[tom2021]

Came back to work after lunch today.
I noticed a Lexus RX350 in the parking lot that I have never seen before.
Then, I saw the driver came out with skip the dishes bag.

I know it is not my business.
But, does it make any economic sense?

[wtwo3]

I had to look up what "skip the dishes" is.... I guess it's a food delivery business in Canada... similar to Uber Eats or Doordash.

I've seen people deliver food/groceries to me before in a Tesla or an Audi before. It could be any number of reasons... maybe they were just curious... maybe they're retired and have free time... maybe they've fallen on hard times and their car has been paid off and it's the only reliable thing they have and trading it in for a cheaper car wouldn't make sense.

There was an article I once read about someone in a Mercedes who would go to pick up food stamps.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/poste...p-food-stamps/

Here's an excerpt:

"That’s the funny thing about being poor. Everyone has an opinion on it, and everyone feels entitled to share. That was especially true about my husband’s Mercedes. Over and over again, people asked why we kept that car, offering to sell it in their yards or on the Internet for us.

“You can’t be that bad off,” a distant relative said, after inviting himself over for lunch. “You still got that baby in all its glory.”

Sometimes, it was more direct. All from a place of love, of course. “Sell the Mercedes,” a friend said to me. “He doesn’t get to keep his toys now.”

But it wasn’t a toy — it was paid off. My husband bought that car in full long before we met. Were we supposed to trade it in for a crappier car we’d have to make payments on? Only to have that less reliable car break down on us?

And even if we had wanted to do that, here’s what people don’t understand: The reality of poverty can spring quickly while the psychological effects take longer to surface. When you lose a job, your first thought isn’t, “Oh my God, I’m poor. I’d better sell all my nice stuff!” It’s “I need another job. Now.” When you’re scrambling, you hang on to the things that work, that bring you some comfort. That Mercedes was the one reliable, trustworthy thing in our lives."

[Dino GT]

Nothing special with that. I see a lot of nice cars around here used for skip the dishes.
I have a neighbor that uses a 535d for skip the dishes.
He has a day job and does it on his spare time as a side gig.
That's not his only car, he has 3 BMW's + other cars, including a beautiful E30 325is.

[Maitre_Absolut]

I think his question is can you actually net profit driving an expensive (ie higher $ depreciation) car while doing deliveries. The cost per mile is much higher on an RX350 than say an old civic.

[Buug959]

Perhaps... just perhaps he just loves driving his Lexus and his Skip the Dishes gig gives him the opportunity to drive it while earning some cash on the side as a nice bonus. You never know what motivates people.

[Dino GT]

Originally Posted by LemansE90335xi

Perhaps... just perhaps he just loves driving his Lexus and his Skip the Dishes gig gives him the opportunity to drive it while earning some cash on the side as a nice bonus. You never know what motivates people.

Exactly. I know my neighbor just does it for fun.
The car is parked sometimes for weeks.
He owns a trucking company, so I guess he just likes to drive

[TiMSport]

I can think of better ways to enjoy a nice car than doing food deliveries. Just saying.

I could also surmise that some people weren't standing firm before the pandemic and other stuff hit the fan and realized their luxury vehicles might have been a stretch to begin with and now are faced with having to find additional income to support their "lifestyle".

[shoei]

You were right the first half of your last two sentences. It really is none of your business. One could easily look at and take it in many different directions, but your mindset automatically goes to - "how does this make economical sense" - when you don't know that person and why they might be doing a job that you consider lowly on the economic scale.

The driver of the RX could easily be a psychology professor at USC who's life partner of 37 years recently passed away and so now the professor drives an uber at night time to time because they get lonely and want someone to converse with. In this scenario it was actually a GS but the rest of the story is factual.

[tom2021]

Thank you all for your interest in my posting.
My question "does it make any economic sense?" was the question immediately crossed my mind when I saw the driver of the Lexus.
Pardon me of being of a Vulcan like Spock in the Star Trek: It is about logic.
I didn't intend to be judgmental.
Since the forum has an "Off-Topic Discussions Board", I posted here to have an intelligent and intellectual discussion.
This isolated case shows it can be anything. This is what is happening in our world nowadays.

[TiMSport]

It's one of the best things about this space. Post something that could potentially be construed as being judgmental or having an opinion on anything, then put on your flame suit and enjoy the ride.

[Germanauto]

When I worked in sales for Tesla back in undergrad, one of my colleagues was in his late 60s. At first I felt sorry for him, I assumed he was a poor senior citizen who couldn't afford to retire. Turns out he was just doing it for fun since he was retired and bored and loved cars.

One of my sales guys at a BMW dealer is in his 70s. Same situation though, said he would get bored being retired. Has a wife, grown kids, goes on vacations, drives an M8 convertible, etc.

You never know somebody's situation. Although it's totally possible that delivery person is living beyond their means.

[sygazelle]

Originally Posted by tom2021

Came back to work after lunch today.
I noticed a Lexus RX350 in the parking lot that I have never seen before.
Then, I saw the driver came out with skip the dishes bag.

I know it is not my business.
But, does it make any economic sense?

Maybe it's undercover RCMP. Are they looking for you?

[shoei]

Originally Posted by sygazelle

Maybe it's undercover RCMP. Are they looking for you?

I just pictured some Mountie on a horse but he's in black instead of red. So he can be undercover.

[chassis]

Do the math. Total bill for door dash minus what it would have cost at the restaurant. A pittance goes to the driver.

Do the math. How many deliveries per day x $ pittance per delivery = pittance plus wear and tear on your car.

I can’t think of any on-demand driving service that is lucrative. It probably depends on how employable one is.

[Alfisti]

Looking at pure economics and no judging folks, TBH it may just work. My big concern would be fuel mileage, if it's paid off and you're keeping it till it does then resale is irrelevant. It's reliable as a casio digital watch, hard to break em so they will run forever.

[e90335e36m3]

This thread would make more common sense if the OP explained what skip the dishes is without assuming something local to Canada is known by people outside Canada.

[Esteban]

Originally Posted by e90335e36m3

This thread would make more common sense if the OP explained what skip the dishes is without assuming something local to Canada is known by people outside Canada.

The second poster looked it up for us.

"I had to look up what "skip the dishes" is.... I guess it's a food delivery business in Canada... similar to Uber Eats or Doordash."

Thanks, wtwo3.

[Buug959]

I know a very comfortably retired gentleman whose wife (never worked a paying job) got tired of him being underfoot around the house all the time. She told him to find a hobby. He started going for long walks and before long he began to pick up bottles and cans to return for the deposit. As time went on he started to follow the garbage pick-up routes to increase his haul. Soon he needed a truck so he bought a decent used F150. He paid cash for it out of his bottle account. Now he is making monthly payments on a brand new Cadillac CT5. His wife loves his new hobby. He's gone all day just like he was before he retired and she gets to be driven around in a Cadillac when they go out. Does he need the money??? Not a chance. He just enjoys being out and doing something. Also, happy wife, happy life.

[Esteban]

Originally Posted by LemansE90335xi

I know a very comfortably retired gentleman whose wife (never worked a paying job) got tired of him being underfoot around the house all the time. She told him to find a hobby. He started going for long walks and before long he began to pick up bottles and cans to return for the deposit. As time went on he started to follow the garbage pick-up routes to increase his haul. Soon he needed a truck so he bought a decent used F150. He paid cash for it out of his bottle account. Now he is making monthly payments on a brand new Cadillac CT5. His wife loves his new hobby. He's gone all day just like he was before he retired and she gets to be driven around in a Cadillac when they go out. Does he need the money??? Not a chance. He just enjoys being out and doing something. Also, happy wife, happy life.

Win-win for both of them.

Hmm, my wife needs a hobby.

[UncleWede]

Originally Posted by Esteban

Win-win for both of them.

Hmm, my wife needs a hobby.

Be very careful what you wish for <couponing>

I have at least one lifetime supply of shampoo in the shed, and I don't even have any hair.

[Esteban]

Originally Posted by UncleWede

Be very careful what you wish for <couponing>

I have at least one lifetime supply of shampoo in the shed, and I don't even have any hair.

You mean on your head, right. Assuming you have other hair to wash, or do you 'manscape?' lol

[G35POPPEDMYCHERRY]

don't try to understand. this is America. half the people on the forum are probably up to their eyes in debt. GOD BLEES AMERIKA