This just in: Word that a huge North American automobile manufacturer and a huge North American pizza chain are teaming up.
No, they’re not going to be making pizzas shaped like sedans. And no, they’re not going to be making sedans emblazoned with pepperoni and mushrooms.
They’re going to be experimenting with pizza delivery in an unorthodox way — by using self-driving cars.
Interesting, I say, and more than a tad perplexing.
Not really sure whether this is because pizza delivery drivers by the ga-zillion have taken to doing other things. Like delivering Chinese, say.
Not really sure who cleans up the pie if the car has to brake suddenly and the meal lands on the dashboard.
And not remotely sure how the pizza will get to the door, but I’m guessing the self-driving car will give me a jingle when it’s two minutes away so that I can go out and fetch my dinner. (At least there’ll be no tip involved. If the car can’t make it to my doorstep, there’s no darned way I’ll be handing it a toonie.)
A different world, this is. Next thing I know, pizza will be made by robots. Next thing I know, said robots will be serving me dinner and pouring my wine in fine-dining establishments. Next thing I know, they’ll be delivering my mail and bagging my food at the grocery store.
But self-driving cars delivering pizza? Huh?
This, apparently, is not the wave of the future, but the wave of the present. Drivers? Hey, they’re so yesterday.
Before long, we may not need them in taxis or on buses, either. We’ll just hop aboard and take our seats.
Heck, the next time I order something online, chances are it will be delivered by a driver-less courier. The vehicle, I am guessing, will just give me a driver-less toot when it pulls up, and it will be up to meet to go out and fetch my parcel. Not sure how the vehicle will be able to prevent me from also helping myself to other people’s parcels, but hey, there are kinks to be worked out, right?
But heck, if this pizza-delivery experiment ends up taking off, I’ll be sure to jump on the driver-less band wagon.
As long as my pizza arrives hot and intact, I don’t much care if a human presents it. People can be over-rated sometimes. And really, it’s all about food.
