Comments on Kathleen Wilson: Still Telling It Like It Is

I've used pre-dawn delivery several times and have never had a problem.

Seems like a quick way to open an informal and impromptu soup kitchen for the Cap Hill homeless...

I get mine delivered in the hour or so before I come home from work. Similar sense of expectation, higher chance of success.

Why wouldn't your buildings concierge just bring the bins up to your condo for you?... I'm confused?

Was this an advertisement or an anecdote.

Was that a question. No.

I don't know of any condos in Cap Hill that have concierges (other than retirement communities). There probably are some but I think they're the exception.

For next time, I like whole wheat instead of rye bread, the lower-sodium butter, and Braeburn apples. The Red Delicious are always a bit bland this time of year.

I blame the squirrels...

If you actually read the piece, it seems more like they do *not* live in a condo.

I hate the idea of this sort of thing. Are you really so lazy that you can't go to one of the four grocery stores on the hill yourself? Oh yeah we also have a farmer's market on Sundays to. And if you absolutely MUST have things delivered to your home why not do a CSA? Does Amazon really need that much more money? Christ...

I'm sure your husband is just thrilled that you're sharing this with us. Are you seeing a marriage counsellor yet?

@10...grocery delivery service seems an odd thing to get your panties in a twist. Are you so lacking targets for your ire that this rises to a level worth commenting on?

I assure you I'm not lazy; perhaps I just use my time differently than you do?

@6 Really? How do people survive without at least minimal staff?... Now I'm really confused (and a little bit frightened).

Amazon Fresh rocks.

Pre Dawn delivery is the shizz.

I use it exclusively for my fresh fruit delivery. I can shop online, select fruit to be delivered, and only buy small quantities at a time, thereby ensuring I don't buy extra that will just go to waste.

Thanks Amazon!

The only pre-dawn delivery I've ever had was nookie runs.

I can do without the fresh groceries ...

@13 - often they use an off-site property management company.

I did just remember a condo that has, or at least had, an on-site manager: the building that is now the Onyx (12th/olive) had an on-site manager when when it was apartments. Don't know if they do now that they've converted to condos. In any case, the manager was an employee of the building owner and didn't live on-site, so I'm guessing they couldn't help with a pre-dawn delivery.

I just had 100,000 bottles of Bile-B-Gone delivered to Mr. Poe.

wow, she didn't mention Cha-Cha, The Lashes or Murder City Devils. Impressive.

Brightly colored plastic bins? How environmentally sensitive! Are they reused (if not busted open)?

How is this better than walking/riding your bike to the grocery store with a cloth bag and not burning an ounce of carbon in the process?

@12...see #20

Also it's always better to buy local(ie the farmer's market or a CSA). It tastes better, it's better for you, it uses much less fuel, and it strengthens the local economy. (Please don't argue that Amazon is local...they may have offices here but you can bet your sweet December strawberries that their produce probably comes from South America, ect.)

Finally since when has anyone on Slog needed a reason to get their panties in a bunch? Isn't that kind of what people do here?

Holy fuck! Did you catch those prices? A quick scan of a handful of things I buy regularly looks like they are about 30% more expensive than QFC. Ouch! No thanks.

This distribution model can be better for the environment than shopping at a traditional Bricks and Mortar grocery store. Think of all the carbon burned delivering to Bricks and Mortar stores scattered throughout a region so that it is close to you. AmazonFresh uses one centrally located distribution facility. Your products are then "car pooled" to you in an efficiently planned route that burns the least amount of carbon. The fact that you walk a block after tons of carbon has been burned getting it close to you is irrelevant. You have to think about the big picture instead of living within your tiny little one block box. Also think about the time when they are delivering all of the other items that Amazon.com carries and prevents multiple trips to many different stores. I promise you it is coming.

@23

Shopping at the farmer's market or joining a CSA delivery service is still far superior to this sort of thing. Also they are WAY more expensive and who knows where they are sourcing their produce...if those apples are from New Zealand then your clever distribution model means diddly as far as carbon output...

At least Amazon Fresh delivers to your zip code. I was told that my neighborhood is not in the target market. Our median income and education levels are too low. Whatever.

They source local whenever possible to provide the freshest product but if you are going to eat apples when they are not in season here in Washington then you are going to get New Zealand product. That is true with any retailer. The way to deal with that is to only buy produce that is in season in Washington at the time you buy it.

@23

What're you, applying for a job with the Bush administration?

One large truck delivering an enormous load of groceries to a grocery store, where customers then collect those groceries on foot, is much more environmentally sound than a fleet of small trucks delivering those groceries to the customers at their individual homes.

For one thing, an automobile produces more than half its pollution during the manufacturing process. So, broadly speaking, the fewer vehicles in a system, the less pollution that system is creating. The b&m grocery store model uses a smaller number of much larger trucks than the home delivery model.

For another thing, larger trucks are more fuel efficient per cargo ton. So, even though a large truck consumes more gas than a small truck, when both trucks are full the larger truck is operating more efficiently.

And your carpool analogy is ridiculous: a carpool implies a larger number of users/cargo per vehicle per trip. Groceries being delivered in bulk to a central distribution point (a b&m grocery store) is much closer to the carpool model (or a park & ride) than having a fleet of vehicles deliver those same groceries to individual customers.

And last but not least, walking to the grocery store rather than having your groceries delivered provides secondary benefits such as exercise and community involvement that the delivery model doesn't account for.

And so, in conclusion, you're on crack.

Thank you for your time and attention in this matter.