If you are over 50 would you deliver takeaways?

[Bluebellbike]

https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/uk-news/over-50s-could-take-takeaway-27449088

The government seem very keen on getting those of us over 50 to carry on working.

Well it is definitely useful, so I don't agree there. I think there's probably someone in every single career who doesn't find it rewarding or fulfilling though - I would say that about the 2 pub/ bar jobs and 2 retail jobs, and 1 events management job I had before I found my current job, which is a real career that I still don't find fulfilling. I wouldn't describe any of the jobs as an insult, though.
I really don't understand why being a delivery rider would cause you mental health issues - and cycling isn't going to cause physical health problems either unless you're really bad at it.

The change in the industry from a decade ago seems a bit of a red herring - what does that have to do with the industry being insulting?

Or this, in fact.

Why? I've seen delivery bikers and they do indeed ride like lunatics. Get to 50 and over and you're acutely aware of all the ways you can kill yourself (or other people can kill you) by riding like a lunatic. Bikers in their teens and twenties act like they're immortal.

It’s not an insult.

But few of the people delivering take away cycling are doing it as a full time job, 40 hours a week.
They are usually students doing a few evenings a week. They are fit and healthy (a lot of 50 yo won’t be anywhere near as fit - by default). It’s simply not going to be physically manageable. It’s not just a question of it ‘not being suited to all people’

Our local delivery driver is a female aged 67. Her DH has health issues so can't work but he keeps her company in the car. She says she absolutely loves it. Great money and hours that suit. Cash in hand on top of pension.

Another guy I know gave up work when his kids were small to deliver takeaways. His wife had a good job. He was able to bring the kids to school, pick them up, visit his sick mother and help her during the day. He earned more delivering takeaways five nights a weeks than working a full time job.

My daughters friend Dad is 55 , works as a truck driver dueing the week and delivers food on a Friday night, makes 200 euros which pays for the grocery shopping every week.

Well, you do what you have to do, when you need the money, but I suspect the people who are retiring in their 50s, do so with the money in place to do so. If they wanted more money, then they would have carried on in better paid / more comfortable jobs they already had.

I suppose I could do it whilst on my rounds with my NHS job, maybe do some parcel deliveries at the same time, get sponsered by Amazon ? joking but wouldn't be suprised if this has been thought about

No. Fuck off

Well I'm in the right category age wise. Currently working part time in order to find the time to be very involved in looking after my elderly and frail mother.
If she passes away before I'm 67 I may or may not increase my work hours again. I highly doubt that I'll get on a bike (is it a push bike or a moped they want us to ride?) and make deliveries.

Many people in their 50s are contributing by being carers for aging family members and often grandchildren too. Plus going out and about supporting businesses - if they can afford to.

I'm tired of the notion that over 50s who aren't in paid work aren't 'doing their bit'. They very often are - and more!

Lots of people have to do jobs that are unfulfilling? How lucky you are if you’ve had the luxury of never having to.

Well, I could, but despite being 70 I'm probably more useful in my current full time job.

My god he's a prick!

I'm in that age bracket a single mother working full time to support 2 kids.

Sadly couldn't be assed reading passed "Mid-life Financial MOT"

I mean WTF!

Maybe I live in a wee bubble but ALL my friends around my age work full-time.

So where's he getting these people from?

I don't know anyone in their 50's that doesn't work! Not one. Well apart from a few who look after their disabled kids.

Do politicians think once we hit 50, we stop working??? Sell our huge expensive houses, downsize then sit on our arses?

If people want this type of work they should be considered, but sadly it reminds me of his predecessor, Norman Tebbit’s 1981 on your bike conference speech.

If I needed to then of course I would. But I'd spend all my money on the food I was delivering because I'm a piglet so it probably wouldn't be wise!

I wouldn't want to deliver takeaways at any age, it's a shitty low paid job with really crap working conditions.

Jeez, I was 59 yesterday (😭😭), the last thing I’d want to do after working all day (and every day bar annual leave for 43 years), is delivery driving.

I seem to remember a few years ago in a different job market older people being pushed out of jobs, being unable to find other work and cheaper, younger people being employed.

Perhaps some of them could work if they could get their hip surgery within six months as it was when Labour were in office, or get their HRT drugs on time rather than the shipment being held up at a port due to Brexit, or get mental health care on the NHS. It has all been created by their government and Labour will have to spend years sorting the mess out.

But if they don't need to work why the bloody hell should they?

Not where I live!

No way. I'm over 50 and personally I wouldn't deliver takeaways. In many places, the drivers are intimidated, attacked and robbed. There are safer and much nicer ways to make the same money.

Sadly couldn't be assed reading passed "Mid-life Financial MOT"

By someone in the Job Centre, no doubt, after a half day course. It never seems to occur to these people that anyone able to retire in their 50s is probably financially astute enough not to need a mid life financial MOT, and if they did they'd go to an IFA.

Oh right. They don't ride like lunatics where you live so obviously they don't ride like lunatics anywhere. My mistake.

Where I am we have quite a few "older" delivery drivers, they come in cars not on bikes. End of the day it's money, you do what you need to to survive

No. I have a full time profession, which I intend to carry on doing until I'm not capable any more. Possibly with reduced hours after mid 60s.

In the event of me being too incapable to do my current job, I will not be fit enough to deliver takeaways either.

All the over 50s I know are either doing a full time job plus all the overtime they can get, or are already doing one full time and one part time job combined to make ends meet. Not poorly paid takeaway delivery jobs (and incur all the extra costs) - as they actually need decent money to survive.

How about we let the over 50s carry on doing the jobs they have been doing throughout their careers up until the age of 49 and stop pushing them out of the workplace in favour of younger workers? Then there would be no issue to solve!

The vast majority of those in their 50s need to work to support themselves. Giving up work before state retirement age is a luxury only open to the affluent few.