Free This Evening? [Updated]

at

Tonight.

The Spire, O’Connell Street, Dublin 1.

Meanwhile…

Earlier…

Thiago Cortes

At 5pm.

A vigil for Brazil-born Thiago Cortes, a 28-year-old Deliveroo cyclist who was killed following a hit-and-run on the north Liffey quays on Monday night, will take place at The Spire, O’Connell Street, Dublin 1.

JEH writes:

I thought this  was worth sharing as it’s a genuine tragedy and there are at least a few active cyclists on here.

Thiago  had a wife and family, doing a job that so many people take for granted when they flip a few bob to the app for that delivery fee.

Cycling around at night, going to door-to-door to complete strangers during a global pandemic, all for a couple of beans per order.

I hope everyone can spare a thought for this poor fella next time they order delivery. There’s a cost greater than the 2.50 delivery charge.

Gardaí searching for four people after fatal hit-and-run (RTÉ)

Pic via Facebook

Meanwhile…

Tonight.

Anyone?

Related posts:

Roo The Day Piping Hot Cyclists Wanted Stand And Deliveroo Meanwhile, In Cork

42 thoughts on “Free This Evening? [Updated]”

  1. Bill Kavanagh

    Terrible tragedy, but let’s remember some of these drivers knock in about 6-10 orders an hour. At 2.50 a pop that’s not bad money. Just adding this to balance the preachy tone of the post.

    1. paul

      yet they are not employees but are contractors so get screwed in plenty of other ways. It’s also a lucky driver/rider who gets 6-10 orders an hour.

        1. paul

          realising that now. Distracting from the tragedy of this young mans murder. Can’t imagine what his family is going through.

          2. paul

            four lads blazing around in a car, they knew what they were doing. They also fled the scene after hitting him, left him to die.

          3. millie madonna

            A scummy, cowardly thing to do. May they get every bad thing they deserve.

            That poor man. He had a wife and family. Can’t imagine how they must feel. RIP.

    2. JEH

      From 2018 Examiner article (https://www.irishexaminer.com/news/arid-30865392.html):

      “He told Joe that riders only have 100 seconds to accept a job when it beeps in.

      Alan said that he could be cycling in the middle of city traffic in the dark and need to swipe to accept the job within 100 seconds, which he says is extremely dangerous.

      He explained that he feels that no sick pay, no holidays and no bike maintenance is unfair as riders own their bikes and pay for any damage or maintenance required.”

      I’ve seen some sources that say you can make about 10.50 an hour delivering in Dublin, so that’s about minimum wage. However, how many minimum wage jobs have so much risk associated with it? And keep in mind there’s no vacation and bikes are regularly stolen. There’s probably a reason you don’t find European university students delivering food.

    3. AKA Frilly Keane

      Who here would do that job
      Cycling around in all weathers and times of the day
      And night
      Approach strangers and strange premises
      Not knowing the occupants or the layouts for access or getaways

      For 25 yo-yos an hour
      If even that was guaranteed?

      Not me
      I’d go back to working in the Sunbeam factory first

      A real heartless thing to say Bill
      Zero empathy and awareness

      I really don’t know what is going on here on Broadsheet anymore

      1. george

        You’d get a few takers at €25 an hour. I’d much rather be out cycling than sitting at my desk. But its a business model based on low and unreliable pay and lack of job security.

    5. Kingfisher

      “Preachy tone”? Sickening. A man has been killed and his family and friends are grieving.

      This lad died for two reasons: the exploitation of working people being paid by the job rather than by the hour, so that cyclists have to race from job to job; and the lack of control on sale of cars.

      If we are willing to accept that alcohol abuse should be controlled by raising the price of alcohol, we must also be willing to accept that bangers can’t be sold cheap to kids to use as dodgems.

      And it’s also time to control the Wild West approach to employment that our worship of “entrepreneurs” has brought about.

  4. Rob_G

    Four in the car and not one of them had the humanity to check if he was alright – hope the judge throws the book at them (but not a hope of anyone other than the driver going to prison, if even him).

  6. george

    The vehicle had no insurance, tax or NCT. They drove at speed and fled the scene.

    This should be treated as involuntary manslaughter at the least. Shouldn’t matter that a car was used.

  7. Bebe

    Heard interview on drivetime; so very sad – young man had dreams of doing a Masters here, took the job so he could save to provide a better quality of life to his loved ones. His mother and brother unable to make the journey from Brazil at this time while his partners mum arrives tomorrow to support her daughter during this time of immense grief. I can’t imagine how they are coping. Human life has little value, leaving the scene of the accident and a young man fighting for his life. Too sad for words. Rest in peace Thiago Cortez.

  8. Peter Dempsey

    RIP. If the perpetrators are underprivileged, then some on the Left will defend their actions or make excuses for them. If they turn out to be four posh lads from Blackrock, then most of the Left will condemn them.

    1. JEH

      Nah man, there’s no excuse or justification for this. Doesn’t matter if it was Pope Francis behind the wheel or AOC or Farage. Doesn’t get much lower than this.

    2. scottser

      You haven’t even got the decency to refrain from using this man’s death to cast some pointless political slur.
      GPY

  9. Neil Murray

    I hope these scumbags are rounded up quick. And people, come on, start cooking meals for yourselves. It’s this laziness that has poor guys like this out risking their lives for your pathetic junk food.

    1. broadbag

      Great solution, put all the Deliveroo drivers out of a job, so they go from crap income to zero income, their lives will be enhanced no end.

  10. frank

    There’s a Brazillian ‘slave class’ working and living in the country. I hope they use this tragedy to speak about their plight and the landlords and employers that are exploiting them and subsequently destroying communities when it becomes more profitable to courier drugs than pizza.

  12. Paulus

    I sincerely hope the connection here doesn’t appear too tenuous; but I was reminded of a song by the ever-reliable Chris Wood concerning the killing of Brazilian man Jean Charles de Menezes by armed security forces in London in 2005.
    It was a tragic case of mistaken identity.
    But here is a connection and an echo here; that of a young Brazilian man leaving home to earn his living; finding himself in the wrong place at the wrong time and never coming home to his loved ones.
    RIP Thiago.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xVecC8oNJl8

  14. Chris

    With all the talk of ‘slave classes’ and where the poor man was from you forget he was a proud professional, just working hard doing his job. Doing deliveries is a good job, it requires investment and professionalism. This is a tragedy, but if you are worried about a slave class, tip your delivery drivers, heavily, don’t wonder where they are from. They risk their lives to bring the food of a restaurant to your house, you should tip them more than a waiter at a fancy restaurant, who does not risk his life nearly so dramatically to achieve arguably less remarkable results.

    1. Brughahaha

      Why should we have to tip delivery drivers to ensure they are decently paid.? Surely thats his/her employers responsibility ( and deliveroo IS the employer , no matter what tricksy shenanigans the use in their contracts.).

      Legislation preventing this bogus self employment is whats needed , not tips

      Have yiou seen the effects of tips rather than wages up close in the US?..Errr No thanks

      1. Chris

        Hmmm, honestly maybe just throw them a euro or two. If that hurts you I suggest you get up off the couch and get your own food, lessening your responsibility in all this, if you feel that strongly.

        1. Ian-O

          RIP.

          As for some of the comments on here, when did having respect for the dead stop being a thing?

          I truly despair.

  16. Junkface

    Terrible sad events. A hit and run is just appalling for the family to deal with. Those bloody cowards. RIP Thiago.

    Do Deliveroo have safety gear requirements for their delivery cyclists? They should provide helmets for them.

    1. Rob_G

      I’m sure your heart is in the right place, but the solution to cyclists being run over by cars isn’t: “well, maybe they should wear helmets”; the solution is to provide safe infrastructure for cyclists.

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