Pizza Hut driver shoots robber / gets fired for carrying a gun

[Mike Daniels]

http://www.wave3.com/Global/story.asp?S=1877208&nav=0RZFNDof

I have to say I'm of two minds of this:

Yes, he broke company policy and so technically the company is in its rights to fire him.

However, I sympathize with the delivery guy as well. I did pizza delivery during summer break from college for three years and while it was a cushy, relatively well-paying job, it also put me in some neighborhoods where I was distinctly uncomfortable since I was familiar with the crime rates of those areas. I never would have thought about packing a gun but I can see why someone would want to on occasion.

The simple solution would seem to be for Pizza Hut to eliminate certain areas out of their delivery range due to safety concerns and therefore eliminate any likely danger to their drivers. However, I thought I read somewhere where a delivery chain was sued for refusing delivery to a neighborhood under that type of reasoning so I don't know if it would be legal or not.

[KamaAina]

1. Pizza redlining?!

The simple solution would seem to be for Pizza Hut to eliminate certain areas out of their delivery range due to safety concerns

Ever see the Seinfeld where Elaine can't get the flounder delivered because she's on the wrong side of 86th St., so she occupies a janitor's closet across the street and calls it "Apt. 1Q"?

It didn't work for Elaine, and it won't work for Pizza Hut. How, exactly, do they determine where to draw the line? The history of chain restaurants (Denny's, Shoney's, Cracker Barrel) would indicate that it would be precisely at the point where the population ceases to be lily-white.

Edit: Then again, if the Postal Service can cut off an entire Boston housing project for similar reasons and make them go to a post office nearly a mile away, why not? Fits in perfectly with the master plan for Bush* Amerika, if you ask me.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=158&topic_id=385

Update: Mail service has been restored to the project as of yesterday.

[Mike Daniels]

6. Restaurants are allowed to set some limits in delivery service

Yeah, I saw the episode but most restaurants have limited delivery service and aren't breaking the law in having it.

The location I did delivery for had certain boundaries and yes, sometimes those boundaries were determined by being on one side or the other of a road.

Certain services are obligated by law to be offered to people regardless of where they live (emergency, electrical, etc.) I don't consider restaurant delivery to fall into that essential service need and therefore should have the right to block off service if there is a legitimate safety concern.

If the concern can be proven to be bogus, then the company loses. But crime rates are based on reports to the police and therefore I would think those could be used without being challenged. However, if another area with a higher crime rate than the one being red-zoned gets serviced then you have a legitimate issue.

[Renew Deal]

2. Breaking: NRA boycotts Pizza Slut

:crazy:

[Claire Beth]

3. we don't buy pizza from Pizza Hut because ....

they are BIG republican/Bush supporters.

[plurality]

4. I used to work at Pizza Hut, we had two drivers robbed

One got his ass kicked and lost all his cash (not reimbursed I might add). The other was I third degree black-belt and put two guys in ICU. I don't blame the guy for carrying a gun, think it's kind of shitty he got fired for protecting himself, but I guess Pizza Hut had to maintain it's corporate image of drivers who'll take a beating for the team.

[slackmaster]

7. Company has a right to its policy, employees have the right to ignore it

I've been boycotting Pizza Hut for about 20 years - for having a lousy product.

[plurality]

5. ughh dupe

i hate internet vurps

[Loonman]

8. I didn't carry a gun when I delivered pizza

But I had a weapon on my person and in my car at all times.

[truthspeaker]

9. when I worked for Domino's a fellow driver got shot in the back

It wasn't even a robbery, just a thrill shooting. Some of my coworkers packed heat. I didn't then, but if I took the job again I would. Some neighborhoods were redlined because of violent crime. People don't have a constitutional right to having pizza delivered.