Well, it certainly seems the case here in Brighton and Hove.
I jsut don't get it - it's litereally your job to cycle around a busy city at all times of the day. Why on earth would your clothing of choice be black clothing, a black balaclava, and NOT HAVE LIGHTS!!!
Anyone else in a big city noticed this? Surely uber eats etc should offer a high viz and simple set of lights, along with teh bag on teh back?
Madness i tell thee!!
DrP
All the better to scare the crap out of you with, dear, as they whizz past the other way at 30mph on a cycle path, speeding out of the dark like a fricking wraith.
Same in Birmingham.The council had a consultation about imposing harsher penalties on anti-social cycling and skateboarding in the city centre, and every single bit of eyewitness evidence they presented to support it was a complaint explicitly about delivery riders on their illegal e-mopeds.
Surely uber eats etc should offer a high viz and simple set of lights, along with teh bag on teh back?
Ah, but the riders are all independent contractors, not employees so it's not Uber Eats/Deliveroo's responsibility to GAS!
Your dead right though, morally they should be looking out for their contractors H&S and any impacts on the public who come into contract with them, but unfortunately morals affect the bottom line.
Ah, but the riders are all independent contractors, not employees so it's not Uber Eats/Deliveroo's responsibility to GAS!
I wonder if that's just a good barrister away from a change in attitude! Of course that would need someone to actually get maimed and them be in a position to pursue it.
Anyone else in a big city noticed this?
Same in manchester. There's a pretty broad network of cycle lanes in Manchester, now all that happenes is the un-lit Deliveroo riders are coming at you the wrong way. It's a way of keeping you alert I guess.
Probably because 95% of them are using illegally modified electric motorbikes
Because they're idiots? Same in town here, whizzing up and down a pedestrianised high street on illegal bikes. No road sense at all, riding like they're in Bangkok, New Delhi, Iquitos or some other such place. One day I'm going to let their tyres down.
All the better to scare the crap out of you with, dear, as they whizz past the other way at 30mph on a cycle path, speeding out of the dark like a fricking wraith.
Same in Birmingham.The council had a consultation about imposing harsher penalties on anti-social cycling and skateboarding in the city centre, and every single bit of eyewitness evidence they presented to support it was a complaint explicitly about delivery riders on their illegal e-mopeds.
Exactly. No new rules or laws are needed. All they need to do is enforce the ones they've already got.
Ah, but the riders are all independent contractors, not employees so it's not Uber Eats/Deliveroo's responsibility to GAS!I wonder if that's just a good barrister away from a change in attitude! Of course that would need someone to actually get maimed and them be in a position to pursue it.
Literally just a matter of time.
Yes its the same in Manchester and do find I now have to try to be extra-vigilant when crossing roads (and especially the cycle paths on Oxford Road). It must be pretty nerve-wracking if you're elderly or disabled.
I'm amazed there aren't more accidents...or perhaps there are loads but there's no real way of distinguishing them.
Without being too stereotypical I suppose many of these guys are literally riding to put bread on the table and/or pay rent with very little room to think about much else, so as someone else as already mentioned up-thread there's little point in appealing to them personally but the delivery companies should be made responsible (somehow).
It’s the same round here. I’d have sympathy if flashing led lights weren’t so bloody cheap.
Deliveroo, or whatever could even take advantage of the advertising and have logo type lights.
Then of course you have the Moped riders who all definitely have commercial insurance. Their riding can be pretty awful but at least they have lights.
Was in that there City of London on the weekend and the same there. 99% of them flying around on throttle bikes all in black. I thought it was the required uniform. Never use the delivery folk myself, don't need to, I can get out of my armchair and cook food to eat.
They also have these pedalec powered tuk tuks in London, all legal, lit up like Christmas trees... I reckon there's gonna be a gang war soon when they get pissed off with the illegal delivery freaks. 🤪
Same everywhere. Illegal electric motor bikes so I assume the stealth mode is to minimise the chances of recognition/ action in the event of an incident.
Encountered one on the M27 a few months back in the dark in pouring rain at rush hour. Seemingly blindly following Google maps.
How they were not killed given the general standard of driving on that road is a total mystery to me (and yes I did give them a wide and safe gap - unlike a number of others).
TBH I don't really mind/care about the fact they are on, essentially, unregistered e motorbikes with token pedals and chain (I mean..I DO care, but that's for another discussion...).
I just don't understand the INDIVIDUAL stupidity of the people. As has been said - a set of lights can be had for as little as a few pounds, and a high viz tabbard is probably free from a police station/road safety campaign.
I'm not expecting an exposure flash and flare, but a little common sense surely!
And the fact it's SOOO widespread amongst the delivery people too. Not jsut the odd one, but the majority.
Even if my employer didn't specifically tipulate I needed bike lights for a JOB WHERE YOU RIDE A BIKE AROUND AT NIGHT... i'd rub a few brain cells together and make myself the slightest bit visible!
Madness!
DrP
I just don't understand the INDIVIDUAL stupidity of the people. As has been said - a set of lights can be had for as little as a few pounds, and a high viz tabbard is probably free from a police station/road safety campaign.
I suspect if you're skint, flogging your tits off delivering shite for a pittance in a foreign country where everyone seems to hate you, are living in crap conditions and have a marginal hold on economic stability in your life you wouldn't give a crap about another layer of embugerance. (IANADeliveroorider )
I just don't understand the INDIVIDUAL stupidity of the people. As has been said - a set of lights can be had for as little as a few pounds, and a high viz tabbard is probably free from a police station/road safety campaign.
I suspect if you're skint, flogging your tits off delivering shite for a pittance in a foreign country where everyone seems to hate you, are living in crap conditions and have a marginal hold on economic stability in your life you wouldn't give a crap about another layer of embugerance. (IANADeliveroorider )
And that is the issue. I’m simplifying here but they are a marginalised and exploited group whose realities and priorities are different to those who are annoyed and impacted by their behavior. Any solution to the problem of delivery rider behavior needs to consider the needs and position of the riders and not only the legality of how they ride.
in my opinion, the delivery companies need to take responsibility for this and fix it. The excuse that the riders are not their employees or under their control needs challenging and dealing with.
The customers won’t act because the customers are, in the main, not the same people as those who are complaining about the riders.
There needs to be much more stringent regulations for these delivery companies....uber, Deliveroo etc. shouldn't allow for a system where the account holder can 'rent' out the account to an undocumented 3rd party - bypassing all employment checks.
And to expand this thread further, I am amazed that you can seemingly do commercial work on mopeds (delivering food) on perpetual learner plates. Another issues that needs fixing.
Probably because 95% of them are using illegally modified electric motorbikes
Certainly the case in Nottingham and Derby. High profile Police crackdowns made no difference, apart from lots of fat Deliveroo customers telling the Police to deal with proper crime
The thing is, Deliveroo, UberEats and the others are all corporate c*nts who sidestep employee and H&S law with some bullshit about them being "technology platforms that employ personal contractors on flexible contracts that work for all parties". All the while paying the poor buggers on the bikes f__k all-whilst providing none of the safety gear that a proper employer would have to provide, not to mention charging an outrageous percentage to the takeaway places that they serve.
Never seen a delivery bike rider in my life as I life in darkest Galloway so I expect the nearest such thing is Carlisle 50+ miles away but to wear all black on the roads is just daft (unless you’re a rapha king of the road wannabe dick).
The idea of ordering takeaway food to be delivered is utterly alien to my sensibilities, unless you’re housebound by disabilities, in that case I guess it could be handy
It's OK Reform are on it. They are going to STOP THE BIKES.
I went to the Coop in West Didbury to get some groceries. When I was waiting for a gap in the relentelss trafic I had a tall delivery rider in my face and offended because I was stood on the pavement near his bike and had caused some sort of offence. What normal person rides around with a mask with only the eyes and mouth visible?
The riders are exploited but every time they ride their illegal "bike"
They have no tax, no insurance, no license? ride an unregistered vehicle which is almost certainly a danger to the rider.
Who would normally open the door to a masked person.
Just go and do your shopping in person and collect your own take aways.
. What normal person rides around with a mask with only the eyes and mouth visible?
Someone working outside all hours of the day?
More likely someone concealing there Identity, for reference see every scrote on a dodgy motorcycle.
The most annoying component of all (as far as im concerned) is that theyre "cyclists".
Even the ones technically on motorbikes (modified ebikes)
just another reason why everyone hates us.
Actually, Brighton and Hove - hardly any bleedin cyclists have lights, whether they are delivery drivers or women on situpandbegs. Just seems to be no self preservation there. Beyond my comprehension. I was riding in Portsmouth once when my front light's battery ran out and I was shitting it, thought I was going to get squished... Then I saw a copper and sprinted away! Felt like a right crim. Them lot out there, they're different.
It's OK Reform are on it. They are going to STOP THE BIKES.
the riders charging the canvassers are more likely to be reform-types than delivery riders. I have no proof of this, obviously
Perhaps the delivery riders are unaware that they are not following the law.
The customers won’t act because the customers are, in the main, not the same people as those who are complaining about the riders.
this is funny and true.
If you risk a channel crossing in a small boat you are hardly likely to be worried about UK drivers.
Best answer is don't use food delivery services.
More to the point: if a deliveroo etc rider does get knocked off their bike the ambulance will drop my order in on the way to A&E, won't they?
More to the point: if a deliveroo etc rider does get knocked off their bike the ambulance will drop my order in on the way to A&E, won't they?
Surely the deliveroo/just eat rider should reimburse you for any late delivery?, hopefully they’ll blue light the order to you in such circumstances as cold food cannot be tolerated
And the blue lights solve the visibility issue, everybody wins!
It's another form of exploitation. I wonder what proportion of those who regularly use these services:
a) Wouldn't do the job for such shit pay
b) Would kick off and complain if the price of their 'food' increased due to improvements in workers conditions
c) Complain about migrant workers
d) Will suffer from diet related ill health.
Not wearing Hi Viz isn't the worst of the individual responsibility decisions involved here.
Perhaps the delivery riders are unaware that they are not following the law.
Quite possibly given how when you look at a lot of the places selling the bikes/conversion kits the "only on private land" is in rather small print and thats even if the place makes a vague effort.
On another forum I am on a charity worker did ask a question along the lines of "one of my clients have had a bike taken off them. Why and how can they get it back?" and seems to have been slightly surprised by the "it was a illegal motorbike. They are lucky they werent charged with lack of insurance etc" consensus.
OP - maybe they look out for themselves because no-one else is. When someone realises that they're on their own, they have almost nothing and no-one here is looking out for them, then they take responsibility for themselves and nothing else. No-one on the roads, politically or socially seems to GAS about them and most people just moan that they exist.
We have an expectation of people doing the right thing in our society but seem to miss the point that so many of these delivery riders are are not in our society as anything but delivery drones. People spend more than what they might earn in a day on one meal. They probably don't have anything but a moral or humanitarian reason for being here. They fend for themselves while staying out of our society as far as they can. TBH I don't blame them. Minimal lights may be part of that.
As others said, the app companies are exploiting the riders and creating the problem. They should be paid a fair wage and be able to build something for themselves, but they're stuck earning under £10 an hour a lot of the time, nothing per hour the rest of the time, in a city where rent is sky-high.
The Deliveroo CEO sold his stake for 1/4 of a billion last year though so he's ok, some good came from his work eh?
I live in a wee Central Scotland town, too small to support delivery riders. I do however, commute into the west end of Glasgow everyday for work. From my office vantage point looking down on Byres road, I can watch the delivery drivers whizzing up and down the street all day.
In my opinion, (based on no facts other than huge amounts of time staring out the window avoiding work), there are fewer and fewer branded delivery riders on the roads now. I wonder if the public backlash against the delivery riders is driving companies like Deliveroo and Just Eat to issue their riders with non branded jackets and insulated bags? If you can't identify the company the rider is 'working' for, you can't complain and the company can happily breeze along exploiting vulnerable people.
I agree with others who've posted above though. The first time I order a local takeaway and it's delivered by some poor sod in a balaclava on an electric scooter will be the last time I order from that takeaway.
@beagleboy - I think the riders have stopped wearing the kit so they can work for all the companies at the same time to maximise workload.
Working for multiple delivery companies would make sense of why (the ones on motor-scooters especially) a lot of delivery folk literally never seem to be finished looking at their phones and pretty much drive around one-handed whilst tapping away at their phones and glancing up at the road every 5-10s.
We end up fixing a lot of their bikes at the Bike hub.
They're all basically broke and wearing the cheapest gear they can get, which is inevitably black because that's the colour most cheap winter clothes are. Most of them don't even have decent gloves (surprisingly, not even most seem to have poggies despite the stereotype).
Want your curry delivered by someone in decent clothes? Write to your MP and get them to reverse the labour decision to strip the right to work from asylum seekers. Because a lot of them are either in the system and working illegally for a pittance because there is no protection against exploitation, or just out of it at which point any support ends with a cliff edge (no you don't get a house and iPhone and a car whatever reform will tell you). I dread to think what other layers of exploitation go on it the background.
Remember Mohamed, the Iranian cyclist in Reading? He was made homeless the week after his claim was granted, the support amounted to a list of places you could get a shower as a homeless person.