The other day, I was sitting at a fast food joint wondering IF the other companies had not pushed "30 minutes or free" down our throats, would we really care about the amount of time it took for our order to reach us? Sure, the sooner the better if you are really hungry, but will you keep checking the clock to see if you are eligible for that free pizza or not? I know you won't cos there are plenty of other restaurants that do not offer this kind of guarantee, and you are perfectly fine with waiting patiently for them to deliver food at your doorstep.
That is when a thought struck me - instead of using bikes, what if the delivery boys used bicycles? If all the fast food chains were to remove their 30 minutes guarantee, then those delivering the food would not have to risk their lives and rush through the streets, breaking signals and whatnot. In cases like these, a bicycle would suffice, wouldn't it? It is eco-friendly, they can still carry the orders easily, and really, a bicycle is more convenient even when there is traffic! The time taken, in my opinion would more or less be the same, but if some customers still insist on 30 minutes or less, then add an additional charge, like the Amazon priority delivery. Let's see how many people insist on it then.
The next time you are waiting at a signal, look around you - there will be more than two delivery boys waiting nervously on their bikes. Always in a hurry, always worried. Let's hope the fast food outlets lift their 30 minutes or less guarantee and use bicycles instead of motor bikes. If they can charge extra for polythene covers, they can implement the same here and do their bit for a greener, less polluted earth.
This post has been written for the Earth is Calling Campaign organized by Studio NH47 and http://greenyatra.org/ Copyright Petrichor and Clouds 2013 at petrichorandclouds.blogspot.com Please do not reproduce the material published here.
