Luis Perez gears up for another workday. His first order is for Thai food. He travels, in the cold, to drop it off. 

His next pickup is more than 40 blocks away, in a different part of Manhattan, but he makes the trip anyway. There are many delivery workers signed up to the same delivery service application, so jobs are harder to come by. 


What You Need To Know

  • During the citywide lockdown, delivery workers helped New Yorkers get their meals

  • Delivery workers who rely on cellphone apps for jobs saw a decline in jobs after dining was reinstated

  • Interacting with so many people during the pandemic makes delivery workers extra vulnerable to coronavirus

“I like it because I get the liberty of being outside," Perez said. "I like being outside and riding my bike, but it gets really hard when we get no money."

Sometimes, he goes really far, hoping for a generous tip, and ends up disappointed. 

“And that’s bad for us because we don’t get paid a lot," he said. "Sometimes we have a delivery and it’s $3 and we don’t get a tip, $3 is all we make."

Perez was born in Mexico but moved to Long Island with his family when he was eight years old. One of his first jobs was at restaurant in Midtown. 

There he noticed that delivery workers can earn more money than kitchen staff. 

Perez recently got a motorized bike because working ten-hour days, out in the elements can be tough.

“Sometimes when it rains or snows, we slip and fall," he said. "That's why you always have to be ready for it and wear a helmet.”

Perez has been making deliveries for the last three years. He says he has noticed a difference in how customers treat him since the pandemic started.

“Before they really didn’t care about us delivery guys," he explained. "We were just delivery guys. Now, we are essential workers because we are helping everyone.”

The 23-year-old says when the city went on lockdown, things were going well for delivery workers. Bu his pay declined when dining at restaurants was reinstated. Still, he told us, having the pandemic be over would be much better. His job makes him vulnerable to getting sick. 

In the meantime, Perez will be out there making sure New Yorkers get some comfort with their meals. 

“We can get through it," he said. "We just have to keep working and keep going."