On Wednesday, a Taiwanese netizen uploaded a photo of a strange sight to the Facebook group Baofei Commune II (爆廢公社二館). It was a shot of a Foodpanda deliveryman in Taiwan making the rounds on a vehicle that’s uncommonly used for such tasks — the big BMW K 1200 R super-naked sports tourer. Affixed on the rear was Foodpanda’s recognizable pink food box.
The poster’s caption roughly translated to: “Do you feel sad when making deliveries? Riding a heavy BMW motorcycle to make deliveries. It's embarrassing that you only make NT$29 per delivery.” The photo is being shared, attracting comments from both Taiwan and Veitnam. Some appeared to mock the delivery rider’s choice… "He was just looking for an excuse to take it for a ride." "The life of rich people is like this… Dull and boring." "He doesn't lack money, just looking for something to do." "Poverty limits my imagination.” “Delivery for fun, what's the profit?”
Other people defended the rider’s choice, or were simply amused… "Even if he made deliveries in a Ferrari, it's none of your business." "What's wrong with people having other interests?" "It's an NT$29 service fee, OK? Who said you can't ride a heavy BMW motorcycle to make deliveries?" "What brother is delivering is coolness." "High-end deliveryman." “Staying at home is sad so he does it because of passion.”
In Asia, it’s more common to see bike deliveries made on small-displacement motorcycles, underbones, and scooters. On the one hand, seeing a sport bike carrying cargo is a relatively unusual sight anywhere. On the other hand, BMW K 1200 R is actually a large naked supersport that is often used for sports touring. It isn’t rare to see luggage strapped to this Beemer… But spotting a food delivery box on one is still pretty funny considering how much the job pays compared to how much a BMW is.
Who knows? What if it isn’t his only ride, but his scooter was out of commission that day? What if it is? What if he either needs quick cash or wants to make extra on the side? Maybe he's just killing time. We can only speculate. Besides, cars actually stick to their lanes in Taiwan while two-wheelers filter between them and are given designated spaces at traffic lights. During rush hour in urban centers like Taipei, two-wheelers have a clear advantage regardless of displacement… So whether your Foodpanda rider is on a scooter or a big bike in Taiwan, you’ll probably get your goodies in a timely manner.
