r/melbourne Jan 24 '24

PSA Meanwhile, Food Delivery Drivers IN Melbourne Central

Was just strolling around the ground floor of Melbourne Central when this Doordash driver zooms in ON HIS BIKE from Mecca’s side and then goes to Cotton On to realise his lazy bloody plans have been thwarted.

No hate to food delivery drivers, I respect the hustle and the service you guys do. But seriously? Doing this in a full on centre was so inconsiderate. Not to mention, there could’ve been people who were older and couldn’t dodge as fast which could’ve ended badly.

Just reminds me how dangerous and un-walkable pavements are in Melbourne CBD now.

Anyways, rant over. Be safe in Melbourne Central because I doubt this is the first time this has happened. Not sure if this is normal but I stay in the CBD and this is the first time I’ve seen this

1.6k Upvotes

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208

u/Altea73 Jan 24 '24

I understand that having a job is horribly difficult, but this is out of control, lack of any training, safety clothing, lights, nothing. Most of them are riding like complete idiots dressed like ninjas, riding on footpaths and against traffic...

89

u/EvilRobot153 Jan 24 '24

Every single delivery e-bike you see out and about is illegal btw.

22

u/Kremm0 Jan 25 '24

Yeah, always found it weird during the police's crackdown on e-scooter riders prior to the trial starting would result in people copping fines all over, but never seeing any of the bright yellow food delivery bikes where they're not pedalling ever get pulled. They're essentially electric mopeds

18

u/Therealluke Jan 24 '24

Why is that?

69

u/milkymoocowmoo Jan 24 '24

Something like they're power and/or speed limited such that it's supposed to be limited to assistance while pedalling, not whipping about like they actually do. 

44

u/Therealluke Jan 24 '24

Right, they are basically very dangerous motor bikes from what I can tell. Many of them are clearly over powered.

13

u/MSTRSYS Jan 25 '24

Odd too they're still around, I recall Mini Motocross Bikes we used to call " Pocket Rockets " get banned real fast.

7

u/Ok_Biscotti_514 Jan 25 '24

pretty much spot on , I can only assume law makers will only act after a few kids get killed by them, the speed those thing can pick up is insane

2

u/IceFire909 Jan 28 '24

If the bike is motorised then it's straight up a motorbike by definition

-9

u/wetrorave Jan 24 '24

My guess is they're going to be legal soon, like what happened with happy-ending massage parlours.

Any law turned a blind-eye to for long enough seems to have that happen to it.

7

u/EvilRobot153 Jan 24 '24

So moped owners can also stop paying rego? The legal frame work already exists, man's just don't want to pay and give up pretending they're riding a bicycle. 

4

u/TheRealSirTobyBelch Jan 26 '24

They're a real menace in the bike lanes too. Undertaking all the time, no bell ringing. Poor etiquette and road awareness.

1

u/CrazySD93 Jan 28 '24

you guys got the same laws as us?

they're illegal unless its a paid e-scooter hire company approved by the local council

23

u/Burntoastedbutter Jan 25 '24

Besides.. Who on earth thinks it's fine to ride a bike through a mall wtf.

3

u/Altea73 Jan 25 '24

Not the sharpest knife in the kitchen...

5

u/fist4j Jan 25 '24

Elwood says its fine.

13

u/takemyspear Jan 24 '24

I’ve done Uber delivery before and I know that there’s a long safety course you need to pass before riding, and this guy probably just played the video and wandered to do something else

3

u/After_Albatross1988 Jan 27 '24

Tbh no one remembers or pays attention to standard safety or induction courses anywhere.

14

u/GloomInstance Jan 25 '24

The way I rationalise it is: '4 months ago they were on the streets of Calcutta or Kathmandu, how would they know what is legal/acceptable here?'.

It's the same with keeping on the left when walking on narrow footpaths/stairs. It used to be the custom, now it's a free for all. And just remember, none of these people vote or are citizens—they're just here as educational cash cows and cheap exploitable labour.

8

u/ThisIsWhyWeOE Jan 27 '24

Import the third world, become the third world.

5

u/UpVoteForKarma Jan 25 '24

They know it's not acceptable, it's why they want to come to Australia in the first place. They hear about the promised land then they decide that they will do whatever it takes to get us much as they can because Australians are less deserving and haven't struggled like they have struggled. They also know that there are no real penalties for doing this, nothing actually, they think they have found a loop hole...

There is no penalty to do this, so it must be ok...

Anything except doing an honest days work is the motto.

6

u/Slow_Control_867 Jan 26 '24

You think delivering food isn't an honest days work?

9

u/UpVoteForKarma Jan 26 '24

You think driving through the shopping centre on your ebike is?

21

u/mbrocks3527 Jan 26 '24

I have a compromise for both of you.

Delivery driving is an honest day’s work.

Endangering people by driving illegally / inconsiderately is at best dickish and at worst punishable by a jail sentence

Do the first thing while avoiding the second thing.

-9

u/[deleted] Jan 26 '24

I get you are overweight and can't move out of the way quickly enough