Seldom tipped and often the focus of our ire when a fast food or grocery outlet gets the order wrong, columnist Gasant Abarder is questioning the ethical standards by which workers are employed by large retailers as cheap labour for app-based home deliveries for our convenience.
If I had the guts, I would get a scooter or motorcycle in a heartbeat to navigate Cape Town's crazy traffic. But I love breathing and being alive because we drive badly, and motorcyclists are almost always going to end off second best in a collision. I often witness motorcyclists act out when wronged in traffic.
I was calmly on my way to work the other morning when a motorcyclist turned round to face me after lane splitting to flip me a middle finger - unprovoked. I couldn't understand what I did wrong, and ironically, his turning round caused him more risk. It was amusing until I remembered just how vulnerable he was on a bike and how we needed to be more vigilant for their safety and ours.
But with no disrespect to our motorcyclists, there is an entirely different set of them who have my deeper sympathies right now. They are feted and I've heard there are entire themed kids' birthday parties with costumes of turquoise overalls, helmets and bikes to celebrate them. There is even a range of toys available for purchase.
One big chain - and others with arguably lesser success - running these app-based food and grocery delivery services that bike goods to your home for convenience have hit, much like the name of their house brand, a Pot O'Gold.