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jvanderbot • today at 4:42 PM • 4 replies • view on HN

No way.

Here's how it works out rationally: I just got home from work, the kids are a mess, the house needs cleaning, and my spouse is having a work crisis. The kids favorite treat is chipotle. Of all the options for "use money to make this go away so I can focus on the problem" paying $10 surcharge for doordash is by far the cheapest.

"Hey kids chipotle treats are on the way - but you have to go get your room tidied and leave mom alone" actually does work.

6 million smart, rational engineers, mathematicians, actuaries, professors in the country, each doing this analysis, four times a year, yields 240 million dollars in surcharges without an ounce of laziness.

Then add laziness on top.


Replies

apparent • today at 4:53 PM

Is it only $10 extra to have dinner for 4 delivered? IME the cost was much more than that, when you factor in the difference in menu price, the delivery fee, the tip, and the govt surcharges.

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vlan0 • today at 4:51 PM

>Of all the options for "use money to make this go away so I can focus on the problem" paying $10 surcharge for doordash is by far the cheapest.

Exactly this. They know humans will likely pick the path of least resistance. And we are generally bad at problems that have compounding long term outcomes. They are essentially preying on our societal circumstances. My story: Brain will resist using energy for creative solution from within if external solution exists for $.

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Jcampuzano2 • today at 4:51 PM

This is a question that's going to sound stupid and maybe insensitive, but that aside - how do you think people managed to do this in your exact same scenario for the last 50+ years without having a service like this?

Our own parents went through this exact scenario that you mentioned plenty of times before any of this even existed without having the to pay the $10 fee.

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