The coronavirus has resulted in a new ‘normal’ for residents, workers across Columbia

There were four of us in the chair-free lobby of The Corner Blend, a popular smoothie and bubble tea cafe on Main Street in Columbia: UberEats, DoorDash, Grubhub and Postmates.

We were all picking up on a Wednesday afternoon.

I have worked in health care for the past three years. But after being suspended from my clerical position at a private practice due to the COVID-19 pandemic, my weekend gig as a delivery driver for UberEats is now my primary source of income.

Since the evening of St. Patrick’s Day — which is when some local restaurants opted to close their dining rooms a day early — I have seen only a slight increase in the volume of my deliveries. However, the increased presence of delivery drivers like me is unmistakable. I’m often waiting beside drivers from competing delivery apps; in fact, there are times when we’re the only people in the restaurant.

While the pay is immediate with only a 50-cent charge for direct deposit, the wage is only about $10 per hour on average. It’s the generous tips that I’ve received that have made most of my deliveries worthwhile. Who are the best tippers? Millennials — my generation.

Unfortunately, this job forces me to defy social distancing guidelines because I’m in contact with different people every day. Some customers ask that I leave their orders at the foot of their doors; they ask me to text them to let them know I’ve left it. On one occasion someone even taped a $3 tip to their placemat with my name written on a sticky note.

As a precaution I keep a bottle of hand sanitizer and Clorox wipes in my car for each delivery. I ask that the restaurants double-bag the food, and then I transport it in my own sealed, sanitized thermal bag. I’ve seen other drivers go so far as to wear masks and gloves.

There have been a few glitches.

The app has assigned multiple drivers to the same delivery, and I’ve been assigned deliveries without having accepted them. I have also had a few strange encounters: one customer in a rural area had a sign in their shuttered window that read, “No trespassing, we don’t have any more room to hide the bodies.”

Despite the tips, this job is not a sustainable career transition. And while delivery is the new template of the service industry, the apps act as an unnecessary middle man for most businesses.

But the irony is that without apps like UberEats and DoorDash people like me wouldn’t be doing this kind of work. It’s the fact that there is no commitment, no hourly quota and no pressure that attracts people like me to delivery and rideshare apps. But there’s no safety net either.

In the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, everyone must adapt to a new normal. This is the new normal for me, and for many other residents of Columbia.

Connor de Bruler is a writer and an office/clerical health care assistant in Columbia.

This story was originally published March 26, 2020 at 5:00 AM.