Why free pizza offer isn’t a good idea

Hosting a small party at home with four college friends is my favourite timepass. We chit-chat for hours together without any formality, forgetting all worries and responsibilities. We relive the good old days. Though we are in different fields today, we make it a point to steal some time for us.

It was the last Sunday of the month when we gathered at my place. Since we were short on time, we decided to order something to eat instead of cooking at home. I took my mobile phone and ordered a jumbo-sized pizza with extra cheese and toppings besides the cold drinks. The guy who noted down the order said the pizza will be at my doorstep in half an hour.

We got busy playing a game of cards. Thirty minutes on there was no sign of the pizza delivery man. Honestly, we wished he would get late so that we could enjoy a free treat.

We were craving for pizza when the doorbell rang. It was 40 minutes since we had placed the order. Together, we went to the door dancing and singing, “One, two, three, pizza aaya free.” It was the pizza delivery man indeed but his clothes were torn and he had scraped his elbows and knees.

He apologised for the delay and said if we wished we could avail the pizza for free as he had failed to deliver it in half an hour, according to a promise made by the company.

I took the box of pizza from him and asked him to come inside so that we could administer first aid. He was reluctant initially but one of my friends, who is a doctor, convinced him and gave him painkillers after the dressing.

The delivery man, in his early 20s, said he was stuck in a traffic jam at the railway level crossing for 15 minutes. To deliver the pizza in time, he speeded but lost control of the motorcycle and fell on the road. During the course of the conversation, he said that he would be penalised for not delivering the order in time. We could gauge that the financial condition of his family was not good either.

We were thankful that he did not suffer any serious injury. I paid him extra and advised him not to speed in future, whatever the provocation. He expressed gratitude before heading back, but left us with food for thought. Do we really need free pizza at the cost of someone’s life?

Today, we are flooded with food delivery apps but fast food chains should not make promises to customers that could spell trouble for their employees. Under pressure to deliver the food in time, they drive fast, making them vulnerable to mishaps.

I TOOK THE BOX FROM HIM AND ASKED HIM TO COME INSIDE SO THAT WE COULD ADMINISTER FIRST AID. HE WAS RELUCTANT INITIALLY