Advocacy & Safety - Pizza Guys

are pizza delivery guys usually pretty courteous drivers when it comes to bikes on the road?

Sometimes

Just today, a pizza delivery guy passed me at the last possible minute so he could get to a red light and stop quicker. He didn't really cut me off, but he blocked my path for getting on the separate bike path at that intersection.

Mostly but, at least in London, food delivery is done on two wheels. Any of moped, scooter and motor bike. There's even a bicycle pizza delivery by Dominos Pizza.

I'm hesitant to generalize, but I can think of a few conditions which might argue statistically against their being courteous towards bikes:

They are probably under some time pressure.
But they are not professionally trained drivers.
They are likely to be young men.

But then, I can't think of ever having had any interaction with any of them, so I have nothing to say from personal experience.

(markhr: Your icon always looks like a chainsaw to me! :))

What makes them any different then any other motorist on the road? Pizzas on the passenger's seat and a sign on the roof. That's it.

A mixed bag just as with any other motorists.

-Kurt

Sorry, gotta weigh in. I used to deliver pizzas and those most of the drivers want as many deliveries as they can get get, especially if that is their bread and butter. PT drivers usually aren't in that big of a hurry. Most managers want you to be safe and expediant(?).

I was a driver, have to say it varies. I considered myself one of the better drivers, making up my time in good routes instead of fast driving, being nice to other drivers, you know the whole "you represent our company, don't be a dick" thing. I liked to consider that because I drove 60-70 miles a day in city traffic that I would drive professionally, after all this is my job (and I really like my car and want it to stay in good condition).

Other drivers, including the older ones (so don't play this "lol kids" game) would drive kind of dangerously, I had to tell another driver that it wasn't cool to put pressure on motorcyclists (caught one yelling at our driver before because of a maneuver he pulled), and that they risk their lives much more than we do being so exposed. Typically it was the kids in the sporty cars, and the older people in the beaters that seemed to drive the worse, with the older people in beaters being in multiple accidents.


Comes down to the individual as always.

I used to deliver pizzas. The quicker you get back into the store, the quicker you are up for the next run. More runs means more tips means more money. I was 18 & 19 when I delivered pizzas. I can honestly say that at that point in my life, courtesy to ANYONE else on the road was secondary to my ability to get the run done more quickly. I was also one of the MORE curtious drivers in my shop.

I'm now older and wiser, but the people who deliver pizzas to my door typically aren't.

I am thinking that one thing that may help is timing. I'm guessing many of us commute at regular business hours, so 6-9ish am and 4-6ish pm. Most pizzas were delivered between 7-9 pm, so I'm thinking we are less likely to be on the road when they are on the road. Also, since fewer orders are up, drivers are more apt to take their time in the off hours since getting back earlier means cleaning out the old pans and helping to prep for the dinner rush.

They may be better than before, but over the years I've noticed that the only thing they are worried about is getting there within a time limit and not actually having an accident. Near misses don't count.

are pizza delivery guys usually pretty courteous drivers when it comes to bikes on the road?


Well, i know you can't lump ALL deliver guys together, but I find as a class they are courteous and professional. Their vehicles are clearly marked as likely to make frequent stops...so any ninny who whines and compares them to a car which pulls over unannounced or suddenly has headbuttitis. I might add that many delivery vehicles (post office, UPS, FEdEx) etc, have sliding doors on their vehicles, which addresses another issue that cyclists constantly cackle about.

I have probably traded thumbs up with more UPS drivers over the years than just about any other category of vehicle.

The least courteous and pathetic drivers in my experience are mass transit bus drivers, who have to stop at every intersection and belch fumes as they cut off traffic to get back in line.

roughstuff

They may be better than before, but over the years I've noticed that the only thing they are worried about is getting there within a time limit and not actually having an accident. Near misses don't count.

Tend to agree... I had a very close near miss with a light running pizza guy not too long ago... I called their office and they denied that they even had a vehicle out... never mind the big sign on the top of the car.

There is nothing special about pizza guys, nor any training they DON'T receive. Now perhaps one or two of the national chains has a safety policy, but I wouldn't attribute that to all pizza guys everywhere... it's not like they have a union or special licenses or anything.

Generally they are worried more about a time limit, which may tend to induce poor driving behavior on their part.

What makes them any different then any other motorist on the road? Pizzas on the passenger's seat and a sign on the roof. That's it.

A mixed bag just as with any other motorists.

-Kurt

what Kurt said. As a delivery guy, both by car and bike although mostly car, I can assure you I am quite cautious of bikes as are plenty of other drivers. Conversely there are plenty of a**hats who are the opposite. Your job doesn't make you a reckless driver, your personality does.

Just like any other motorist...crap shoot.

I turned one in a few months back for tossing a lit cigarette butt out the window. Our area had been in a severe drought for the past year and we have had several brush fires in the area started by tossed cigarettes. BTW pet peeve of mine anyway. If you are going to smoke dispose of the trash responsibly!

Aaron:)

Mostly but, at least in London, food delivery is done on two wheels. Any of moped, scooter and motor bike. There's even a bicycle pizza delivery by Dominos Pizza.

Delivering pizza on bike for Dominos.. Incentive enough to cause me to want to eat their goo.

i work for a local pizza store as a driver, and I tend to be couteous to everyone on the road (that can drive competently). Being a cyclist as well, I'm always looking for bikes. It's the same as when I'm on my bike, checking sight lines, blind spots, etc. I've found out in my experience taking a better route will save you a lot more time than speeding/driving recklessly. But that's just me, I know some other drivers that are pretty reckless, and it tends to be the ones with rusted-out beaters, like StrangeWill said.

^
You're an exception to the rule. "Next!"

-Kurt