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Woman’s hilarious food delivery mix-up

<p dir="ltr">Kristi ordered one taco with avocado and no meat, assuming she’d be given a taco including avocado and plenty of salad options, veggies and sauces.</p> <p dir="ltr">To her surprise, she received a tortilla smothered in avocado and a hot sauce container on the side.</p> <p dir="ltr">"This is a tortilla with avocado. There is nothing else in it. It is full avocado, like pounds of it just in a tortilla. There's no cheese, no lettuce," Kristi explained in a TikTok. </p> <p dir="ltr">"What is happening?! They think just because I choose avocado, I don't want anything else?" she questioned.</p> <p dir="ltr">Her video received more than 280,000 views with many TikTokers seeing the funny side. </p> <p dir="ltr">"Whoever did your order is probably wondering why someone only got avocado lol," one said.</p> <p dir="ltr">"I mean, I don't see the problem," another teased.</p> <p dir="ltr">"Okay but that's probably $345 worth of avocado," added another.</p> <p dir="ltr">Kristi revealed there were no options to choose sides when she placed her order.</p> <p dir="ltr">One viewer explained, "Cheese, lettuce, tomato is a very Americanized version of a taco. I'm used to getting just meat.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Others joined in to share their own stories of mixed-up food orders.</p> <p dir="ltr">One said, ”One time I ordered a salad and selected my toppings - well I apparently had to select lettuce cos I just got a pile of toppings only.”</p> <p dir="ltr">While another wrote, "Once my sis in law ordered a cheese steak but said just the cheese and steak. She got steak in bread. That's it.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Kristi said she didn’t call and complain, rather she added her own sides from what she had at home.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-82714d90-7fff-ac62-6224-7c3c55fbf8f4"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image credit: TikTok</em></p>

Food & Wine

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Elderly pizza lady receives $390k tip after falling during delivery

<p>Barbara Gillespie was completing a typical Friday night pizza delivery when things took an unexpected turn. </p> <p>The 72 year old had just made her way up a home’s front veranda stairs, arms laden with her pizza boxes, when she stumbled and fell on to a small white chair.</p> <p>The family, whose <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@momofthe5ks/video/7195696356508372266" target="_blank" rel="noopener">security camera captured the entire tumble</a>, came outside to see what had happened as the elderly driver was picking herself up from the ground.</p> <p>On shaky legs, Barbara apologised again and again for what had become of the family’s food, telling them that she’d “ruined” it. But the family - otherwise known as the Keighrons - were only concerned about her.</p> <p>“I opened the door and there she is, just laying on the ground trying to get up,” Kevin Keighron said on <em>Good Morning America</em>. “She was more worried about the food than anything else. And I was like, ‘I don't care about the food. I care about you’.”</p> <p>Kevin and his wife, Lacey, described Barbara as being “the sweetest”, and after the incident - which occurred in early February - the pair decided to set up a GoFundMe to give Barbara a “tip” for her hard work. </p> <p>“We would like to bless her by bringing by a ‘tip’ to help her with anything she may need,” Kevin said. “She is an older woman who fell and only cared about the food she dropped. </p> <p>“Let’s show her some kindness and take off some of this burden that our economy is causing the older generations especially!”</p> <p>More than 14,000 people donated, and the fundraiser achieved a whopping $390,000. </p> <p>“We thought we would get her a bigger tip and bring it to her. We never expected to get as much as we did,” Kevin said of their successful campaign. “We were just so excited and thrilled to be able to tell her the next day.”</p> <p>And when taking the surprise to Barbara, Kevin - Lacey, and two of their children - decided to make the grand reveal at her work. They later shared footage of the reunion to their TikTok account. </p> <div class="embed" style="font-size: 16px; box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; outline: none !important;"><iframe class="embedly-embed" style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border-width: 0px; border-style: initial; vertical-align: baseline; width: 620.262px; max-width: 100%; outline: none !important;" title="tiktok embed" src="https://cdn.embedly.com/widgets/media.html?src=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.tiktok.com%2Fembed%2Fv2%2F7195971641262755114&amp;display_name=tiktok&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.tiktok.com%2F%40momofthe5ks%2Fvideo%2F7195971641262755114&amp;image=https%3A%2F%2Fp16-sign.tiktokcdn-us.com%2Fobj%2Ftos-useast5-p-0068-tx%2F763d48ec7b5b4f728dcbe02bb60cc22f%3Fx-expires%3D1677142800%26x-signature%3DPCfbQDrxw5It6Ey%252FV9NWSJXsZ6A%253D&amp;key=59e3ae3acaa649a5a98672932445e203&amp;type=text%2Fhtml&amp;schema=tiktok" width="340" height="700" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></div> <p> </p> <p>They have since shared that with the extra funds, Barbara was able to put in her two-week notice and finally enjoy her well-deserved retirement. </p> <p>Barbara said that the generosity of everyone involved was overwhelming, and admitted she was close to giving up on people because some of them can be “so mean.” </p> <p>“And here we got loving, caring people. They care about someone else” she declared, seemingly delighted to have had her mind so thoroughly changed, “about an elderly woman.”</p> <p><em>Images: TikTok </em></p>

Money & Banking

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“Very questionable”: Kmart mocked after customer's "ridiculous" delivery

<p>A woman has taken to Facebook to mock Kmart over her recent delivery.</p> <p>The shopper shared on Facebook she had ordered a 20mm combination padlock from Kmart and was caught by surprise when it was delivered to her home on February 13. </p> <p>The woman had received a large cardboard box, and when she opened it, it was filled to the brim with plastic wrap to protect the item. However, once she dug out the plastic, she saw a small padlock at the bottom of the unnecessarily large box.</p> <p>“My delivery arrived today,” the woman said on Facebook.</p> <p>Other Kmart fans were shocked by the large box for such a small item, with many users deeming it “ridiculous.”</p> <p>“Omg! Seriously,” a user commented.</p> <p>"Ridiculous honestly yet a pair of jeans get scrunched up into a bag for delivery," another added.</p> <p>"It's absolutely rubbish that they waste like that," a third chimed in.</p> <p>Another comment read, ”How ironic ... how easy is it to break this lock that it needs to be so protected when shipped? Would you need it if it is so fragile? Very questionable Kmart ... What a waste,”</p> <p>Many other users joined in on the teasing, claiming they also received small items delivered in unnecessarily large boxes. </p> <p>"This happened to us recently with a car air freshener," one shopper said.</p> <p>"Yeah they keep sending me one item in a stupidly big box. I’d be much more appreciative of multiple items jammed into a big box to stop wastage or happy to wait for all items to be ready together," another claimed.</p> <p>"I thought my three bowls packed like this was bad!" another commented.</p> <p>Back in May 2021, another Kmart shopper complained that she received a small book in a “huge box.”</p> <p>Although some said it was “terrible”, other users claimed the size of the box shouldn’t matter because it’s recyclable. </p> <p>A Kmart spokesperson told Yahoo Lifestyle that the complaints have been forwarded to Kmart’s online team, and they will reassess how they manage and replenish packaging materials. </p> <p>"Regrettably, in this instance, it appears the team member who has packed this order did not have available or use the most appropriately sized packaging components," the spokesperson said.</p> <p>"While our team are trained and aim to minimise packaging use and waste, it is likely that they did not have access to appropriately sized packaging options so used what was available in an effort to pack and dispatch this order as quickly as possible."</p> <p>Image credit: Facebook</p>

Food & Wine

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Supermarket delivery by robot better for the climate

<p>Along with their <a href="https://twitter.com/historymatt/status/1525776275939418113" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">cult following on social media</a>, autonomous delivery robots travelling on footpaths could be the most climate-friendly way to do your grocery shopping.</p> <p>Around the world, <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/people/will-covid-19-change-our-cities/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">COVID-19 has seen a change</a> in the way people shop for groceries. Instead of driving to the supermarket more people are ordering online for pick-up or home delivery, and even in some places, delivery <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/technology/robotics/drone-delivery-groceries-canberra/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">by drone</a> or robot.</p> <p>In the United States supermarket home delivery services grew 54% between 2019 and 2020. In Australia, Woolworths and Coles experienced <a href="https://theconversation.com/coles-and-woolworths-are-moving-to-robot-warehouses-and-on-demand-labour-as-home-deliveries-soar-166556" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">unprecedented demand.</a></p> <p>The rapid growth in e-commerce has seen an increased focus on the greenhouse gas emissions associated with the <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/earth/sustainability/to-help-the-environment-should-you-shop-in-store-or-online/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">‘last-mile’ delivery</a>.</p> <p>A study by University of Michigan researchers and the Ford Motor Co modelled the emissions associated with the journey of a 36-item grocery basket from shop to home via a number of alternative transport options. Their study is <a href="https://pubs.acs.org/doi/pdf/10.1021/acs.est.2c02050" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">published</a> in the journal <em>Environmental Science &amp; Technology</em>.</p> <p>“This research lays the groundwork for understanding the impact of e-commerce on greenhouse gas emissions produced by the grocery supply chain,” says the study’s senior author Greg Keoleian<a href="https://seas.umich.edu/research/faculty/greg-keoleian" target="_blank" rel="noopener">,</a> director of the Centre for Sustainable Systems at University of Michigan School for Environment and Sustainability.</p> <p>The researchers modelled 72 different ways the groceries could travel from the warehouse to the customer. Across all options, the results showed ‘last-mile’ transport emissions to be the major source of <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/earth/food-transport-emissions-cost/">supply chain emissions</a>.</p> <div class="newsletter-box"> <div id="wpcf7-f6-p201307-o1" class="wpcf7" dir="ltr" lang="en-US" role="form"> </div> </div> <p>They found the conventional option of driving to the supermarket in a petrol or diesel car to be the most polluting, creating six kilograms of carbon dioxide (CO<sub>2</sub>). All other choices had lower emissions, with footpath delivery robots the cleanest for the climate, at one kg CO<sub>2</sub>.</p> <p>A customer who switched to an electric vehicle could halve their emissions. But they could achieve a similar impact on emissions by reducing their shopping frequency. Without buying a new car, households who halved the frequency of supermarket trips reduced emissions by 44%.</p> <p>Keoleian says the study emphasises the “important role consumers can serve in reducing emissions through the use of trip chaining and by making carefully planned grocery orders.” Trip chaining refers to combining grocery shopping with other errands.</p> <p>All home delivery options had lower emissions than in-store shopping – in part due to the efficiencies gained in store operation and transport – with the potential to cut emissions by 22 – 65%.</p> <p>Footpath robots are being trialled in cities across the United States, Europe and China. These four or six wheeled robots carry items like supermarket shopping or retail items over short distances. Most have a delivery range around three kilometres.</p> <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"> <div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> <div class="entry-content-asset"> <div class="embed-wrapper"> <div class="inner"> <div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered spai-bg-prepared" style="display: flex; max-width: 500px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" class="spai-bg-prepared" style="display: block; position: static; visibility: visible; width: 500px; height: 612px; flex-grow: 1;" title="Twitter Tweet" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?creatorScreenName=CosmosMagazine&amp;dnt=true&amp;embedId=twitter-widget-0&amp;features=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%3D%3D&amp;frame=false&amp;hideCard=false&amp;hideThread=false&amp;id=1525776275939418113&amp;lang=en&amp;origin=https%3A%2F%2Fcosmosmagazine.com%2Fearth%2Fclimate%2Frobot-delivery-better-for-the-climate%2F&amp;sessionId=84ec360f0f0db6f38136f997db6585736d09d60a&amp;siteScreenName=CosmosMagazine&amp;theme=light&amp;widgetsVersion=b7df0f50e1ec1%3A1659558317797&amp;width=500px" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-tweet-id="1525776275939418113"></iframe></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </figure> <p><a>Starship robots</a> is one example. Since launching in 2014, their robots have completed three million autonomous home deliveries in cities across Estonia, the United Kingdom, Finland and the United States.</p> <p><img id="cosmos-post-tracker" style="opacity: 0; height: 1px!important; width: 1px!important; border: 0!important; position: absolute!important; z-index: -1!important;" src="https://syndication.cosmosmagazine.com/?id=201307&amp;title=Supermarket+delivery+by+robot+better+for+the+climate" width="1" height="1" /></p> <div id="contributors"> <p><em><a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/earth/climate/robot-delivery-better-for-the-climate/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">This article</a> was originally published on <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Cosmos Magazine</a> and was written by <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/contributor/petra-stock" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Petra Stock</a>. Petra Stock has a degree in environmental engineering and a Masters in Journalism from University of Melbourne. She has previously worked as a climate and energy analyst.</em></p> <p><em>Image: Getty Images</em></p> </div>

Technology

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"Over the moon": UberEats makes first delivery into space

<p>UberEats has teamed up with a Japanese billionaire to send canned food onboard the International Space Station. </p> <p>The delivery was made by Japanese entrepreneur Yusaka <span>Maezawa</span> on December 11th, arriving at the ISS 8 hours and 34 minutes after Maeawa's departure from Earth. </p> <p><span>The dishes include boiled mackerel in miso, beef bowl cooked in sweet sauce, simmered chicken with bamboo shoots and braised pork.</span></p> <p><span>Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi said in a <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.uber.com/newsroom/uber-eats-in-space/" target="_blank">statement</a>, "</span>One small handoff for Yusaku Maezawa, one giant delivery for Uber Eats!"</p> <p class="mol-para-with-font">"We're over the moon to have helped make our first successful delivery to space. Our goal is to help people go anywhere and get anything, so we're proud to serve the astronauts at the International Space Station."</p> <p class="mol-para-with-font"><span>"Yusaku Maezawa gets a thumbs up on this delivery, even though it took a bit longer than the usual 30 minutes to arrive."</span></p> <p class="mol-para-with-font"><span>Maezawa and his assistant will spend 12 days onboard the ISS before returning home. </span></p> <p class="mol-para-with-font"><span>After receiving a flood of criticism for the deciding to pay a fortune for the trip to space, Maezawa defended his decision saying it was an "amazing experience". </span></p> <p class="mol-para-with-font"><span>"Once you are in space, you realise how much it is worth it by having this amazing experience," he told the AP in the first TV interview since he arrived at the station. "And I believe that this amazing experience will lead to something else."</span></p> <p class="mol-para-with-font"><span>Maezawa and his assistant are the first self-paying tourists to </span>visit the space station since 2009.</p> <p class="mol-para-with-font">When asked about reports that claimed he had spent over $80 million for the 12-day mission, <span>Maezawa didn't disclose the contract sum but admitted he paid "pretty much" the rumoured amount. </span></p> <p class="mol-para-with-font"><span>When responding to </span>criticism from those who claims his money would be better spent helping people on Earth rather than a space mission, <span>Maezawa simply claimed </span>that "those who criticise are perhaps those who have never been to space."</p> <p class="mol-para-with-font"><em>Image credits: UberEats</em></p>

International Travel

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Can you get coronavirus from takeaway food?

<p>As coronavirus continues its rapid spread across the world, many are being advised to practice social distancing. This means gatherings of people are limited to a specific number, and it also means no hanging out with your friends at restaurants.</p> <p>Home delivery has therefore become more popular, with many getting takeaway or ordering supplies to their door.</p> <p>However, the rise in home deliveries has led to concerns as to whether or not coronavirus can be contracted from touching packages.</p> <p>Experts in the US and the UK are adamant that having items delivered is a low-risk activity.</p> <p>"It's very unlikely it can be spread through things like packages or food," reports the UK's <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/" target="_blank" title="National Health System website's coronavirus page">National Health System website's coronavirus page</a>.</p> <p>Dr. Ian Williams, chief of the Outbreak Response and Prevention Branch of the US <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/faq.html" target="_blank">Centers for Disease Control and Prevention</a> echoed the sentiment in a recent information webinar.</p> <p>"There is no evidence out there that, so far with [Covid-19], that it's foodborne-driven or food service-driven," Williams said.</p> <p>"This really is respiratory, person-to-person. At this point there is no evidence really pointing us towards food [or] food service as ways that are driving the epidemic."</p> <p>Delivery services such as UberEats have adapted to the threat of coronavirus and offer options such as having deliveries left in a designated area. Companies are also practicing social distancing amongst delivery partners.</p> <p>However, some companies are taking the initiative to close as countries escalate their lockdowns worldwide, including McDonalds.</p> <p>Here are a few things to be mindful of while ordering packages or deliveries to your door.</p> <p><strong>Practice social distancing</strong></p> <p>Social distancing involves minimising contact with people and keeping a distance of over one metre between you and others. You should avoid public transport and limit non-essential traveling during this time. This includes contact with your delivery driver.</p> <p><strong>Wash your hands</strong></p> <p>As soon as you’ve brought the package inside, wash your hands immediately. If you’ve ordered food, wash your hands before and after eating.</p> <p><strong>Put the packaging in the rubbish ASAP</strong></p> <p>Although there is little evidence that supports the notion that COVID-19 can be transmitted through food and packaging, coming into contact with any surface that carries the virus can put you at risk.</p> <p>For your safety, throw away the packaging your delivery comes in and wash your hands straight after.</p> <p>With food deliveries, use your own plates and cutlery instead of eating right out of the container it came in. It’s also good practice to disinfect your countertops and tables before eating.</p>

Food & Wine

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This customer's pizza delivery note is hilarious

<p>Ordering pizza is a relatively simple process these days, and while there might be some advantages to the click and wait system, it takes a bit of the heart and soul out of having a meal prepared for you. With these robotic exchanges becoming the norm, the hilariously precise instructions from customers in today’s story are all the funnier.</p> <p>Reddit user Rikardose shared of photo of the receipt for two pizzas, with a hilarious set of instructions that have since become a virial sensation.</p> <p><img width="268" height="498" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7815947/reddit-hero.gif" alt="Reddit -hero"/></p> <p><em>Image credit: Twitter / Rikardose</em></p> <p>“Crust a little crisper than normal. But not too crispy … if that’s not vague enough — make it like you’re taking revenge on a cheating boyfriend, BUT you still want to reconcile in the not so distant future,” the note for the order reads.</p> <p>“The gate is tricky, please don’t break it. And the spider on the porch is called Frank. Be nice to Frank, he guards the tomatoes.”</p> <p>The funny delivery has urged other pizza delivery people to share their funny stories.</p> <p>“Dude I used to love these sorts of deliveries. These are normally the guys that’ll toss you a five every time,” Reddit user Sanguinesce wrote.</p> <p>“Thirty some years ago when I delivered pizza in a small town it was even worse. Pizza delivery was in its infancy in the Southern US,” PfunkNC recalled.</p> <p>“I once delivered pizzas in a snowstorm and received only a grunt as my tip. I had taken longer than they had expected. Mind you, it’s the South where no one drives when it snows because nothing is plowed (sic) and very little preparation is taken.”</p> <p>“Deliver me a pizza, sometimes if I’m feeling generous I’ll toss a 20 to the guy because I know it’ll make his day,” user Thisguywatches said.</p> <p>What are your thoughts?</p>

Technology