Meals On (Bike) Wheels: Meet the cyclists who deliver your food— rain, shine or traffic jam
Stand on any busy corner in Queens for long enough and you can see an intricate web of cyclists forming. Citi Bikers on their way to dinner dates, bike commuters chugging along in their work clothes, recreational cyclists kitted up in slick gear, while teens play tightrope one wheel up between the double yellow lines. But the most prevalent group of these cyclists are helping keep the borough’s food economy booming.
Though many New Yorkers order food delivery once a week, most people are not familiar with just who is bringing hot meals right to their door, and how. Exact statistics for Queens are difficult to verify but research indicates there are an estimated 50,000 commercial delivery workers throughout New York City. In Astoria alone, we counted 45 different delivery workers making their rounds on a Sunday morning this summer.
Inclement weather, riding long distances, traffic ticket blitzes, and the constant risk of being struck, and the occasional low tippers, make food delivery one of the most dangerous and lower-paid occupations. Workers are usually paid at the minimum tipped wage of $8.65/hour (up from $5/hour just three years ago) with the rest of their income coming from tips. Because of this tipped base structure, workers tend to put in long hours and are under pressure to complete as many deliveries as they can as quickly as they can.
In spite of everything seemingly stacked against them, many of the workers we spoke with took great pride in ensuring deliveries are delivered right on time.
