#only because when i lived by myself i could order doordash at any hour

[dragons-and-yellow-roses]

.

[kristenbrady]

Maximizing Earnings on Doordash in 2024: Proven Strategies to Boost Your Income

For a living, I am a writer. Period. And that’s all I wish I could do. However, there are days when I have to supplement my income, but need something flexible. I started in the gig economy in 2018, and have seen for myself its ups and downs…the good, the bad, and the ugly.

In my area, it is VERY difficult to earn a living in the gig economy. We all know about the bots people are using to unfairly get orders. And unfortunately, these companies are turning a blind eye, because it is to their benefit to get those people to work for them to pick up all of those non-tipping orders that others don’t want to pick up. So you have to be very strategic. In this post, I’ll explore effective techniques and strategies to help you maximize your earnings on Doordash in 2024.

Not Making Money as a DoorDash Driver in Your State? Consider Driving to Another State. 5 Tips While Dashing In Another State medium.com

Choose Busy Shifts In 2024, Doordash is expected to continue expanding, leading to increased competition among drivers. To make more money, it’s crucial to select the busiest and most profitable shifts. I find in my experience that the times of 6 a.m. to 8 a.m. are good for breakfast. For lunch, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. are good. And for dinner it’s best to work from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. If you start working at 4 p.m. or 5 p.m. you’ll be getting one order an hour and sitting in traffic, wasting gas.

Ready to Switch From Car to Scooter/Moped for DoorDash? Here’s What You Need to Know. Delivering on a moped can be beneficial. Just follow these tips! medium.com

Also, after 9 p.m. a lot of fast food restaurants close their lobbies, and force everyone to go through the drive-thru, increasing your wait time. Also, if you like to work late nights, that little pop between 10 p.m. and 1 a.m. is nice. It mostly consists of Walgreens orders and CVS deliveries, where I live. So make sure you stay close to those stores. NEVER shop at the Dollar Store. Usually, people that order from those stores are on their last dollar or a very modest budget and really don’t have much left over to tip.

Plus, the Dollar Store seems to always only have one cashier working, increasing your wait time. Try to get familiar with your area. Jot down and keep track of restaurants with slow wait times and AVOID THEM LIKE THE PLAGUE! They will only hold you up. And since Doordash makes you keep a 90% completion rate, it’s better not to torture yourself. I say any restaurant with the word “Wing” in it is never a good idea. Keep an eye on the app’s scheduling system and try to grab shifts during peak hours or days when demand is high. This way, you can ensure that you are getting consistent orders and maximizing your earning potential.

DoorDash Drivers: Don’t Be Intimidated By Cash on Delivery Orders Don’t let anything stop you from making your money! medium.com

Familiarize Yourself with High-Tipping Areas One way to increase your earnings on Doordash is to focus on delivering to areas known for higher tips. Spend time driving and discovering which neighborhoods are more likely to have customers who tip generously. By prioritizing these areas, you can boost your overall earnings across deliveries. In this economy, in which money is extremely tight, you MUST work in areas where people can afford the service, or else, you’ll wind up picking up a bunch of $2 trash orders.

Wanna Make $20 Per Hour Working DoorDash? Here’s how. Knowing these DoorDash tips will make a HUGE difference in your income! medium.com

I’ll tell you that I have high priority on shopping orders. This is where the money is. I always park in the Randall’s shopping center because the store tends to be one of the higher-priced stores, and so maybe the clientele that shops there may have a little extra to spend…and tip. I am lucky because I live right next to Randall’s, Target, and Petsmart. So, I just wait for orders to come in while I’m sitting at home. I never go out there and just aimlessly drive around. If you don’t live next to one of those stores, it is recommended to drive there and sit in the parking lot for orders.

Or drive and park next to the restaurant where you’d like to get orders from. Proximity is everything. Set yourself up for success.

Optimize Efficiency Time is money, especially when dashing. Streamline your delivery process to maximize efficiency:

Plan your routes smartly: Optimize your route to minimize travel time and fuel expenses. Utilize GPS navigation systems or apps to help you find the quickest routes. Multiple orders: Consider accepting multiple orders for delivery when they align along your route. This strategy can help increase your earnings by minimizing downtime between deliveries. Keep track of peak times: Be aware of high-demand periods to minimize waiting time and maximize the number of orders you can complete within a scheduled shift. If You Aren’t Making at Least $1000 Per Week with Doordash as a Full-Time Driver Follow These Tips Let me show you how to make a decent living with DoorDash medium.com

Maintain a High Rating Customer ratings play a crucial role in securing orders. In this day and age, when Doordash is oversaturated with drivers, having a high acceptance rate is a MUST! Without it, you will get the crumbs and leftovers that no one wants, and you won’t make any money. Aim for a high rating by providing excellent customer service, accurately delivering orders, and being prompt and friendly. I find that following directions is critical. These people are paying a lot of money for these deliveries, and they want it done correctly. Take the time to read instructions and follow them. Maintaining a good rating ensures that you have access to more lucrative orders, thereby increasing your earning potential.

Customer Communication Establishing good communication with customers can lead to higher tips and repeat business. If the restaurant is running late on deliveries, let them know. If the restaurant is out of something don’t be shy about making a phone call to ask for a substitution. Maybe while you’re waiting, text them and ask if they need anything else like extra napkins, extra hot sauce, or extra ketchup. I’m not saying you have to send a Doordash meme to every customer, but communication is key. If you need to make a substitution, run it by the customer if you can’t find something suitable on your own. People will appreciate it when you go the extra mile to please them…and yes, they may add an extra tip. Keep customers informed of any delays in delivery and promptly respond to their queries or concerns. Going the extra mile in customer service can help cultivate positive reviews and increase your earnings over time.

I Officially Quit My Job and Got into the Gig Economy Full Time I got into the gig economy in 2018, after coming across a YouTube video on how to make money on the side doing… medium.com

Leverage Promotions Take advantage of Doordash’s promotions and incentives to boost your earnings. Keep an eye out for extra bonuses during peak times or for completing a certain number of deliveries. By strategizing your work schedule around these promotions, you can earn more money without investing additional time.

To make more money on Doordash in 2024, it’s important to adapt and optimize your strategies. By selecting busy shifts, focusing on high-tipping areas, optimizing efficiency, maintaining a high rating, improving customer communication, and leveraging promotions, you can maximize your earnings potential. Stay ahead of the game, adapt to the changing landscape, and watch your income grow on Doordash in the year 2024.

If you aren’t making money, it’s your own fault. You aren’t strategizing, you aren’t giving good customer service, and most of all, you’re not picking up lucrative orders that make sense. Picking up a $3 order going 5 miles doesn’t make sense. You’ve got to treat it like a business. It’s your business, treat each customer like they are paying your rent. If you picked up a bad order, it’s not the customer’s fault, it’s YOUR fault for picking up a bad order, because every order that comes through CLEARLY lists the mileage and the tip upfront.

Remember, as the gig economy evolves, always stay updated with the latest tips, policies, and opportunities to continually improve your earnings on Doordash.

Originally posted on Medium

[starlight-writes-stuff]

Can I request how the feral boys would ask you/ what they would do for your first time sleeping over as their girlfriend? That sounds weird but I hope you know what I mean lol. I love your writing by the way!

hi friend , and thank u ! i appreciate it <3 this is a super cute idea and i had a lot of fun writing it ,,,,, im so soft for them i can't . xoxoxoxoxo , starlight

AYO LOOK AT THESE : the smallest bit of smut but overall fluff ! soft feral boys content , come get yall juice

reblogs are always appreciated !!! <3

dream

wouldn’t be planned tbh , you’d been at his place all day and you’re both too tired to drive

you’d start to call an uber and clay would turn your phone over

“you could… stay here, if you want?”

it was a no brainer

of course you’d stay with him

clay would be so excited , smiling through his sleepy haze

he’d finally get up from his computer just to shower you with kisses all over your face

he’d tackle you back onto his bed , his soft , silly kisses turning into lingering, hard kisses

all teeth and tongue and his hands all over you

he’d get one of his legs between yours, shuddering at the way you’d whine into his mouth

his hands would make their way down to your hips

he’d grind your hips down on him , your sleepiness only making you more sensitive

you bet your ass that he’d make you cum just from grinding on his thigh

he lives in a constant state of horny™ even when he’s tired

clay would be so cocky at how he’d made you finish , doing virtually nothing

but he would go so soft at the way you were exhausted after that , yawning and rubbing your eyes

‘baby’ , ‘love’ , ‘pretty girl’

so affectionate 

you could’ve fallen asleep just like that but clay makes you get up and change

“baby , you don't want to sleep in your clothes” 

“sleep in mine instead”

you would just grumble back at him until he would physically lift you out of bed

clay would help you out of your clothes 

he’d put you in his sweats and a giant dream hoodie

just incase sap walked in for some reason

doesn't want him seeing any of the goods™

he’d carry you to the bathroom and find an extra toothbrush

clay would absolutely try to talk to you while brushing his teeth and the two of you would laugh s o hard at each other trying to talk with mouths full of toothpaste

again , he would pick you up and carry you back to his bed , shutting the door behind the two of you

“don't you want to say goodnight to sap?” “no :)”

the two of you would fall onto his bed and be asleep within 10 minutes , completely tangled in each other

he talks in his sleep

but you snore

so its even

☁  ☁  ☁  ☁  ☁  ☁  ☁  ☁  ☁  ☁  ☁  ☁  ☁  ☁  ☁  ☁  ☁  ☁  ☁  ☁

george

soft george my beloved

he’d probably plan your guys first ‘sleepover’

he would want to make it special , and definitely do something memorable

george would bring it up to you like a week before

he’d practically invite you like it was a birthday party :,)

i can't

he’d make reservations for a nice dinner before and get all dressed up

george would pick you up and hold your hand on the console

he’d open all the doors for you 

he'd pull out your c h a i r

yall would definitely be cracking jokes all throughout dinner in the middle of this fancy restaurant

george would ABSOLUTELY knock his silverware off the table at some point

you would have to fight to not spit your drink out , laughing so hard

he’d skip on desert at the restaurant and take you to dairy queen or something

it would be the two of you in your fancy attire , sitting outside some tiny ice cream parlor

looking at eachother like you were the only two people on earth

yall are in L O V E 

once you two got home george would carry your overnight bag in 

he would change immediately 

bc he h8’s fancy clothes 

but wanted to dress up for you 

after you guys changed into pajamas , you’d stay up talking for hours

he’d tell you stories of him and all the feral boys

you’d tell him stupid things you did as a kid

the two of you would want to make the most of the extended time you had together and stay up until like 2 in the morning

george’s voice would get all low and raspy from talking for so long

you’d fall asleep on the couch together when you physically couldn’t hold your eyes open anymore

george would wake up when the sun started shining through the blinds

he would carry you up to his bed 

then promptly fall back asleep with you in his arms

☁  ☁  ☁  ☁  ☁  ☁  ☁  ☁  ☁  ☁  ☁  ☁  ☁  ☁  ☁  ☁  ☁  ☁  ☁  ☁

sapnap 

snapmap my love .

this man doesn’t plan shi t

it would be very spur of the moment , the two of you laughing at some joke that he made when he’d grab your hand suddenly v serious

“will you sleep with me tonight?”

he’d look so earnest while asking that and you would BURST into laughter

it would take nick a hot sec to realise what he’d said and once he did . he would simply . disintegrate .

he would be so dramatic about it too

“i was trying to be romantic ! stop laughing at me !”

and you would just sit there , laughing so hard that you couldn’t produce noise anymore , just silent wheezes

you would start to cry and nick would pOUT

you would just nod , literally unable to produce words

but sap would brighten up at that

“so you’ll stay the night?”

once you got control of yourself , the two of you continued on doing what you were doing

it was like a normal day other than the fact that it ,,,, wouldn’t end

you two watched movies and played minecraft all day , being lazy together

you’d doordash dinner or order pizza or something so you didn’t have to leave the house

he’d have to stream and you would just chill , eating pizza in bed

once it became apparent that the stream was gonna last longer than planned , you would quietly come up behind him and drop a kiss on his cheek

he’d grin at you but be confused ???

you’d text him so your voice wouldn’t pop up on stream

‘gonna take a shower / keep myself busy’

he’d text back a single ‘👍🏼’

sapnap texts like a dad and NO ONE can tell me otherwise

you’d shower and get dressed , then wander down to the kitchen trying to find something to do

scavenger hunt™ for cookie ingredients

you’d bake his favorite and surprise him with a warm cookie im s o f t

the SMILE that would cross his face my god

he would feel so loved

he’d mute stream to thank you, putting his hands around your waist and burying his face into your stomach

you k n o w he’d find some way to end stream early after that , wanting to be with you

the two of you would finish off all the cookies , watching scary movies together

he’d hold you when you jump at all the spooky shit

you’d do the same for him bc sap is baby

chat . i'm kinda scared . lowkey .

you were both half asleep by the time you made your way back up to his room

you’d be lights out the minute your head hit the pillows 

and he’d be big spoon

☁  ☁  ☁  ☁  ☁  ☁  ☁  ☁  ☁  ☁  ☁  ☁  ☁  ☁  ☁  ☁  ☁  ☁  ☁  ☁

karl

karl would probably ask you that day , texting you before you’d even come over to ask if you would stay the night

you two had technically slept over before , but never at karl’s place (usually pulling all nighters with the feral boys on stream or with the beast crew)

you can not tell me . that karl . would not build a fort . with you .

and he would 100% go all out with it

he’d get lights to string up on the inside (the twinkle ones for sure)

he would get a fuckton of pillows and the softest blankets he can find and pile them in

karl would essentially make a nest for the two of you

you’d spend the first hour alone sharing soft kisses and cuddling so close that you weren't sure where you ended and karl began

he’d hold you , letting you lay on his chest and listen to his heartbeat

you’d talk about everything and nothing at all , just wanting to hear each other’s voices

until someone’s stomach growled

he’d laugh until he couldn't breathe 

you had tears rolling down your face , your stomach hurting from the giggles 

he’d either take you to get food before or doordash your favorite

because neither of you can cook blESS

you’d pick out cute , matching pajamas for your first official night together

but

he’d end up giving you his clothes to sleep in 

because he likes you wearing his stuff 

and it's more comfortable than your fancy pajamas

he’d cover his eyes and face a blanket/wall while you were changing

the only time either of you would leave the fort would be for more snacks or to go to the bathroom

karl would bring his laptop in and turn in a movie as you two were settling in for the night 

(some super dumb kids movie) 

(my brain immediately went to the lorax) 

(i’ll see myself out)

and he’d stay awake until you fell asleep, your face buried into his t-shirt

it made his heart so full that you felt safe enough to fall asleep with him

he’d play with your hair and trace over your features as soft as possible

because you're just so beautiful when you’re asleep ??

karl murmurs how much he loves you , everything that he loves about you while he knows you can't hear it

he’d drift off with you still in his arms, his lips pressed to the top of your head in a sweet, gentle kiss

and the two of you would stay like that the entire night , keeping each other warm

im so soft for him

can u tell

karl jacobs my love

☁  ☁  ☁  ☁  ☁  ☁  ☁  ☁  ☁  ☁  ☁  ☁  ☁  ☁  ☁  ☁  ☁  ☁  ☁  ☁

quackity

listen

everyone writes big q as a stupid dumb dummy

and while he can be that at some times

this man would be so fucking thoughtful ??? when it came to his girl ?????

you literally can't tell me otherwise .

much like gogy he would plan something special

but like

he can COOK yall

he’d make you a nice ass dinner

and set up a picnic in the backyard 

he’d light candles and make it all fancy

literally it would be a scene out of a movie

once you finished eating dinner the two of you would watch the sunset

he’d play guitar and sING FOR YOU

you’d stay outside soaking in the heat even after the sun had gone down

stargazing for as long as you could

alex would put his arm around you and have you lay on his chest

you’d listen to his heartbeat while you pointed out the big dipper

he’d make up his own constellations aljidhkuvgfhadj

you two would only go inside because you were being eaten alive by mosquitos

one of you would play music off your phone and yall would slow dance in the kitchen

he would repeatedly tell you how much he loved you , pressing tender kisses to your neck , your jaw

until a fucking ad would play

and alex would just lose his shit

he would laugh so hard he’d ipad kid cough

then you would simply ascend

the two of you would be laying on the kitchen floor absolutely D Y I N G of laughter

you’d stay there for a while , trying to recover

by the time you did , your ribs were sore from all the giggles

alex would pick you up and throw you over his shoulder , walking you up to bed

he’d suplex you onto the mattress

the two of you are children around each other tbh

that would lead to a wrestling match

until you’d found your way onto his lap , pinning him by his wrists

w h e w

the way that man would kiss you after that ? bye im gone

lets just say by the time he was finished you would both be exhausted

he’d tell you how pretty you were , how good you did

the two of you would fall asleep with tangled limbs , half kissing

[officialwittek]

pt. 4

*gif is not mine* 

word count: 2,101

Ever since my little conversation with the girls I haven’t been able to really be myself around Jeff. Now I notice the side glances, the lingering touches on my thigh, the way his breath hitches when I get pushed a little too close to him at parties, and everything else I haven’t noticed before. My friends were adamant that he liked me back but I couldn’t see it. Slowly I distanced myself from them, for one my manager thought it would be a good idea to release some new music soon so I was extra busy and I can’t really be around my friends without feeling like my heart is going to explode. Of course they started noticing and not a day went by where I didn’t get texts from at least three of them asking where I was and why I stopped coming around. Even Jason and Josh dropped my apartment to make sure I was still alive.

Three weeks have gone by since my sleepover with Jeff. We still talk but not as much as before. Carly and Natalie were constantly calling and texting and I truly felt bad, but it would seem like such a bullshit excuse to say it’s because of my crush on Jeff.

“Sage, this is... this is real good work. I’m thinking we finish it up, and be set to release it in two weeks” James, my manager, said listening to to the final of three of the songs

“Thanks dad, I think today we’re recording the last song. I’ll email you our final version by the end of the day” I reply, he ruffles my hair and nods, leaving for another meeting while the producer and I talk about the last track

We record for about four hours, fine tuning every last detail. After the two of us finally felt good about it we sent the file to James who also gave the approval. We sent it in the the higher ups who also gave us the ok. All the promotional pictures were finished, we had an album cover chosen, now to put it all together and make this my first serious piece of art. After the long morning I decided to head straight to my apartment. I wasn’t particularly hungry anyways. I parked my car and took the elevator up to my apartment.  

I noticed shushing and brushed it off, thinking it was just Carly and Erin messing around. I unlock the door and see all of my friends crammed into this fairly small apartment. No one had their cameras out and they all had their arms crossed I sighed and put my things down before shutting the door.

“Before you even say anything. No I’m not on drugs, I don’t hate anyone, and I actually have been working on my music. My first EP is coming out in a few weeks” I explain, their faces relax and Carly walks up to me

“Don’t you ever try to ghost us like that again. We hated it” She said, wrapping her slender arms around my shoulders and I nodded, our friends came around and we all had a sweet group hug

“Well a congratulations are in order. I think we should celebrate tonight” David says, laughing loudly

“Fine, I’m stealing a Red Bull from your fridge though” I say, we all go downstairs and I finally notice some of their cars parked there

We all head to David’s house and I grab a Red Bull. We all sit in the living room. Filming dumb bits and getting ready for tonight. David wanted to throw it at his house since he wanted to keep it relatively small. Natalie, Carly, and Erin went to stock up for the night, asking me about all my favorite things. It took about an hour and a half for them to come back. Everyone helped get things from Nat‘s car and set up. We were finally ready and decided to start drinking before everyone got here.

“May Ilya and Zane stay away from the hospital. Amen” I yell, all of them cheering in response as we take our shots

After a few rounds of shots I was already pretty tipsy. I sat down at the couch, answering a few congratulatory texts from others. I talked to a few of our friends here and there. Jeff was nowhere to be found. I frowned a bit, but who can blame him? After all, I’m the one who made the decision to not talk to him.

“Do you think we could get a sneak peak?” Jason asks, taking a set next to me but I shake my head

“I want to keep it a complete surprise. Plus I’ve been thinking about having a release party and showing everyone there” I said, Jason actually thought that was a much better idea than just playing it

We made small talk here and there, apparently Wyatt has been dying to see my new studio. I loved Jason’s kids like they were my own family, especially since Wyatt and I have such a love for music.

“I’d love to have Wyatt at the studio. He can even record some things if he wants to. I know how to produce as well” I said, Jason damn near cried at the suggestion and we set a date

“Someone looks a little sober” Zane yells from behind us, I laugh and allow him to take me to the kitchen where the others were taking shots or making their best interpretations of different cocktails

After sampling everyone’s horrible attempt at a blackberry mojito it’s safe to say I was one shot away from exiting the physical realm. Especially since Zane decided it was appropriate to just dump nearly an entire bottle of rum in the drink. After a few minutes Todd headed to the door and let someone in. I heard the familiar accent and my heart dropped to my stomach. Jeff is here.

To be fair, I’m probably the only one who really cares that much, especially since I’m drunk as hell and I have a crush on the dude. I try to run and hide in a corner but there’s a lot more people now. I finally see an opening and head straight for the backyard. Thankfully no one noticed because Zane was too busy doing something extremely dangerous. I sit in one of the chairs we reserve for smoking, hitting my puff and scrolling mindlessly through TikTok, trying to get the thoughts out of my head. I hear the sliding door open and look up to see David.

“Alright what’s wrong? You look like we threw a party because we killed your dog” David jokes, my lips spread into a light smile

“Nothing, I’ve just been so exhausted lately with everything going on.. that’s all” I lie, I mean I’m not really lying, just not telling him the whole truth

“So it has nothing to do with Jeff showing up and you’re definitely overthinking and avoiding him even more. C’mon I’ve known you for forever, you can’t lie to me” He replies, his tone suddenly being serious

And it’s true, I’ve known David since I moved out here. He was my first real L.A friend. He’s seen me at my absolute lowest moments, and someone I could always go to whenever something was wrong. I hated that he could read me like a book.

“Fine, the Jeff thing is a contributing factor. But I’m being honest about the exhaustion” I say, crossing my arms like a child

We sit and talk, something we haven’t done in forever. It felt nice to have someone listen to me. After about half an hour of just talking we decide to head back inside. I felt too sober again and took some shots with Natalie and Toddy. I could feel Jeff’s eyes glaring a hole into the side of my head, but I was too sober to deal with anything right now.

At around 1:00 am. I got hungry and ordered DoorDash for everyone. All the other guests had left so it was just our main group scattered around the house. Jeff was surprisingly still here. Todd had whispered to me earlier that the only reason he was sticking around this late was to make sure I got home alright. I smiled at the sentiment, he was always making sure my drunk ass was safe.

Our DoorDash arrived and we all ate while watching some movie David found on Netflix. Jeff took a seat next to me, the look in his eyes was telling me he was going to ask for my permission so I simply nodded and scooted over so he could be comfortable. After we ate David wanted to get some last minute bits before we left for his vlog tomorrow.

“Jeff are you attracted to Sage?” David asks, my breath hitches in my throat, making me choke on my water

“No, I’ve blocked her out. Since she’s part of the friend group I don’t want to make anything weird” He replies, I can tell the answer even made David a little upset

Jason makes a joke to lighten the mood before there’s any tension which I greatly appreciate. Although Jeff’s words struck a cord, while I sit there repeating what he said it hits me. He’s right, I can’t guarantee that if Jeff and I were together that it would be for life and I can’t lose my second family. He’s right, it would never happen. Before I know it I feel my eyes watering and Natalie gently grabs my hand before leading me to her room with the rest of the girls in tow. When she closes the door I finally let it all out

“It’s ok princess, let it out” Mariah says, the girls wrapping me in a group hug

“It’s so stupid, we’re best friends before I let this stupid ass crush ruin everything but just hearing him say that out loud made it so much more concrete that we will never be together” I cry, resting my head on her shoulder

We have a little talk and I clean myself up before we all go back outside. At that point  David was done filming and was looking through the footage on his camera to pick out some clips. Jeff was waiting patiently on the couch before Corinna spoke up.

“Hey Jeff, I’m gonna take Sage home. We have some plans tomorrow and it would just be easier if I stay over” She says, it’s sort of true, Corinna has some meetings in the morning and they’re closer to my place but she isn’t staying over

“Oh ok, I should head out then. I’ll see you guys later” Jeff says, saying his goodbyes and leaving

“So was anyone else uncomfortable with Jeff’s answer or was it just me?” David asks, the group agrees, it’s definitely in his right to say that I mean no is mad

“Yea, I wasn’t mad cause it’s his own opinion and Jeff is a big boy, but he seems to sort of lead you on for him to turn around and say that he doesn’t even see you like when we ask him about Natalie and Corinna” Heath replies, everyone nods in agreement and I just sigh

“I’m not mad, I mean I have been sort of ghosting everyone these past few weeks, maybe he’s just upset” I explain, Heath and Todd give me the look

“Baby that’s bullshit and you know it” Heath laughs, Todd agrees with him and taps my leg

“To be honest, he was very stressed out while you were gone” He says, I know he’s trying to make me feel better but it doesn’t really help

Corinna and I leave shortly after we have our little group talk. We caught up during the car ride and before I know it we’re at my apartment. We say goodbye and plan to meet for lunch tomorrow before I head up to my apartment. I knew Carly was probably fast asleep so I tried to be as quiet as possible.

I get ready for bed and climb into my warm blanket, wrapping myself like a burrito. I browse TikTok on my phone for a few minutes before setting my alarm. Just before I let sleep take over my phone buzzes on my nightstand.

Jeff: I missed you.. I’m sorry for being an asshole tonight. I had no idea that I was leading you on, but I didn’t know you had a crush on me..

Fuck.

[lovemesomesurveys]

Do you put effort into getting tan during the summer? No. It happens if I go to the beach because I spend hours out there, but I don’t go for that reason. That’s the only time I spend long enough outside for that happen. It’s a nice bonus.

Have any summer homework? No, I’m not in school.

Are you a fairly self-motivated person? Motivation who?

What’s your favorite book series? My current faves are by the authors Willow Rose, AJ Rivers, and Mary Stone.

What’s your favorite thing to do if you’re out on a lake? I don’t ever do that, but it does sound nice.  

What type of food do you know how to cook? The only thing I cook is ramen and things I can easily make in the microwave or oven. Do you make your passwords so tricky to remember that you forget them? No.

Cautious or reckless driver? I don’t drive.

What’s a subject you’re sick of people debating about? Hmm.

Are you one to take naps? Yes.

What’s something you wish they’d build in your neighborhood? *shrug*

What’s your favorite website, excluding social networking sites? Google? ha. All I use are social media sites.

What hair product do you use the most? Shampoo and detangling spray is all I use.

Do you usually keep ponytail holders around your wrist? No.

Sunny D or orange juice? I hate OJ, but I actually loved Sunny D as a kid. Sunny D isn’t actual orange juice, though. Kinda like how I like chocolate Yoo-Hoo, but not chocolate milk. I like the fake stuff apparently, ha.

What’s your favorite food to get at a carnival? I just love the fried delicious foods.

Do you actually use e-mail? Yeah. I don’t send any, though.

Can you snap out of a bad mood fast? Nooo, definitely not. I feel the wave of emotions coming on and once it starts there’s nothing I can do to stop it and I drown in it. It completely takes over and ends when it decides to and it likes to stay around for awhile. It also happens daily and more than once. Although, nowadays I feel like I’m just always in a bad mood.      

Holding any grudges? No.

What do you order to drink when you go out to eat? Soda or coffee.

How can a person tell if you’re mad or annoyed? I think you can see it in my face. <<< That’s one of my giveaways, too. And if I’m quiet (though that can mean nothing or it can mean other things as well), and my tone and body language for sure.

What’s your favorite energy drink? Starbucks Doubleshots.

Have you ever ingested caffeine in the name of getting homework done? In high scholol and the early days of college when caffeine really did something for me. 

Are you good at coming up with gift ideas for others? Depends on the person.

Do you have a pair of jeans with holes in them? No.

Where’s your favorite purse from? Boxlunch. The brand is Loungefly.

What about your sunglasses? I don’t wear sunglasses.

Do you keep lint rollers around the house? Yeah.

What’s something you enjoy that’s outside your age level? Watching some shows from my childhood and younger days.

Is your curfew flexible, if you have one? At 31 I don’t have a curfew, but actually never had one. I didn’t go anywhere so there was no need to even set one. I’ve always been such a homebody.

Regardless, when is the latest you have come home from a night out? When I was a college I had some late nights with friends that went on until like maybe 2 or 3 at the latest, but it wasn’t often. I did like the late night Taco Bell runs, though. Ha.

Do you have a weak stomach? Yes. Are you usually the person comforting, or the person being comforted? The comforter.

Do you actually use the camera on your phone? Yeah.

Tennis shoes or flats? Tennis shoes/sneakers.

Are you a good planner or do you settle for spontaneity? I’m a planner.

What do you do to pass the time when you’re a passenger on a long car journey? Listen to music, talk, sleep. I wish I could read, but I get motion sickness.

When your friends come and hang out at your house, what do you get up to? --

Does it annoy you when surveys ask questions about controversial topics, or do you like arguing your point? I avoid those questions.

How often would you say you updated your Facebook status? Not often at all. 

Do you think there’s a specific age when it’s no longer acceptable to be living with your parents? Who am I to say, I’m almost 32 and still do.

Girls - if you got pregnant now, would you keep it? Guys - what would your reaction be if your girlfriend fell pregnant? I can’t get pregnant and I don’t want kids.

Do you think it’s ignorant for people to have unprotected sex when they’re not ready for a child? Yes.

Are there any specific piercings you would never, ever get done? Most piercings. <<< I don’t have plans to get any, honestly, but yeah there’s definitely some I never would.

What’s your favourite non-animated Disney film? I couldn’t possibly choose.

It’s pouring with rain and you don’t have anywhere you need to be - how do you spend your day? Just like every day. <<< Yeah, I don’t do anything different but I do love rainy days. We don’t get many of them, sadly.

How often do your family go out for meals? We get takeout a lot. I do at least once a day to be honest. My DoorDash past orders list is quite long, ha. We haven’t all been out to eat together in over a year. I did go out to eat at a restaurant for the first time last month with my mom and aunt, though, and have gone a couple times since then with my mom.

Assuming you had sufficient funds, would you be capable of living alone, paying bills and looking after yourself properly? No. It is best for me that I still live at home given my situation. It’s what I want and feel comfortable with, I have no desire to live on my own.

What were your favourite things to do as a child? I was obSESSED with Barbies.

Are you happy to spend time being single, or are you one of those people who jumps from relationship to relationship? I’m honestly fine with being single. 

If you were shopping with your best friend, and they picked an outfit that was completely unflattering, would you tell them? Ahh. I wouldn’t know how to go about that. I had a friend who had to try everything on and ask my opinion and I really didn’t like it. I tried to shift it back to them and be like, “what do you think? Is it comfortable?” lol or something like that. If I wasn’t asked then I very likely wouldn’t say anything. If they like it, then I’m like hey do what you want.

Do you find it easy to open up to people about your past? I don’t find it easy to open up in general.

If you’re out in the middle of nowhere and need the toilet, do you try and hold it in or just go behind a bush somewhere? Thankfully I don’t ever find myself out in the middle of nowhere.

Do you prefer using air-con or having the windows down when you’re driving on a hot day? AC for sure. Having the windows down is just having hot air blowing on me.

Can you ever manage to finish three courses when you go out to eat at restaurants? Noo, definitely not. I rarely am able to finish my meal as it is.

What would you say your favourite farm animal is? Horses are pretty awesome. They’re so beautiful and majestic.

How do you react when someone you’re friends with has a bad attitude? I’ll have some thoughts in my head, ha, but I didn’t really do anything. 

Is it easy to embarrass you, or are you one of those people who just plays things off? I'm very easily embarrassed, but I try to play it off.

Are you comfortable going shopping or to the movies with your parents? Yeah, I do that all the time with my mom.

Do you have a favourite movie soundtrack? Not particularly.

[1ffeeebz]

hey, I need desperately advise...I feel like I desperately need to move out of my parents house. I feel so smothered and have no privacy once so ever. I feel obligated to stick around and help out but everyday I dream of a life on my own; independently. my mom is emotionally abusive and bipolar. I was going to school full time at a community college from Jan-may 2020 but took the fall semester off for mental health reasons. while I’m living at home, my parents fully support me financially as long as I’m going to school full time...I’m 22, have no savings, no job, and feel codependent as fuck. I want to move to nyc from California, which I realize is very expensive...I’m questioning if I’ll be able to get an education while working a job with long hours in order to pay rent and cover bills and expenses 😓 I’m still not 100% sure what I want to do career wise. I was aiming for something in the field of psychology but my true passion lies in English, writing, and literature... my parents say things all the time like “stop talking about moving out, in five years you’ll still be living at home. you have no money, no job, how are you going to move? you’re not going anywhere in the meantime!” this really discourages me. when I think about being independent I get so excited and happy when I think of all the possibilities of living on my own in the city but when they say things like that I get sad and fearful that they’re right... and there’s nothing I can do because I can’t currently support myself 😔 I’ve considered making an onlyfans account because I don’t know of any options to make money fast. my car isn’t reliable 24/7 so doordash, postmates, or ubereats won’t workout. I don’t know what to do. I keep thinking about that saying that if you really want something you’ll find a way to make it happen or if there’s a will, there’s a way

Hey angel, I’m sorry that this is all going on. Although it may seem like it now, this won’t all be forever, and things WILL work out. You should be proud of yourself for taking that time out school to focus on your mental health, I know it can’t be/have been easy.  The way this world, society and social media is, makes us think we’re failures to not be completely set up for life in our 20′s and it’s rough. Please believe me when it is ok to not have savings, it is ok to not have a job and to depend on other people. Sometimes we need that - it doesn’t mean you’re weak and doesn’t mean it’ll be forever - you’re only human and that is ok.  I’m from the UK so I’m not quite sure how it works in the US, but would you be able to go on an unemployment scheme where the Government help you out financially if you’re actively seeking work? Or an education grant? Perhaps something like that may be a temporary fix just to get you on your feet?  I’m thinking maybe you should look into that, or maybe look for part-time jobs locally (if you already are and I have misunderstood I’m sorry) in whatever just as a temporary thing so you could save up for some months/a year to facilitate moving?  Regarding the fields you’re interested in, it really is hard, it is 100% normal and ok to not know. In my opinion and in my experiences, taking jobs feels like such a huge commitment, and when you study a certain field it’s like you’re tied down to it for life and there’s so much pressure. I know it’s so much easier said than done sometimes but follow your heart, babe, you don’t have to have all of the answers now and it’s never too late to change or try something else. Both English and psychology sound sick!! Never give up on your dreams and passions. You have sooo much time, this is just the beginning! 

Living in that environment and having your parents put you down like that must be difficult. They don’t realise how much their words hurt and manifest. Have you ever spoken to them about what they’re saying and how it makes you feel? If you haven’t, and you feel comfortable and safe to do so, I think it may be worth a try - I don’t know you or your family or your situation ofc, but sometimes people really don’t realise their actions and the effects of them until someone points them out (shouldn’t be the case but) sometimes parents just try to be realists or perhaps they’re just trying to keep you close. It doesn’t necessarily mean they’re right.  I can sense your passion and want for this new life, and I truly believe you are so capable of achieving this all, angel. If you want it, fuck what anyone else says or thinks!! I know it’s so much easier said than done, but this is YOUR life and you are so capable. The world is yours angel. 

About OnlyFans, my advice and opinion are don’t do it under these circumstances. I am ALL for only fans, but I think that you should do it because you genuinely want to, not because you need money. There are other ways that make you less vulnerable and it may be something you later regret. From what you have said, it seems like something you’d rather not do if you didn’t have to, and I really think that if that’s the case... Don’t do it. It isn’t the only option.

You’ve got this. You have so much ahead of you, all of this is temporary. Give yourself some credit for how far you’ve come, you seem like such a passionate person and your dreams can and will come true - don’t ever give up on them. And remember, your mental health, wellbeing and happiness come first - always.

I’m not sure if it helps at all to know, but I’m 21 and can relate to a few things you mentioned and it really isn’t easy. You’re not alone angel, I know it can feel like it. Please let me know what happens and get back to me! My inbox is always open.

Thank you for trusting me 🥺 I really do hope I could help

Take care, stay safe and I hope you have a blessed rest of your week <3 sending you love

[eldritchsurveys]

1089.

1 - Aside from the necessities (eating, breathing etc.) what is something you do every single day, without fail? >> Check gmail, tumblr, discord. Do my Flight Rising dailies.

2 - Do you use cash or card the most? Do you find yourself using card or contactless methods more since COVID hit? >> I use card almost exclusively (some of the less technologically up-to-date stalls at the farmer’s market make me run back to the ATM sometimes, but other than that I never carry cash). This was even before COVID, so nothing has changed for me there. 3 - Is there anything you enjoy that’s considered childish for your age? What is it? >> I don’t call anything I enjoy “childish” and I don’t think other people should either.

4 - Who’s your favourite voice actor? What’s the best thing they’ve been in? >> I don’t have one. Keith David has a great voice, though, I do love him. And of course there’s Ron Glass (RIP) :’(

5 - How many times a day do you use the bathroom? >> Like twice, normally. Three or four if I have a lot of beverages.

6 - Do you need caffeine to wake up in the morning? What’s your drink of choice? >> I don’t need anything to wake up in the morning -- sleep is one area I’ve never had serious problems in, and thank god for that, because imagine how much worse my mental health would be if I did...

7 - Are you more of an introvert or an extrovert? If you’re an introvert, do you feel like you live in a world built for extroverts? >> I prefer being alone or in very small groups (and infrequently, even then), let’s just put it that way.

8 - What do you do with old clothes you no longer want or need? >> I usually end up throwing them away, unfortunately. I used to give them to Goodwill but then I realised how much of that stuff eventually gets thrown away anyway because it doesn’t get sold and they just get way too much stuff. COVID kind of interrupted this year’s possibilities, but in the future I’m probably going to look up local nonprofit homeless services and see if they need anything I have. 9 - How old were you when you got your first pet (not a family pet, but one that you were solely responsible for)? >> I have never had this particular experience.

10 - What is something popular or fashionable that you consider to be a real waste of money? >> ---

11 - Do you donate to charity? >> No.

12 - Do you live somewhere with lots of livestock or wild animals? >> Livestock, yeah, because there are a lot of farms once you get even a mile or two outside of the city. Not so much wildlife, just your general squirrels and crows and the occasional deer family.

13 - Would you rather live somewhere rural or urban? >> More rural than urban, but not so rural that it’s an all-day affair just to get groceries, you know. Also, I like having the Internet.

14 - Is there anything (a hobby, for example) that’s guaranteed to always make you feel better when you’ve had a bad day? >> Honestly, just... being Inworld. That’s my safe zone. Even if it doesn’t make the bad feelings go away right away (that’s not always possible), it is always at least grounding and comforting to be hugged by Can Calah, or to hear D or Bruni’s voice.

15 - If you’re struggling with your mental health, who are you most likely to open up to, or would you bottle it up instead? >> I bring that stuff Inworld. It’s really difficult to be that vulnerable outworld, although I try to make small forays into vulnerability on places like my blog or certain Discord servers. They’re still small forays, though -- I’m really just testing the waters, not actually swimming like I probably should be if I want to really work at it.

16 - Do you get your five portions of fruits and veggies everyday? >> Not every day, no. I wish it were easier for me to pull that off, but it really is not. 

17 - What room of your house do you spend the most time in? Is this through choice or necessity? >> My room, by choice. I like it in here, it’s my space. The first space of my own I’ve had since 2009, which was the only other time I had space of my own (and then I didn’t even enjoy it because I was horribly depressed and isolated and constantly broke).

18 - If you have pets, do you snuggle with them when you’re having a bad time? Does it make you feel better? >> That’s a thing Sparrow does, but it doesn’t do anything for me. Maybe if I had an emotional support dog...

19 - Would you ever sign up to be in the military? What if there was enforced conscription, would you go or would you object? >> Fuck. No. Fuck no. Nope. Fuck no. I’d literally rather commit suicide. Did I make myself clear?

20 - Would you ever want to go to any kind of fitness bootcamp, or does that sound like utter hell to you? >> That does sound like utter hell to me.

21 - What’s the worst job you’ve ever had? What was it that made it so bad? >> ---

22 - If you could design your own garden, what would you have in it? Do you think that dream is ever going to be achievable for you? >> I have always been most interested in the kind of gardening that was just about caring for native plants and helping them to flourish. Learning the complex intricacies of the ecosystem around me and doing my part to preserve it. Like if there needs to be more pollinators, having some hives. Or if there was once a planted lawn on the property I live on, rehabilitating the soil and replacing it with native grasses instead. I would also like to grow herbs and vegetables, and any kind of flower that is native or at least not invasive to this particular environment (especially if it’s yellow! I love all yellow flowers). I imagine it would be perfectly achievable if we ever moved into a house.

23 - Do you believe there’s life on other planets? If so, do you think it’s anything like humanity? >> I think it’s highly probable that there’s life elsewhere, but highly improbable that it’d be like humanity. But maybe like other life on this planet, particularly microbes, sure.

24 - Does it take you a long time to fall asleep at night? What do you if you’re really struggling to get to sleep? >> No, I usually fall asleep within a half-hour of laying down, as long as I’m not doing anything brain-intensive.

25 - if you drive, how many times a week do you have to fill up your car with fuel? If you don’t drive, how much do you spend a week on travel/transport? >> I don’t go anywhere, period. When I used to go places (pre-COVID), I probably spent about $30 a month tops on public transportation. Usually more like $15.

26 - What did you get the last time you went out for fast food? >> The last fast food we had was Steak and Shake, but through DoorDash. I got the jalapeño crunch burger, like I used to, but I won’t be ordering burgers anymore because I think my GI tract is over red meat (or, at least, the highly processed variety).

27 - Do you tend to snack when you’re watching TV or sitting at the computer? What’s your favourite thing to snack on? >> I like to watch something while I’m eating a meal, but I don’t really snack for the sake of snacking or anything. I just plan the two things to happen at the same time whenever I can.

28 - When was the last time you went to a zoo or wildlife park type place? >> Uh... Labor Day last year? I think?

29 - Do you think it’s cruel when people keep exotic animals as pets? Or do you think it’s okay as long as they have the space, time and money to dedicate to them? >> I do think it’s cruel. I don’t see how any sort of condition could be okay for this, no matter how hard you try. Just... go on a safari. Watch a nature documentary. Why do you have to keep wild animals in your house? Domesticated dogs and cats and lizards and shit are literally right there (and a lot of them are in shelters, just waiting for a dedicated caregiver!).

30 - If you eat meat, is there a particular animal you’d never eat? If you don’t eat meat, what’s the reason for it? >> I don’t eat a lot of meat because I don’t really crave it. Like, it doesn’t strike me as necessary for a meal, probably because I was raised not eating it. I eat chicken most often because Sparrow makes a lot of meals that include it (and fried chicken sandwiches are my kryptonite). My preference for meat-eating is to eat from local sources that employ sustainable, ecologically-informed farming practices -- but, you know. I also live in America, as well as below the poverty line for a two-person household, so this stuff is difficult. It’s often easier (and insanely cheaper) to just not eat meat at all, which may be partly how that became such a big fad.

[ilovethecolorpink]

hey, I need desperately advise...I feel like I desperately need to move out of my parents house. I feel so smothered and have no privacy once so ever. I feel obligated to stick around and help out but everyday I dream of a life on my own; independently. my mom is emotionally abusive and bipolar. I was going to school full time at a community college from Jan-may 2020 but took the fall semester off for mental health reasons. while I’m living at home, my parents fully support me financially as long as I’m going to school full time...I’m 22, have no savings, no job, and feel codependent as fuck. I want to move to nyc from California, which I realize is very expensive...I’m questioning if I’ll be able to get an education while working a job with long hours in order to pay rent and cover bills and expenses 😓 I’m still not 100% sure what I want to do career wise. I was aiming for something in the field of psychology but my true passion lies in English, writing, and literature... my parents say things all the time like “stop talking about moving out, in five years you’ll still be living at home. you have no money, no job, how are you going to move? you’re not going anywhere in the meantime!” this really discourages me. when I think about being independent I get so excited and happy when I think of all the possibilities of living on my own in the city but when they say things like that I get sad and fearful that they’re right... and there’s nothing I can do because I can’t currently support myself 😔 I’ve considered making an onlyfans account because I don’t know of any options to make money fast. my car isn’t reliable 24/7 so doordash, postmates, or ubereats won’t workout. I don’t know what to do. I keep thinking about that saying that if you really want something you’ll find a way to make it happen or if there’s a will, there’s a way. I feel defeated...I’m not happy here. I feel confined inside my bedroom walls and that makes me so sad

i want to start out by saying that i am so so sorry you’re going through this. parents have zero right to talk to or treat their children like that, and i’m so sorry about the toll it has had on you. 

you should not feel bad about still living at home. SO many people do still at your age, not only with the state of the economy right now but also just how expensive it costs to live in general. we are in a pandemic with no end in sight, please don’t put too much pressure on yourself. there are more people in that same position as you than you think. you shouldn’t have to feel codependent but unfortunately your parents have made you feel so, which really fucking sucks, and is so unfair.

as for moving to nyc, absolutely do it when you can! but yeah you’re right, it will definitely be expensive. and i don’t mean to be discouraging when i say that, but realistic. still, though, i absolutely encourage you following your heart’s desires and doing it when you can! whether that be in six months or 3 years, i’ve got no doubt that you’ve got this! and of course you can get an education! it may be a lot, and will require a lot of balance, but you can always do school part time if need be! but remember, always put your health - mental and physical first. do not exhaust yourself. don’t let your parents get you down. and do NOT let them discourage you. it sounds so cheesy but prove them wrong! 

life happens at its own pace, and that pace varies for EVERYONE. our parents come from a generation where they moved out young, got married young, and were independent again, very young. but that’s because they had the OPPORTUNITY to. this country was so different a couple generations ago in terms of what resources people had and how easy things came to them. they believe still so deeply in the “american dream” where if you work hard then you can do anything, when that is quite frankly not the case. do not rush yourself and do not let them rush you. for your sake, i do hope you get that independence you dream of sooner than later, but also remember there are so many forces beyond your control holding you back. they are not right, i promise you. soon enough you’ll be looking back on where you are now, so proud of yourself for how far you’ve come; i believe that.

as a psych major myself, there are a good amount of jobs you can get with that degree. however, i’ve met enough people who took psych courses thinking they’ll want to pursue the field only to realize it’s not for them. and i can only imagine how difficult that ‘realistic career versus dream career’ debate can be, especially for people in the humanities and arts. the best advice i can give is to think about yourself in 25 years. would they be happier with a job they’re not too excited about but brings in a reliable paycheck every week, or one they love and are passionate about? i think the latter. and that’s the PESSIMISTIC way to look at it! you never know what career you could get with english and of course you could make good money from it, if you truly love it as much as it seems you do! life throws surprises at you all the time, and you may even surprise yourself. i always struggle with following your heart versus your mind, but i feel that the heart is the only one that can be disappointed, and that’s not a very fun feeling. and hell, you can always double major if you have the means for it, or even do a major in one minor in the other! you’re right though, i think: what’s meant to be will be, and if there’s a will, there’s a way

as for now, if you want to make that onlyfans, do it! of course only if you feel safe doing so, but i will fully support you

i know how defeated you feel, and again, i am so sorry you do. i am sending you so much love and a big hug and i hope this (probably incoherent) essay (sorry!) helped at least a little bit or even made you feel a tad better. you’ll get to where you want to be someday, i promise you that with sincerity. have hope. to quote the shawshank redemption, hope is a good thing, maybe the best of things, and no good thing ever dies. 

i have hope in you. i believe in you. and i am rooting for you, even if no one else is. good luck, you’ve got this- no matter how long it takes <3

[yazzjansen]

hey, I need desperately advise...I feel like I desperately need to move out of my parents house. I feel so smothered and have no privacy once so ever. I feel obligated to stick around and help out but everyday I dream of a life on my own; independently. my mom is emotionally abusive and bipolar. I was going to school full time at a community college from Jan-may 2020 but took the fall semester off for mental health reasons. while I’m living at home, my parents fully support me financially as long as I’m going to school full time...I’m 22, have no savings, no job, and feel codependent as fuck. I want to move to Nyc from California, which I realize is very expensive...I’m questioning if I’ll be able to get an education while working a job with long hours in order to pay rent and cover bills and expenses 😓 I’m still not 100% sure what I want to do career wise. I was aiming for something in the field of psychology but my true passion lies in English, writing, and literature... my parents say things all the time like “stop talking about moving out, in five years you’ll still be living at home. you have no money, no job, how are you going to move? you’re not going anywhere in the meantime!” this really discourages me. when I think about being independent I get so excited and happy when I think of all the possibilities of living on my own in the city but when they say things like that I get sad and fearful that they’re right... and there’s nothing I can do because I can’t currently support myself 😔 I’ve considered making an onlyfans account because I don’t know of any options to make money fast. my car isn’t reliable 24/7 so doordash, postmates, or ubereats won’t workout. I don’t know what to do. I keep thinking about that saying that if you really want something you’ll find a way to make it happen or if there’s a will, there’s a way

hey!

i’m sorry you’re feeling stuck, i’ve definitely been there before and you do feel like its the end of the world, but one thing I’ve come to realise is that this too shall pass and you just gotta do what makes you happy. I used to work 3 jobs to cover rent for a shitty nyc apartment i could barely stand up in, things only changed for me once I shifted my mindset and held myself to a higher standard, chose to put my happiness first. you deserve better, you deserve happiness - so go chase it and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise - otherwise you will look back and think fuck i regret not doing that. money will come and go - no need to rush right now - save enough to get out here then you will figure it out. 

hope that helps a bit

sending love

[austinpanda]

Dad Letter 061221

13 June, 2021

Dear Dad--

Well, the past week featured a few minor disappointments! Nothing too serious, and in fact, most of it was at least indicative of more positive events to come. As an example, my boss is giving me a new schedule at work which I severely hate, but it’s definitely only temporary, to exist as briefly as possible before he’s able to switch me to full time, which is what we both want. So...bad news, but it’ll get better.

The week began, as I mentioned last week, with a particularly potent heat wave, which put high temps above 90 for three days. Maine just can’t handle shit like that. My plant scientist friend has a very nice house, which he’s improving to make nicer by the day, and it doesn’t have central air conditioning, because NO ONE has central air conditioning here, it seems like. When it gets up to 92 outside, it hits 95 inside, in every part of the trailer that isn’t affected by our window AC unit, which is most of it. You visit a hot part of the house, like the bathroom, or the kitchen, to do whatever needs doing, and you sweat your ass off, and you run back to the air conditioned part of the living room to cool down, and repeat. And it makes going to sleep difficult, because it’s still so hot by the time you go to bed. Thankfully, that shit ended when we had an unexpected spate of normal weather, which put high temps back in the 70s where they goddamn belong.

Here’s something else that didn’t go as planned: my movie night! Of all the things that could have gone wrong, can you guess what went wrong? It was too cold! Now that the weather is normal again, we had some cloud cover yesterday, and by the evening, it got chilly. The plan was to have the plant scientist guy and his spouse over to watch Alien (the original, from 1979), but by the time the movie ended, it would have been close to 50 degrees outside, and we decided to try again a little later in the summer, like next week.

Still, though, I spent the last two nights setting the projector up outside and preparing the space. I had to figure out where the extension cord would go, and where the projector would go, and where the screen would go, and where the chairs would go. I had to place the screen, and measure shit, and clean certain spots, and install plastic wall hooks, which are what the screen hangs from. I had to buy a citronella candle, because the air outside is 30% mosquitos right now. I did a bunch of sweeping, the asphalt pad that our trailer is on, to make it pretty. I took down the bird feeder temporarily. I put some lights outside. And when it got dark last night, I watched about 30 minutes worth of movie by myself just to see what it was like, and it was pretty damn nice. (Cold as fuck, especially for June, but no one forced me to move to Maine, dangit.)

Thus did I achieve proof of concept: The cheap projector that I purchased works wonderfully. The picture is nice and big, like a little drive-in movie theater, and more than bright enough, and sharp enough, too. So...I actually rigged up a projector and showed some movie on my house! As soon as it warms up a bit, I can start doing this whenever I want. I’ll be able to have friends over to join me, which was the main goal the whole time, and watch a movie under the stars. And we will speculate on what the poor people are up to, since we’re so obviously blessed with life’s riches. Dammit.

Here’s another thing that made last week a big cornucopia of bullshit: I’m being taught the most difficult audit at work. Remember I mentioned the Seven Pillars of Bureaucracy. I had learned four of the audits already. Now they’re teaching me an audit of such complexity that it makes the others look like tinker toys, and it’s really miserable. It’s a whole day at work, in my cubicle, with my boss sitting next to me, walking me through the audit, step by step, looking at spreadsheets, with him pointing at the spreadsheet, and saying, “Now highlight that thing. No, not that thing, the other thing.” And then he gives me some background why we do that particular audit step in that particular way, and instead of providing context and clarity, it only adds new flavors and colors to the confusion.

Him: See, because remember I told you about how the cash in and coin in are represented here, so the OTB breakage something something hand pay commission something something patron voucher something something found money at the kiosk, then returned it to main bank, but didn’t claim it, so you have to reflect that here in the “Cash In/Coin In OTB Breakage Hand Pay Commission Patron Voucher Found Money Kiosk Main Bank Unclaimed Spreadsheet,” otherwise the amounts in the corresponding other spreadsheet won’t wash. Does that make sense?

Me: ...I mean…

But the learning process is working the way it always works. The first day, the audit takes all day, and we’re lucky if we finish it. The second day, we finish it with time to spare. Third day, it takes a bit less time. Eventually I’m able to complete the audit on my own, using only my notes, and checklist, and brain, and after a while, I don’t need my notes any more. We’re just having to slog through the shitty phase of the process.

And now my schedule changes in a way that I don’t care for! I’ve enjoyed having short days, and more of them, so it’s now necessary that I work longer days, and fewer of them. My schedule is about to switch to Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday, full time shifts. I’m not looking forward to having to work on Sunday, but I’ll adjust. It’s fewer hours than I’ve been working, so paying my bills just got an added degree of difficulty, but it won’t be for long, and then I’ll be working full time. Once I’m working full time, I shouldn’t have any difficulty paying the bills and setting some aside for savings. Then I begin looking for a newer car!

You know what else happened last night that was some bullshit, aside from the weather being too cold to enjoy without also building a fire, which we can’t do, because of the proximity of my kerosene tank? Zach went to bed, and I was sitting on the sofa, kinda had the place to myself, and I realized I hadn’t eaten in about seven hours, and I wanted someone to make a pizza and bring it to me. I convinced myself it wasn’t financially irresponsible by observing that I could get three meals out of it. Tried my go-to pizza joint; they’re not making deliveries. It’s a Domino’s, and they’ve stopped making deliveries. I don’t know why this is! Perhaps they ran out of pepperoni, or the drivers revolted. Next, I tried installing the Domino’s app on my phone, to see if that would get me a different result. It did not.

Then I decided to install the Pizza Hut app on my phone and just order from them. The Pizza Hut app informed me, while apologizing nicely about it, that they didn’t deliver to me. So I got on my DoorDash app, which is a food delivery app, and found out that THEY would bring me Pizza Hut, as long as I ordered through DoorDash. This I now utterly failed to do. Before long, I got a call that said it was calling from California, when it was actually a guy from Pizza Hut in Bangor leaving a message saying, “Yeah, we’re sold out of that kind of crust. Also you ordered the same thing twice. Call me back please.” My thinking in response to that was, “I don’t want to talk to anyone. Why do you think I used the app in the first place?” I cancelled one of the online orders, but couldn’t immediately find a way to cancel the unrequested second order. Eventually I received an email that I could use to cancel the second order, although they said the Pizza Hut had already started making the pizza, so I was still going to be out 16 bucks. Then I made a tuna sandwich and cried onto it, using the tuna sandwich to dry my tears. (I did not actually cry, and the tuna sandwich was actually quite good.)

So now it’s Saturday, I don’t want to show a movie on my house because I have to get up early for work tomorrow, (In response, the weather is much nicer than yesterday.) and continue learning the hardest audit. I will conquer it shortly! And I’ll get us pizza for dinner tonight, maybe, because I now have a bunch of credit with Pizza Hut.

More next week. All my love to you both!

[shirlleycoyle]

Hacks, Bots, and the Pandemic Have Fueled a Racist Class War on Instacart

In July, Roberta, an Instacart worker who lives on the Jersey Shore, got an email from Instacart saying her account's email and phone number had been changed. Her account had been hacked, but the hacker seemingly wasn't trying to drain her bank account. Instead, someone was actively shopping orders on her Instacart account.

Locked out of her account, Roberta contacted Instacart's shopper support (Instacart calls its gig workers “shoppers”), and learned someone had also changed her New Jersey home address to Atlanta and accepted an order at ShopRite for $21.72, according to screenshots reviewed by Motherboard. After resetting her email and password, Diana said someone hacked her Instacart account nine more times between July 1 and July 20, and accepted at least two more batches of orders.

Motherboard allowed Roberta to use her first name only for this story because she feared retaliation from Instacart or being targeted again. Since June, at least 12 gig workers on the grocery delivery platform Instacart have had their accounts taken over by hackers who changed personal information—and in some cases, accepted or shopped orders on their accounts, according to the Gig Workers Collective, a grassroots labor non-profit that organizes gig workers across the country.

Roberta and three other hacked shoppers Motherboard spoke to never learned why their accounts were hacked. "We may not be able to share full details for privacy reasons," an Instacart representative wrote to Roberta in an email reviewed by Motherboard. "But, a dedicated task force is working on investigating this case."  Five of these Instacart shoppers say Instacart deactivated their accounts, effectively firing them, after they were hacked for failing to complete orders they say they never accepted.

Hacked Instacart shoppers worry that their accounts could be used by other shoppers to earn income using their social security numbers that they will later have to pay taxes on. For those who rely on Instacart to pay for rent and food during the pandemic, getting hacked has meant that they don't have access to money for days. Their ratings and cancellations rates (which factor into the algorithms that determine who gets orders) suffer when they regain access to their accounts.

The hacking incidents, the apparent use of third-party bots to secure orders, and new workers flooding the market because of the pandemic have fueled bizarre theories on Instacart shopper Facebook groups, including that undocumented immigrants are taking their accounts and scooping up bundles of orders, which are in high demand. Some shoppers on these Instacart Facebook groups have begun calling minority Instacart shoppers “bots” and “zombies.”

"Literally saw 8 Brazilians (1 or 2 Hispanics and 1 African…it really doesn’t matter the race) at my Costco yesterday shopping big orders," a shopper posted on Facebook in April. "I was just shopping for myself but pulled out my phone to see if I could get a batch. Nope….Ughhh. Literally the most annoying thing ever seeing it in person."

"There is a video circulating on the web of Brazilian hackers [sic] taking orders and instacart does nothing," another Instacart shopper posted on Facebook. "They are people who in the great majority cannot work for the company because they do not have the necessary documents and still fuck with those who want to work honestly."

Another Instacart shopper wrote, "the Bot Shoppers are back here in Santa Clarita Calif. Walking around Costco like Zombies, not knowing where items are and asking Costco employees where to find items. They seem to have heavy accents."

The hacks coincide with a period of rapid expansion at the on-demand grocery delivery platform, which has become an essential service for many immunocompromised and elderly Americans avoiding grocery stores during the pandemic. Since April, Instacart has hired roughly half a million new gig workers and reported profitability for the first time since its 2012 founding. A spokesperson for the company told Motherboard that customer order volume was up by as much as 500 percent year-over-year. During the pandemic, as Motherboard has reported, multiple opportunists have developed automated bots that give gig workers who pay, in some cases, thousands of dollars, the advantage of being able to accept orders faster than those who can't.

As competition for an elusive supply of orders has driven shoppers into fierce competition for orders (shoppers spend hours refreshing their phones ad nauseam in order to find lucrative orders), rumors have circulated widely on Instacart social media forums, blaming the decline of available work and wages on an influx of undocumented, non-English speaking, Latinx (specifically Brazilian) immigrants. Many of these posts claim immigrants have paid for automated third-party bots that hack shoppers accounts, allowing them to shop on Instacart without social security numbers.

Motherboard spoken to a handful of Instacart shoppers who cited this theory, saying they'd either seen an influx of immigrants shopping in their stores in groups (breaking Instacart policy) during the pandemic, using strange apps that didn't look like Instacart on their phones, or else heard about the theories on social media and found them credible.

The theory has divided shoppers along political lines, sparking harsh rebukes from shoppers condemning xenophobia and racism. "I’m seeing so much racism and xenophobia being disguised as 'oh no [sic] the bots.' It’s seriously fucking disgusting," one shopper wrote on Facebook. "I’m sure bots exist but I’m not buying that they’re this massive conspiratorial problem whatsoever."

Despite the flurry of racist and xenophobic rumors, Motherboard has obtained no hard evidence indicating that bots have hacked shopper accounts, or are playing a significant part in the disappearance of work on the app, though the first documented cases of hacked and taken over accounts line up closely with the rise of opportunists using bots to snatch up orders, both began in the early months of the pandemic.

Experts say Instacart shoppers' inclination to blame immigrants and bots, as opposed to Instacart itself for overhiring, fits within a longer trend of scapegoating immigrants and technology, when workers see their earnings dry up. (Motherboard could not corroborate shoppers' claims that bot and hacking services are being purchased primarily, or at all, by undocumented immigrants). Often when workers of color and immigrants enter an industry dominated by white workers, such as manufacturing in the 1960s and nursing in the 1990s, white workers fear their working conditions and wages will suffer. (Compared to rideshare and food delivery apps like Uber, Lyft, GrubHub, and DoorDash, whose workers are often BIPOC and immigrants, Instacart's workforce looks a lot whiter, particularly outside of coastal cities. For years, the app has been popular among working-class suburban moms, seeking work that can be structured around childcare.)

"There's a long history of this. Some of it is racist scapegoating, but some of it is just muddled fear of technology [replacing their jobs]," Jamie McCallum, a professor of sociology at Middlebury College and the author of Worked Over: How Round-the-Clock Work Is Killing the American Dream, told Motherboard. "Yet neither [immigrants nor machines] have really turned out to be the bogeyman they're purported to be. Machines and immigrants don't lower wages. Bosses lower wages."

In fact, data shows that workers fear technology even more than immigrants. "Survey data shows that American workers are more afraid of being replaced by robots than by immigrants, are hesitant to apply for jobs in which applicants are sorted by algorithms, and strongly believe automation will drive down wages," McCallum writes in his book Worked Over.

On August 20, Instacart sent an email to some gig workers and published a post on Medium, explaining that two third-party support vendors that the company works with had "reviewed more shopper profiles than was necessary in their roles as support agents," including the name, email address, and telephone numbers of 2,180 shoppers, according to an email addressed to gig workers obtained by Motherboard.

None of the four shoppers that Motherboard spoke to who had their accounts hacked said they received this email, and a spokesperson for Instacart told Motherboard that no shopper data was stored, downloaded or copied in any way during the security breach. But the shoppers who have had their accounts compromised have faced severe disruption to their incomes.

After days of back-and-forth and waiting, an Instacart representative finally advised Roberta to get a new phone number and email address. "I wasted 30 hours of my life trying to get my account back," Roberta told Motherboard on the phone. "Eventually I just had to change my phone number and email entirely."

"I shop seven days a week. When I was hacked, I couldn't access my account for five days," Sharon, a shopper in Connecticut who had her account taken over in early August, told Motherboard. "I worry if this is going to happen again. I wake up every day stressed about my account. You shouldn’t have to wait five days like I did to have this fixed."

In recent months, the company has also begun addressing the unauthorized use of third-party bots, deactivating shoppers who they believe use these third-parties to secure orders, and partnering with the security platform HackerOne to develop a bot bounty program that combats third-parties their automated tools to Instacart shoppers.

When asked about shoppers who have recently had their accounts taken over, Instacart told Motherboard that hackers could have gained access by way of a phishing text and email or because the shoppers themselves gave personal information to bots in order to secure batches. None of the four hacked shoppers that Motherboard spoke to say they gave personal information to any third parties.

Angie, an Instacart shopper in North Carolina, who was hacked and subsequently deactivated in June, told Motherboard that someone changed her phone number, email, password, and bank account information and shopped two orders in a North Carolina city she had never worked in while she was on vacation in Florida. Shortly after, her account was deactivated due to two undelivered batches.

"I didn't know anything about the hack until I was deactivated. I tried to sign in when I returned from vacation and it was deactivated. I am still deactivated," she wrote to Motherboard. "[Instacart] didn't care that I was a great shopper. They didn't care that someone hacked my account and I could prove it. They didn't care that I had never shopped in these areas or stores. They didn't care about any of that."

Organizers suspect the 12 cases of shoppers having their accounts hacked and taken over are just the tip of the iceberg, considering many shoppers who have been hacked are not active on the platform, and might not notice that someone has accessed their account.

Are you an Instacart shoppers with a tip to share about your working conditions? Please get in touch with the author at lauren.gurley@vice.com or on Signal 201-897-2109.

"The number of times security breaches that have happened on Instacart in and of itself should make people feel uncomfortable," said Vanessa Bain, an organizer at the Gig Workers Collective. "I do wonder if the bots and hacking are connected because they emerged at similar times, but we can't say with sincerity or knowledge that that's happening."

Over the years, security breaches have become a routine occurrence on Instacart. In July, Buzzfeed reported that the personal information of what could be hundreds of thousands of Instacart customers, including names, order histories, and credit card numbers, was being sold on the dark web. Last fall, Instacart shoppers received letters from the IRS with other Instacart shopper's personal information. For years, Instacart (and DoorDash) gig workers have reported having their accounts hacked and earnings drained.

Hacks, Bots, and the Pandemic Have Fueled a Racist Class War on Instacart syndicated from https://triviaqaweb.wordpress.com/feed/

[kristenbrady]

Maximizing Earnings on Doordash in 2024: Proven Strategies to Boost Your Income

For a living, I am a writer. Period. And that’s all I wish I could do. However, there are days when I have to supplement my income, but need something flexible. I started in the gig economy in 2018, and have seen for myself its ups and downs…the good, the bad, and the ugly.

In my area, it is VERY difficult to earn a living in the gig economy. We all know about the bots people are using to unfairly get orders. And unfortunately, these companies are turning a blind eye, because it is to their benefit to get those people to work for them to pick up all of those non-tipping orders that others don’t want to pick up. So you have to be very strategic. In this post, I’ll explore effective techniques and strategies to help you maximize your earnings on Doordash in 2024.

Not Making Money as a DoorDash Driver in Your State? Consider Driving to Another State.

5 Tips While Dashing In Another State

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Choose Busy Shifts

In 2024, Doordash is expected to continue expanding, leading to increased competition among drivers. To make more money, it’s crucial to select the busiest and most profitable shifts. I find in my experience that the times of 6 a.m. to 8 a.m. are good for breakfast. For lunch, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. are good. And for dinner it’s best to work from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. If you start working at 4 p.m. or 5 p.m. you’ll be getting one order an hour and sitting in traffic, wasting gas.

Ready to Switch From Car to Scooter/Moped for DoorDash? Here’s What You Need to Know.

Delivering on a moped can be beneficial. Just follow these tips!

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Also, after 9 p.m. a lot of fast food restaurants close their lobbies, and force everyone to go through the drive-thru, increasing your wait time. Also, if you like to work late nights, that little pop between 10 p.m. and 1 a.m. is nice. It mostly consists of Walgreens orders and CVS deliveries, where I live. So make sure you stay close to those stores. NEVER shop at the Dollar Store. Usually, people that order from those stores are on their last dollar or a very modest budget and really don’t have much left over to tip.

Plus, the Dollar Store seems to always only have one cashier working, increasing your wait time. Try to get familiar with your area. Jot down and keep track of restaurants with slow wait times and AVOID THEM LIKE THE PLAGUE! They will only hold you up. And since Doordash makes you keep a 90% completion rate, it’s better not to torture yourself. I say any restaurant with the word “Wing” in it is never a good idea. Keep an eye on the app’s scheduling system and try to grab shifts during peak hours or days when demand is high. This way, you can ensure that you are getting consistent orders and maximizing your earning potential.

DoorDash Drivers: Don’t Be Intimidated By Cash on Delivery Orders

Don’t let anything stop you from making your money!

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Familiarize Yourself with High-Tipping Areas

One way to increase your earnings on Doordash is to focus on delivering to areas known for higher tips. Spend time driving and discovering which neighborhoods are more likely to have customers who tip generously. By prioritizing these areas, you can boost your overall earnings across deliveries. In this economy, in which money is extremely tight, you MUST work in areas where people can afford the service, or else, you’ll wind up picking up a bunch of $2 trash orders.

Wanna Make $20 Per Hour Working DoorDash? Here’s how.

Knowing these DoorDash tips will make a HUGE difference in your income!

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I’ll tell you that I have high priority on shopping orders. This is where the money is. I always park in the Randall’s shopping center because the store tends to be one of the higher-priced stores, and so maybe the clientele that shops there may have a little extra to spend…and tip. I am lucky because I live right next to Randall’s, Target, and Petsmart. So, I just wait for orders to come in while I’m sitting at home. I never go out there and just aimlessly drive around. If you don’t live next to one of those stores, it is recommended to drive there and sit in the parking lot for orders.

Or drive and park next to the restaurant where you’d like to get orders from. Proximity is everything. Set yourself up for success.

Optimize Efficiency

Time is money, especially when dashing. Streamline your delivery process to maximize efficiency:

Plan your routes smartly: Optimize your route to minimize travel time and fuel expenses. Utilize GPS navigation systems or apps to help you find the quickest routes.

Multiple orders: Consider accepting multiple orders for delivery when they align along your route. This strategy can help increase your earnings by minimizing downtime between deliveries.

Keep track of peak times: Be aware of high-demand periods to minimize waiting time and maximize the number of orders you can complete within a scheduled shift.

If You Aren’t Making at Least $1000 Per Week with Doordash as a Full-Time Driver Follow These Tips

Let me show you how to make a decent living with DoorDash

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Maintain a High Rating

Customer ratings play a crucial role in securing orders. In this day and age, when Doordash is oversaturated with drivers, having a high acceptance rate is a MUST! Without it, you will get the crumbs and leftovers that no one wants, and you won’t make any money. Aim for a high rating by providing excellent customer service, accurately delivering orders, and being prompt and friendly. I find that following directions is critical. These people are paying a lot of money for these deliveries, and they want it done correctly. Take the time to read instructions and follow them. Maintaining a good rating ensures that you have access to more lucrative orders, thereby increasing your earning potential.

Customer Communication

Establishing good communication with customers can lead to higher tips and repeat business. If the restaurant is running late on deliveries, let them know. If the restaurant is out of something don’t be shy about making a phone call to ask for a substitution. Maybe while you’re waiting, text them and ask if they need anything else like extra napkins, extra hot sauce, or extra ketchup. I’m not saying you have to send a Doordash meme to every customer, but communication is key. If you need to make a substitution, run it by the customer if you can’t find something suitable on your own. People will appreciate it when you go the extra mile to please them…and yes, they may add an extra tip. Keep customers informed of any delays in delivery and promptly respond to their queries or concerns. Going the extra mile in customer service can help cultivate positive reviews and increase your earnings over time.

I Officially Quit My Job and Got into the Gig Economy Full Time

I got into the gig economy in 2018, after coming across a YouTube video on how to make money on the side doing…

medium.com

Leverage Promotions

Take advantage of Doordash’s promotions and incentives to boost your earnings. Keep an eye out for extra bonuses during peak times or for completing a certain number of deliveries. By strategizing your work schedule around these promotions, you can earn more money without investing additional time.

To make more money on Doordash in 2024, it’s important to adapt and optimize your strategies. By selecting busy shifts, focusing on high-tipping areas, optimizing efficiency, maintaining a high rating, improving customer communication, and leveraging promotions, you can maximize your earnings potential. Stay ahead of the game, adapt to the changing landscape, and watch your income grow on Doordash in the year 2024.

If you aren’t making money, it’s your own fault. You aren’t strategizing, you aren’t giving good customer service, and most of all, you’re not picking up lucrative orders that make sense. Picking up a $3 order going 5 miles doesn’t make sense. You’ve got to treat it like a business. It’s your business, treat each customer like they are paying your rent. If you picked up a bad order, it’s not the customer’s fault, it’s YOUR fault for picking up a bad order, because every order that comes through CLEARLY lists the mileage and the tip upfront.

🍉Sign up here to catch every story when Kristen publishes. Kristen is a “Friend of Medium.” If you have an article you’d like her to check out, drop the link to it in the comments section! She may decide to feature it in her newsletter!

Kristen is a writer of over 14 years. 👉Contact Kristen on Upwork here

Originally posted on Medium

[shirlleycoyle]

Worker-Owned Apps Are Trying to Fix the Gig Economy’s Exploitation

The billionaires who own the app-based gig economy have an insatiable appetite for precarious labor. Meanwhile, the millions of workers who power these platforms are hungry for food and basic necessities. They rely on gig work for survival, assuming major risks for little pay and scarcely any benefits.

Instacart unilaterally cut workers’ pay by halving the default tip to 5 percent per order, provoking a three-day strike from November 3-5. Two days after the strike, the company responded by cancelling “quality bonuses” that can represent up to 40 percent of workers’ earnings. Instacart’s open hostility towards its own workforce is the most recent case for adding a dose of economic democracy to the private sector.

What would happen if low-wage workers came together to cut out the middleman and build their own platforms? This isn’t just a thought experiment. Worker-owned apps are already providing real alternatives to dismal working conditions in the global gig economy.

Up & Go is a home cleaning app owned by workers in New York City. “On other apps, the owners set your wages, but we set our own wages,” said worker-owner Esmeralda Flores.

Up & Go cleaners earn $25 per hour, more than double what workers typically earned independently, according to Project Manager Sylvia Morse. While apps generally take a cut of 20 percent or more, Up & Go only takes 5 percent, which it then reinvests in the platform.

The cleaners, primarily immigrant women from Latin America, cooperatively own the Up & Go code and brand, launched publicly in May 2017. They meet monthly to make decisions on topics like cancellation policies and pricing.

“If you look at other platforms, it’s clear they artificially lower prices by subsidizing first-time users and paying as little as possible to their workers. Our value proposition is that our prices our transparent, workers earn a fair wage, and clients receive professional-quality cleaning,” said Maru Bautista.

Bautista directs the Cooperative Development Program of the Center for Family Life in Brooklyn. Over the past 13 years, the Center has formed 20 worker-owned co-ops that have generated more than $13 million in revenue.

The development of Up & Go was guided by three immigrant-led cleaning co-ops over a year-long process of co-design and testing, made possible in part by funding from the anti-poverty Robin Hood Foundation.

Moving from extractive to cooperative platforms

Up & Go is one example of the emerging “platform cooperativism” movement. These new projects, sometimes called “platform cooperatives,” are tech enterprises owned and democratically controlled by their workers.

Danny Spitzberg, a user experience researcher who helped develop Up & Go, told Motherboard that “to get a project like this off the ground, it helps to see platforms as digital equipment rather than things with a life of their own.” In the case of Up & Go, the platform built on an existing cooperative organizing model and many years of building relationships.

Spitzberg says that the movement is essentially about “workers figuring out how to streamline workflows and keep the benefits themselves.” Before Up & Go existed, the cleaners spent one to two days every week advertising their services to secure new clients. As more cleaning jobs shifted online, Up & Go provided cleaners with a platform to thrive in the online economy while also developing new skills as owners.

“Look at how Instacart’s recent pay cuts has hundreds of customers boycotting, shoppers striking, and others going on Twitter to demand improvements from the CEO, who is remaining silent so far. If the investors feel the pressure or have the foresight, they could meet the demands for better pay and see the collective action as an opportunity to build a better, member-owned business,” said Spitzberg, who advises for a shared ownership accelerator program called Start.coop.

Professor Trebor Scholz of the New School estimates that there are currently 400 projects under the platform cooperativism banner. A recent conference he helped organize in New York City brought together 150 speakers from 30 different countries.

Their shared goal is to create “concrete alternatives” for workers “who are not protected, and actually assaulted by deteriorating labour rights that were hardly there in the first place,” said Scholz.

Oriol Alfambra and Nuria Soto, two former Deliveroo food couriers from Barcelona, attended the conference to share Mensakas, a worker-owned delivery app. Alfambra and Soto started Mensakas in 2018 with other couriers who were fired during a union organizing campaign. They launched their app with the support of a crowd-funding campaign and government grant.

“Companies try to sell precarious work like it’s something cool,” said Soto in her presentation, referring to Deliveroo’s “be your own boss” hiring pitch. Now, she and her fellow gig workers are trying to one-up Deliveroo by making the slogan a reality: Mensakas is self-managed by its workers, who have employment contracts rather than being misclassified as independent contractors.

Mensakas is also allied with CoopCycle, a European federation of bike delivery co-ops in 16 cities, who are pooling their resources to develop shared software and coordinate advocacy efforts. Alexandre Segura, a self-taught web developer, created CoopCycle in 2016 after connecting with French couriers who lost their jobs when Belgium-based start-up Take Eat Easy declared bankruptcy.

“I’m not a rider myself, I hardly know how to ride a bicycle. But we as developers have a kind of responsibility in the world today. Platforms affect the lives of so many people,” said Segura. “Most of our cooperatives are still small, but we’re providing consumers with a credible alternative.”

Barriers to building a digital economy we own

Eva launched in May in Montreal with financial support from Desjardins, Canada’s largest credit union. It’s like Uber, but aimed at people who want to support a local business. The platform has 500 active drivers, with 500 more in the process of joining, and a growing base of 17,000 users, according to co-founder Dardan Isufi.

Isufi spoke to Motherboard while preparing for the co-op’s upcoming annual general meeting. “We have to send out 18,000 invitations. Of course, we don’t expect them all to physically show up, but they’re our members.”

Under Eva’s governing rules, both drivers and riders have voting rights, and receive a share of profits, though turning a profit is still unheard of in the ride-sharing business, including for heavyweights Uber and Lyft.

“I like that we can vote on how much of our fares go to the head office,” said Eva driver Imran Karmali, who will be attending his first meeting. Drivers currently contribute 15 percent of their fares towards the fledgling company’s marketing and operating costs, while Uber takes 25 percent.

Isufi began working on Eva two years ago with fellow university student Raphael Gaudreault. He remembers asking Gauldreault, “How hard could it be to start a better ride-sharing platform?” In practice, there’s been no shortage of challenges, like a period of sleepless days and nights rooting out fraudulent activity and creating new protocols.

Mike Calomoris started driving for Uber in 2018 to supplement his income as a wedding photographer. He joined Eva when they launched and now drives exclusively for the app. Like with Uber, Eva drivers are classified as independent contractors, meaning that they are not entitled to employment standards like minimum wage.

However, Calomoris is part of a test group of 15 Eva drivers who receive a base wage of $13-15 per hour (minimum wage in the province is $12.50) in exchange for working a set number of hours in high-demand areas. If drivers make less in fares than the guarantee, Eva pays the difference. If drivers make more, they keep the full amount.

In October, Eva started a pilot project with the Montreal airport and saw its ridership increase by 40 percent. “We had a big parking space for Eva drivers, our own doors, and an information booth inside,” said Isufi.

According to Isufi, airport management gave Eva staff the impression that they were happy with the partnership as well. But 24 hours before the renewal date, the airport informed Eva that they could no longer advertise inside, citing a new exclusivity agreement with a larger company, according to Isufi.

Isufi is disappointed that Eva was not given an opportunity to stay. “As a local and social alternative in the start-up phase, losing our presence inside the airport has a very heavy impact on our development.”

“I’ll be honest, we’re not a multi-billion dollar company,” said Isufi. “But in 2019, why would you work so hard to build equity for someone else, especially a large multinational corporation?”

In line with their cooperative business model, the code for the app is being made available to other local co-ops around the world. The first “social franchise” to register is a drivers’ cooperative in Dhaka, Bangladesh.

Designing apps with workers in mind

Members and supporters of cooperative platforms want to create software and businesses that are fundamentally different from the apps like Uber, Lyft, and DoorDash that currently dominate the market.

“We don’t want to create a poor copy of extractive platforms,” said Jutta Treviranus, Director of the Inclusive Design Research Centre at OCAD University in Toronto. “First of all, we don’t have the money they do. Our measure of success is how far we explore the difficult terrain that extractive platforms ignore.”

Treviranus and her team received a grant from Google.org to co-design open source tools with platform co-ops that will grow the cooperative digital economy. “If you plan only for the majority, your system becomes quite brittle and reaches end of life quickly, because there’s so much you haven’t anticipated,” she explained.

What would an app look like that centers women’s safety instead of making it an afterthought? Members of the Self-Employed Women’s Association in India are exploring various solutions to this challenge for beauty workers who make home visits such as panic buttons, an anonymous tip line, and doing away with individual worker profiles.

Salonie Hiriyur, Senior Associate with SEWA's 300,000 member Cooperative Federation, stressed that the co-op model itself adds a layer of safety. "There is an awareness that the worker is backed by a collective. This awareness protects the worker against harassment."

In New York City, Up & Go decided against including individual worker profiles on their app. According to Project Manager Sylvia Morse, the worker-owners were firm that “We’re selling our services, not ourselves.”

“The reason for these profiles is a proxy for trust-building on huge anonymous platforms. But co-ops have a competitive advantage because they are the owners,” Morse told Motherboard. “When someone comes to your home, it’s not a gig for them, it’s an investment in their business.”

Worker-Owned Apps Are Trying to Fix the Gig Economy’s Exploitation syndicated from https://triviaqaweb.wordpress.com/feed/