Posted on 03/29/2015 7:29:43 AM PDT by SeafoodGumbo
NEW ORLEANS - There will be no more Domino's deliveries in the Lower 9th Ward after dark.
It is one of the changes the pizza company is making after another one of its drivers was murdered in the Lower 9th Ward while on the job, but residents and one city leader say the policy change is a knee-jerk reaction that is singling out their community.
"It just, again, puts a black eye on this community," said Vanessa Gueringer, a life-long resident of the Lower 9th Ward.
Michael Price, a 36-year-old father of three, is the second Domino's delivery driver murdered on the job in the last six months. In September, Richard Yeager was murdered in Mid-City while also delivering pizzas.
In response, Domino's now says it will not deliver to the Lower 9th Ward after dark.
"It marginalizes us and it disenfranchise us from the rest of the city," Gueringer said.
Councilman James Gray, who represents the Lower 9th Ward, agrees. He said the policy change is one driven by emotion and not the facts.
"The facts are this is the first murder in the Lower 9th Ward this year," Gray said. "It's a tragedy what happened to the driver, but incidentally that is the second driver killed this year. The other was killed in Mid-City."
Domino's is also making changes that will impact deliveries citywide. During the robbery, Price was carrying less than $30, which is why the company say it will not take cash during late-night hours.
"Credit cards only after 10 p.m. So, the driver won't be carrying any cash back to the store. As well as curbside delivery where we won't be getting out of vehicles and we'll pass the products through the window and we'll have surveillance in the vehicle," said Domino's Regional Vice President Robert Tedesco.
Residents like Kim Ford, whose nephew works as a Domino's delivery driver, said no worker should have to risk their life to make an honest living. She said Domino's should make changes that keep all of its drivers safe regardless of where they work.
"It's not just the French Quarter and the CBD that have crime issues. We all do," Ford said. "Every time we are singled out, yet we get nothing in return. No resources to help improve the police presence here."
"This was a crime of opportunity, as all of these were all over the city," Gueringer said. "That should be the status quo for every neighborhood."
The total Crimestoppers reward for information that leads to an arrest is now up to $10,000.
Cause effect. Kill the pizza guy, don’t get pizza.
I don’t expect them to understand this.
Here’s a thought:
NOPD donates their MRAPS to Domino’s so the “disenfranchised” can be served safely. There’s a white privelege meme in there somewhere, but i’m too lazy to quote it.
Meanwhile, Captain Obvious wept.
“It just, again, puts a black eye on this community,” said Vanessa Gueringer, a life-long resident of the Lower 9th Ward.”
Clean up your neighborhood then.
People are angry in the Lower 9th: and that’s another reason not to make nighttime deliveries there. The article doesn’t say so, but I’ll bet it’s because their delivery guys, both black and white, said “We won’t go there.”
It reminds me of the old Firesign Theatre skit, “no pizza delivery in Sector 7”. “Oh, geeez, they never come into the hills.”
If I'm a lefty, am I supposed to scream "RACIST" here?
You don’t expect them to drive OUT and get their own pizzas, do you? It’s dangerous out there at night!
It’s all...so...confusing...
But I demand my pizza.
Obviously Dominos
Domino’s show use an armored car, and the perp/customers should have to take the pizza from a slot. Their should also be murals of Sharpton and Obama on the sides.
They’ve got to shout RACISM first before the killers are pegged for killing the delivery boy in a hate crime.
I live across a river from Newark NJ, and businesses opt not to do business in Newark. Pizzas, taxis, anything that would expose them to racial murder.
White lives matter!
I thought for a moment this was The Onion or Semi-Satire News.
If white lives mattered, would the 9th ward community get on their feet and protest this unjust killing?
Resume deliveries to the lower 9th Ward,but ONLY with employees hired who are from there.
Looks like the murdered pizza delivery men had a common factor - both were white.
Let Councilman James Gray deliver the pizzas.
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