Food delivery is, for many New Yorkers, as much a regular routine as opening the refrigerator. It may make economic sense, given the high cost of real estate, which makes having a stocked kitchen pantry a luxury for most of us. At least we rationalize it that way.
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There have been other attempts to explain this ritual. These have ranged from the sociological (the prevalence of two-job families), to the cultural (the hatred of cooking by yuppies), to the geological (the city is relatively flat, hence good for bicycle delivery men). See, for examples, this article from the archives of the New Yorker.
We might add technology as another driver. Last year, the New York Times (see article here) reported a proliferation of Internet food ordering services like Seamlessweb. The benefits are clear: no need to fuss with paper menus; no pressure to hurry; no need for cash. Best of all, with no language barrier, the risk of getting what you actually ordered is greatly increased.
Just don't forget to tip. The greater of 10% or $3 is a customary acceptable minimum, but preferably more. It's no secret that most delivery men are grossly underpaid. (In a case involving one of the most egregious examples of this, a judge has now awarded $4.6 million to delivery men at Saigon Grill who earned only $2 an hour and worked 13-hour, six-day-a-week shifts.) Delivery men (and women) deserve our support, particularly when, to borrow a phrase, they brave snow and rain and gloom of night for the swift completion of their appointed rounds. And, no offense to postal workers, but where's the risk of spillage in that?
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