They feed themselves by the tips they make. Uber charges more during weather/rush hour. Your point is very generous but a mom with small children is going to win every time on my scales. My offspring will bar hop in weather I wouldn't cross the street in.

I agree that the customer is fine ordering takeout during bad weather. If the food/delivery people feel the weather is too dangerous to go out in, they can always suspend delivery until the storm is over. In that case, the customer would be on their own. While I understand that many are struggling these days, I would hope that someone with young children would have at least a few basics in the home such as cereal, milk, canned soup, peanut butter and bread (assuming no dietary restrictions). In a pinch, I suppose she could always ask a neighbor if she could borrow a loaf of bread or some eggs or something.

Jasdip, I also don't like to ask others to do something that I wouldn't do. If it was me who needed food, I might hesitate too. It would depend on how desperate I was.

It was -40 with the windchill on Friday night. We ordered pizza for delivery. With Skip the Dishes, if the driver doesn't want to to work, they don't log into the app. So, those who do log in, obviously don't care that it's cold outside.

I guess I am on your side. I know it gets hard at times, but I have a hard time understanding why someone should risk others to go out ( because its a job they do). Now my other rant. I see every day on my buy nothing group, people who ask for things like 4 cups of milk, some sour cream, bacon and potatoes to make soup, as they have had colds and want some soup, Even ask for all the flour and stuff to make pizza. even wood so they can heat the house . I picked up sticks all year to help keep a warm place for us and I would get one can (or box of pasta etc) year round so I would have food for the kids . We didn't have food banks near , but I sure would not have said "Oh I forgot to go on wed." Sorry for the rant, I know people need help, and I do, but really. Sorry Jasdip for adding my rant.

If the business doesn’t think it’s safe for their drivers to be out, they will refuse the order. Otherwise, this is what they do for a living.

It’s easy to allow ones larder to run low when one has small children - sick child, do it tomorrow etc.

I feel no compunction to do something myself just because I can. I hire people to do lots and lots of things as it’s in my own best interest and I’m able to pay for it.

Imagine being a delivery person who needs the work, braved the storm to come in to work, and then ends up sitting around making nothing because there are no orders.

I do food storage, and I think even a young family can store a case of mac and cheese, cans of tuna, etc. In addition, if they are wanting take-out and not grocery delivery, it will end up costing them FAR more that having basics on hand and making soup and peanut butter sandwiches.

But I do think that expectations and bad weather are a matter of degree. Ambulances and firefighters roll in bad weather, until evacuations are mandated, which are done for exactly that reason, that at a certain point it is too dangerous to go into an area where there is a hurricane, etc.

If the weather issue was extreme cold, however, getting a bunch of sick youngsters dressed for a trip to the store is far more onerous that a single person who makes his/her living by delivery. I'm with those who say to let the driver make the choice, and maybe tip them extra, if they come out in the cold.

I would increase my tip (I hope Elmer doesn't see this ;-)

"I would never ask someone to do something I wasn't willing to do myself"

Jasdip, if I were to apply that standard to goods and services I purchase, I'd have nothing available to choose from. For homeowners, I think the opposite is the case more often than not. Just as a quick example, I pay someone to get up on my roof to clear leaves from it and the gutters. I'd never do that myself. Or paying someone to get all gunked up to clear clogged drains. Same idea, better him (or her) than me.

The examples are endless - I don't raise chickens, I could never slaughter one. I pay to have my car serviced even though I could do much of it myself, who wants the hassle and mess? Painters paint when needed in my homes, same idea.

As has been said, assume that someone who takes a delivery job (or even a driving job) in places where the weather can be difficult understands what's sometimes involved.

Thanks for all of your answers. I have never ever ordered delivery, we didn't even do take-out.

I didn't think of them having to go into work, and then not get any calls. I figured if the roads were too bad for 'you' to go why risk someone else's life. Is your life more valuable?

I certainly am on the side of Greenshoe and Lucille.....stock up on pantry items when on sale. I've always done that. And with young kids in the house how can you not have boxes of mac n cheese, canned soup etc?

"I would increase my tip (I hope Elmer doesn't see this ;-)"

Sure. $1 instead of 50 cents would be warranted in a thunderstorm or blizzard. Thankfully I never had to live anywhere with bad weather so my 25 or 50 cents is always adequate! ;-). (Actually, I rarely or never order food for delivery, I prefer to get it myself).

I don't know why, zalco, but your sentimental over-tipping comment reminded me later of paying for service in restaurants abroad, especially in Europe but also in developed countries in other geographic areas. Something I suspect you've experienced many times. Service is included in the charge. Despite that, Americans tend to leave more, round up, leave cash. The locals view such a practice as foolish and for the recipients, it's that and also a tad insulting sometimes. They're paid to do their jobs well and they do so diligently. Leaving more than the standard charge is viewed as a bit condescending.

Elmer, I am clear on not tipping where tips are not required. I just have a hard time with over tipping here at home.

There are 5 Step recovery programs for almost everything so maybe there's one for this? ;-)

From another group, there was a woman who posted berating some people for tipping only $2 when she delivered take out. From other posts she has made, she has a personality somewhat akin to a vulture so I don't know exactly what went on. I think a tip is personal and depends on so many factors including quality of service, weather, amount purchased, location of delivery. But berating for undertipping still seems inappropriate.

I would not want to be berated for overtipping either. This past year I overtipped outrageously when my grand daughter had her first beauty shop experience and the lady spent over an hour shampooing and styling and making sure that my grand daughter was happy.

Lucille, so you won't take part in the latest $2020 tipping fad? :-)

We have had food delivery during bad weather a couple times over the last decade. Usually on days when we were busy clearing the drive and also lost power.

And yep, tipped extra for it. Where we are out in the boonies there is only one place that will deliver at all, and we are on the outskirt of their range. I think it's fair to tip the driver a bit more for their effort. I know where we live drivers in general aren't paid very well, and their car insurance isn't covered or helped by the restaurants.

On the subject of tipping, I was rather surprised to learn that at a local small restaurant where we often get takeout, any and all tips given at takeout go to the cooks,not the hostess or server that brings you the food. I wonder if that is standard. I am not mad about it,the food is almost always perfectly made I just thought it was different. I usually overtip. And have exactly zero hoots left over to give about what anyone who doesn't has to say about it. I hardly think anyone has taken a more than average tip as an insult or a bout of misfortune.

We don't order delivery. I don't think could get it where we live anyway but even if we could, SO doesn't like unnecessary unknown people at our property. If I did though, I don't think I would order delivery in dangerous weather. But just rain or cold, I wouldn't feel bad about it.

I think it depends what you mean by bad weather. If there are advisories in place to stay off the roads and businesses are closed etc., that is one thing, but many people I know consider the slightest condition bad and won't venture out. Usually this is someone who doesn't have to drive to work everyday and isn't as comfortable as one with more experience.

I am an overtipper for food delivery -- I tip at least what I would tip a waiter in a restaurant. Why not? The driver does a lot more for me than the waiter who takes a simple order, brings it to your table and checks to see if I need another drink.

many people I know consider the slightest condition bad and won't venture out

that'd be me! I drove in rain, sleet, snow, ice etc for decades and don't want to do it anymore!

I've ordered pizza when the weather wasn't so great and I gave them a really good tip. Had dinner with my daughter Friday night and she said one of her coworkers, a perfectly nice guy, overheard two of his customers saying they were going to leave him $6.66 because he was like the mark of the devil...or something close to that. My daughter said he is a perfectly nice guy, good server. Their bill was over $70. Only thing she could think of was that he wasn't white. My daughter gets stiffed by customers all the time. Some make up for the others, though....overtippers. I don't know why people go to places and order expensive appetizers, food and nearly $10 dessert and then are so cheap with their tips.

I waitressed many years ago in a Florida beach town. At that time, the minimum wage for wait staff was about a third of regular minimum wage, but we could more than make up the difference in tips. At the end of the shift, waitresses were expected to "tip out" the bartender and head cook. But at the beginning of the shift, if you were a savvy waitress, you also tipped the hostess. Why? So she wouldn't seat bad tippers in your station. And who were deemed "bad tippers" before they were even seated? Canadians, who could be easily spotted by their accents and sunburns. We got a lot of Canadian tourists and although they were often perfectly lovely and polite, they were notorious for not tipping. Apparently there was no system of tipping wait staff where they were from, and I guess they missed that chapter in the tourist guidebooks. The same way American tourists are often loud and brash, Canadian tourists are often pleasant and cheap. Unfortunately, pleasant doesn't pay the rent. Tipping is a terrible system for getting paid, but unfortunately, it's the system that's in place. Restauranteurs will tell you that if they paid their wait staff a full wage, they'd have to significantly raise the prices on the menu. Not tipping your server is essentially stealing their service.

Apparently there was no system of tipping wait staff where they were from, and I guess they missed that chapter in the tourist guidebooks.

I know of no place in Canada where tipping isn't suggested. We all know that tipping is appreciated. It's voluntary, based on service.

Having said that, you're probably in Florida or another 'snowbird' state, and seniors aren't good tippers.

Is it really reasonable to make such broad generalities like "Canadians don't know how or choose not to tip" or that "seniors aren't good tippers"? Neither remark is uniformly true and it just promotes stereoptyping.

I'm a senior and I'm a good tipper as are all my senior friends.

"Is it really reasonable to make such broad generalities like "Canadians don't know how or choose not to tip" or that "seniors aren't good tippers"...."

If she's saying these were her experiences where she was and with what she was doing, then these were her experiences. You can dispute how broadly applicable her experiences may be for other contexts but I don't think it reasonable to challenge her conclusions from what happened to her on the job. It was what it was. She was there, none of the rest of us were.

We all know there are masses of snowbirds, and many Canadian-heavy enclaves of them, in Florida and Arizona. Many snowbirds have limited means and try to live economically. I'll bet she wasn't working in Palm Beach or Naples but rather lower-cost places. Her comment isn't out of sync with what one might expect.

Oh, for heaven's sake!! It was not phrased as if it were just her experiences or opinion but rather as a blanket generality. And if you can't tell the difference between how these two different perspectives are accurately expressed by the written word, then it is no wonder stereotypes of all sorts continue to be promulgated.

"We got a lot of Canadian tourists and although they were often perfectly lovely and polite, they were notorious for not tipping. "

This is how it was phrased, these were her experiences. Unless I'm reading it wrong.

Obviously not all Canadians stiff their wait staff. But when you are depending on tips to pay your bills, the third or fourth or tenth time it happens, you start avoiding, if at all possible, any customers who resemble the ones who've stiffed you in the past. Sure it's reacting to a stereotype, just like if you get on the bus and someone is sniffling and sneezing, you probably choose not to sit next to them. Maybe it's a very nice person with an unfortunate allergy, but why risk catching a cold, especially if it's happened to you before? Not being tipped when you're a waitress means working and not being paid for your work. Personally, I think the world would be a kinder and more understanding place if EVERYBODY had to wait tables at least once in their life.

Another way to look at this is that if no one ordered because the weather is foul, that delivery person makes no money for the day except, perhaps, the minimum hourly wage. That individual may be very dependent on delivery tips to sustain theirself and their children.

I live in a pretty mild climate, so bad weather isn't much of an issue but I wouldn't hesitate to order in bad weather. People work these jobs for a reason and they don't get paid if they don't get orders. A lot of people don't mind driving in bad weather, and I wouldn't equate a single person delivering food the same type of hardship as a family with small children all trying to go out to dinner in bad weather.

I do think extra tips in bad weather is kind. I always tip $5-$10 for normal delivery and I'd add an extra $5 for bad weather. I consider food delivery to be a luxury item and pay accordingly. Sometimes I just want food delivered even if I'm capable of getting it myself and even if I have food in the house.

Same reason why I pay someone to clean my house. I can do it but I just don't want to, and can afford to pay someone else to do it. Win/win.

When I made my statement about seniors not being good tippers, I meant Canadian seniors, as the OP was talking specifically about Canadians. I've had wait staff tell me that they don't like serving a table of seniors because the tips are tiny.

We could start a whole other thread about tipping! We tip for a service, yet I didn't tip the Bell technician when he came and fixed my phone. We don't tip people who work for minimum wage in a retail store, who helped us find what we were looking for.

All this talk about tipping reminds me of my late father. He was in his 90's (at the end of the 1990's) and I would drive my mom and dad out to their local restaurant to have dinner after church. My dad always paid for all of us. And he would always leave a very small tip. He wasn't being mean, he just wasn't aware of the current tipping practices as he was in the early stages of Alzheimer's. My mom would roll her eyes :) and I would just be the last one to leave the table and put more money down to leave the waitress a good tip. You never really know a person's circumstances so I try not to be judgmental about these kinds of things but just to remedy it if possible.

Apparently Cheesecake Factory patrons are horrible tippers. Just had dinner with my daughter and she got a text from a coworker. 4 or 5 tables stiffed her tonight. Then my daughter said they don't ever do that at the sushi place she works part time at right now. I don't understand that. She was late getting to the restaurant because she was filling out applications for other, non-serving, jobs.

People in this neighborhood (nyc) order everything. I don’t. However, in bad weather, it’s common knowledge that you’d better place your order early. The restaurants that deliver will be very busy.

If I did, I would tip extra.

As to the original post, I find it hard to understand how there is no food in the house if a person has the means to order takeout. I’m not being judgmental, I just wonder.

Michele, that was a point I was trying to convey as well. She had very little food, no bread, yet was able to order delivery and tip handsomely. No food with small kids?

When I don't have food in the house, it's because I haven't had the time or energy to go to the store. No reason to assume it's for financial reasons.

And I think we are all guilty of saying "there's no food in the house!" When the reality is that there's a full freezer and pantry but just no food I feel like making or eating. Or maybe it's just me. :)

Yup, no food I feel like making or eating 😇! I often feel that way but after I eat the food I order in I feel terrible that I didn't save my money for something more worthwhile. I have no problem giving a little extra tip to someone having to brave the 'elements' to do a drop off.

Aren't you glad we don't live in St. Johns, capital of province of Newfoundland-Labrador (Newfoundland is island northeast of mouth of St. Lawrence River, Labrador a large tract on the mainland just northwest of Newfoundland)??

Well over a yard of snow ... in a couple of days ... with 100 m.p.h. winds.

People ordered to stay off roads, so snowploughs could work and first responders could navigate.

Stores ordered closed for four days, they and pharmacies allowed open today (Tues. 21 Jan), groceries were swamped, they allowed about 100 in at a time, many standing shivering waiting for their turn.

Army called in a couple of days ago, they along with regular snow clearers are trucking the snow out of town, not allowed to drop it in the harbour.

A couple of feet of snow had fallen since just before Christmas, prior to this latest mess.

ole joyful

I think many in the younger generation seldom cook, so having no food in the house could be a reality. I know both my son and ex-daughter in law, have so little food in each of their homes that I really worry about a natural disaster leaving them with nothing to eat. There are protein bars and individual snack packs of junk food for snacks, but no canned or frozen food, no fresh fruit except maybe bananas (a week's worth at the beginning of the week and one banana at the end of the week). A quart of milk perhaps. Maybe every other day trips to get prepared food from someplace like Trader Joe's or take out. Lunches eaten out every day. Fast food dinners.

It's really a different reality food-wise for a whole generation (not all, of course, but so many).

Olychick, I agree with your assessment. In my little town (which is within a big city), the young couples around here eat out and do take out most of the time! Our restaurants are busy every night of the week. They do Uber Eats and other services like that. There seems to be very little actual cooking going on. I don't really know how they can afford to do that, but hey, it's their money.

I think the younger generation is also pretty busy. Usually both people work, sometimes very long hours as they build their careers. Those with kids have to juggle the ever-increasing after school and evening sports and other activities. Meal planning, grocery shopping, cooking and cleanup all take time, and sometimes it's worth spending money to get some of that time back when it's a limited resource. I think a few decades ago there were a lot more spouses staying home who had time to do all of that, and kids were less scheduled.

I also think it's a cultural shift. I am a 90's child and grew up eating out pretty frequently as my parents didn't cook. There are food choices everywhere, and I know I enjoy being able to get whatever kind of food I want whenever the craving hits.