Heroes on a scooter: Pizzaboys through the pandemic

[Marcello]

Pizzaboys trough the pandemic
A San Andreas News article

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Author: Luke Marcello
Date: Saturday, 23/05/2020
Tags: Daily, Pandemic, Food
Disclaimer: This article shouldn't represent a source of advice or a potential job opportunity with respect to the material presented. Everything stated in this article is not to be considered as potential investment advice.

Underrated Citizens?

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After 5 months of living reluctantly with the pandemic, which has made its dangerous path into millions of innocent people and indirectly to all of the inhabitants of Earth, things have changed for everyone. We still haven't found a way to get back to our normal comfortable routine, nor have we found a way to live without fearing this virus.
Despite the fact that many citizens have begun to leave their homes again, usually for work issues, the great majority of us still is locked inside. The luckiest people people are doing telework, while the rest feel trapped; many civilians indeed feel the pandemic economically, too. Many have lost their job, which can't be done within a house's four walls. A lot of people have lately visited the Los Santos Charity for first time to get a bag of groceries, out of economic necessity.
People working in public services right now are humans who to be considered pillars of the society: despite the fact that they are in a serious risk of getting sick due to the virus, they are still here, doing their duty, working more for the same amount of cash at the end of the month. Heroes, in one word.

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A couple of members of our news team, disguised as everyday citizens, have performed informal surveys on other residents of the city. When they were asked who are considered heroes trough these quarantine days, roughly 92% replied with "Policemen" or "Medics". Only a small percentage of the pool, roughly 2.2%, stated that people doing food deliveries are to be considered heroes.

The Capone Pizzeria. Photograph by Hlias Papas​

We also asked via another survey, this time online, with a "yes/no" format, if people considered people driving around the empty town with their food are to be considered heroes. Only 37% of the people considered these people a pillar of their society. A rather low number, considering they are the ones who provide the first necessity of man: food.

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What's like being a food delivery person?
We have searched this answer in one of the most direct and effective way: volunteering.
Our colleague, Hlias, had the brilliant idea of taking up service at Capone Pizzeria, the biggest pizzeria throughout the state of San Andreas.

After loading the bike, the pizzaboy sets off for deliveries. Photo by Hlias Papas​

The first thing which is noteworthy is that more or less every scooter was heavily tuned, Italian style. Those scooters should indeed be limited to 50 km/h, while authorities have repeatedly recorded food deliverers doing 130 km/h on a stretch. Unfortunately, Hlias had not noticed the modification, and he flipped himself over after being somewhat abundant with the throttle.
After the unintended Italian gaffe, he set off and started his journey across the city.
While he was gone bringing food, I had the luck of finding a runner who had to deliver another pizza, and so I had the chance to ask him a couple of questions.


Q: How's things working as a courier, these days?
A: It's a part time job that is easy to do, but quite stressful at times, since time is my worst enemy here.
I just have to do deliveries with my faggio, a customer will give me his address and I will drop his pizza in there.

Q: Do you get paid well in this circumstance?
A: Our industry is having a big success these days, especially now in the pandemic. Every one wants deliveries so I always have a job and get paid well enough.

Q: One last question, what did you think about the bonus issued by the government, which doubled the income from the deliveries?
A: I think that it was absolutely necessary, people right now should be at home, but I want to do anything to help in these difficult times. A double payment is as much of a big help for me as the help I provide to people right now.

Right after answering the last question, he has quickly added that "The quicker he gets the pizza to the destination, the higher is the tip", so we let him go on his way on the tweaked-up scooter.

We would have also liked to have a talk with the first citizen, Simon Walker, but he stated that the job he has to do as the Major is extremely important these days, and he couldn't arrange anything with us.

Video Production
To accompany this article, we have prepared a video which sums up the written article. Take into consideration that this can serve as a substitute to the article above.

Residents of Los Santos and the premium subscribers of the SAN News website also have the opportunity to see the behind the scenes footage (video outtakes). We at SAN News recommend to watch this special SAN extra thoroughly, as you might find some interesting bonuses. You should reply to the question in the video by commenting the answer below.

Spoiler: Video unlock: *****

Credits

Special thanks to @Hlias Papas , @Benjamin Miah , @tyrone howard. , @John Strickland for providing media support, such as acting, and taking photos.
Proofread by John Strickland.

 

[Hlias Papas]

MAMA MIA! whos the pizza boy with the perfect Italian accent?

 

[Benjamin.]

It's good to see you guys working tirelessly, so much perfection in the theme, those empty roads / railway station in the video, just perfect!

(( It was a good day when we both died during the video shoot xD ))
P.S. My Shazam App failed to find that song.

 

[Lunacy]

Splendid, and that Italian gaffe was the cherry on top.

 

[Kai Chigga]

OMG is someone choking that pizza boy while he's voice recording? please help him!

 

[Marcello]

It's good to see you guys working tirelessly, so much perfection in the theme, those empty roads / railway station in the video, just perfect!

(( It was a good day when we both died during the video shoot xD ))
P.S. My Shazam App failed to find that song.

Dear Benjamin,
The soundtrack in the outtake video is a 90s videogame soundtrack, I have my doubts that you can find that with Shazam. Thanks for your response by the way.

 

[Zerotonin]

We should be clapping for the pizza boys, not the NHS...

 

[Jaqo]

goodshit brother, keep it up

 

[Franz]

**San Andreas News offices would receive an e-mail from [email protected]**


Dear San Andreas news reporters,

I have personally read your article regarding Heroes on a Scooter and I would like to thank you for highlithing the hardwork of our employees which is of significant importance for the country during the actual quarantine.
I understand that other jobs have higher risk of encountering the virus, however we must not understimate all the people who wakes up everyday and work as food delivery for the families who can't or refrain from going outside.
I, as manager of Little Italy in Idlewood, want to inform you that we have taken all the necessary precautions for our staff, employees and customers. Together, as one, will fight and win against this brutal virus.

Thank you again for your article.

Also, Little Italy management would like to donate $200,000 to your News agency to support and help your employees during this outbreak, you as many others, are important.
Please contact me personally at PH 2.


Signed,
F. Capone

 

[Marcello]

RE: [no mail title]
from: [email protected]

Dear Franz,
We would like to thank you for the kind sign of support of yours, this money will not be shared between the members who have done the job, but it will be used instead for event budget, to make them more endearing for the public.
The precautions are alright, the thing which concerns me the most is the scooter ensemble. It's okay for me, I have italian origins so I can handle those 130cc tuned scooters instead of the classic 49.8cc, but I would suggest you to add a very very small clause saying that scooters are tuned, to avoid, you know, legal actions because one of your scooter was going 130 near the police station.
Again, thanks for your financial support, we hope to provide better services as a news agency, also with the objective of being non-government funded. Will take a lot of effort to make this happen.
Best regards,
LM.