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.
Well, the dead pizza delivery drivers are kinda tired of being marginalized and disenfranchised, doncha think?
What a dumbass.
Throw that race card out, yet again!
Don't you dare take responsibility for the actions of your thug residents.
It's always someone else fault.
Closing minute (YouTube) on a Canadian Food Channel show that came to mind.
“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.”
You think this is funny, and it is, but the residents of the 9th would consider this a serious solution. The only change to be made would be to make sure mooch’s picture is on the truck.
I agree with the single-out feeling...it doesn’t take much to get that response from any group. The random stuff is fairly rare, and if you take down the sign on the car, then it would be even more rare. Since the rappers would have to stumble on seeing the delivery.
Just trying to improve - very difficult to see how it could be very safe short of a police escort.
Part of me thinks an armored car should be serious. But the shame factor would be lost on these communities. There seems to be nothing that can be done to make these comunitions take responsibility for themselves. At this rate, FEMA trucks will eventually deliver everything to these groups.
They solved the pizza-jack in under 30 minutes on Adam-12 when Jim Reed delivered the pizza and Pete Malloy backed him up.
When I lived in MA, the Boston taxi drivers where being killed, and the pols threatened the medallions of taxi companies that didn't go into the less desirable neighborhoods at night.
Specifically, thugs would take the subway to the more pleasant areas, and hail a cab back to the 'hood to rob or worse.
And have Starbucks start writing that slogan on the $1 per syllable yuppie foo-foo drink containers...
Back in my younger days I had a neighbor that went to college in San Diego and had a job as a pizza delivery guy. The first time he was robbed at gunpoint he thought it was a fluke, chalked it up to being a “once in a lifetime” experience and kept working there. the 2nd time it happened he quit immediately.
Regardless of where it happens, no pizza or pocketful of small bills for making change is worth a human life.
And more specifically, it seems to me like New Orleans is its own worst enemy with the myriad stories that come out about crime and anger and racial resentment and the like. There was a time that I considered doing Mardi Gras there. Now I wouldn’t go if someone handed me a free trip and a thousand dollar voucher. FUNOLA.
I’m going to go ahead and thank you anyway, Texas Eagle, even though you said not to. Great idea you have with one-to-one retaliation (though I think an argument can be made for 5-to-1). So, thanks.
Thanks for putting a smile on my face! That was the best keyboard philosophy I have ever read. Do you mind if I use it?
That’s a good idea AU. Kinda like buying something from Craig’s List. Utilize a neutral safe zone.
So some of these people are saying getting their pizza is more important than the life of the pizza delivery guy? Are they freaking kidding?
The murder of a pizza delivery driver doesn't put a black eye on the community?
Last time I sold some extra 22LR I had, via ArmsList I met the buyer in the parking lot of our local gun shop. Lots good folks going in and out continuously. A lot of them carrying I expect....as I was.
Interesting side, the fellow had moved here (KY) from the Peoples Republic of NY. Said he used to be anti gun. Then he and the wife began revising their thinking, took a shotgun training class. Left NY for here and now he believes “an armed society is a polite society”. Nice guy. Good to see a convert to our side.
I’m sure that once she gets over her initial anger, Vanessa Gueringer will start coming up with a business plan to tap this now-open niche market and open up her own business that delivers pizza to the hood at all hours
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Obviously you must be one of them thar raceists weuns hear about.
And the audacity of applying a solution to a ‘problem’ definitely shows your lack of respect for the ‘victims’ of the ‘no pizza zone’. (Certainly hope I don’t have to remind anyone of the ‘s’ word).
I was an independent contractor for a Nationwide Delivery Service and the local office (DC) knew better to even suggest I go into the DC ‘neighborhoods’ at night (even daytime as I wanted to be consistent..... on the rare event they would ask me (I knew they were really in a bind), if I couldn’t park close to the address I would refuse (AFTER calling the client and asking them to meet me at the curb - had some tell me it wasn’t safe to do that).
The company didn’t like it but they also realized that in me they had someone they could call at 3AM and be on the road to Boston, Chicago, LA etc in a moments notice...
On the subject of out of town ‘unsafe delivery zones’ I would agree to drop off at a local delivery business etc....
I do realize that a local Pizza Delivery Person does not have that flexibility, they have to service their area, no matter what.....
I found it somewhere online a few years ago. Share and enjoy!
So the people in that area can't get in a car or public transit and go pick up their own pizza? If not, why not?
Or, order your pizza before dark.
Gueringer is wrong.
What 'disenfranchises' the black 'community' is their casual acceptance of BLACK criminals hurting and killing people of other races.
This rejection by Domino's - and it IS a rejection - HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH COLOR OF SKIN - AND EVERYTHING TO DO WITH THE CRIMINAL CONTENT OF THE BLACK COMMUNITIES CULTURE...
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