I am sure plenty of other such incidents have occurred.

And for what?  So someone too busy or lazy to walk a few blocks can eat Kentucky Chicken, Domino’s Pizza, McDonalds, a Mos Burger, some ramen or other fast food at home or at their desk?  From what I have witnessed, these deliveries seem to almost always be of fast food, usually from American chains. Looking at Uber Eats’ home page pretty much confirmed this, although I did see Starbucks, some sort of sugary tea company, some curry shops and a conveyer belt kaiten sushi chain listed.

The problem comes from the delivery companies’ basic business model, one that offers customers speed and convenience for a price but forces the contract-employee riders to react and act as fast as possible lest a competitor rider might get the chance to make a few hundred yen for a delivery.  I guess that is why most hours of the afternoon and evening there will be two or three delivery guys waiting around the corner from my neighborhood Mac or KFC waiting for a notice to show up on their smart phone.  Funny how more traditional Japanese food delivery services, whether done by a restaurant employee or a delivery company such as Demaecan (that is how the company writes 出前館 in English) on either a bicycle or a scooter, don’t need to rush so much and risk their safety.

I guess this is just another example of the Americanization of Japanese food culture.