A Hamburger Order in Indonesia Spurs a Dilemma
Not sponsored by Grab
I never thought a late night dinner order would spur philosophical issues, but consider the following:
You order a large hamburger from a respected hamburger franchise in Jakarta, Indonesia. You choose the “saver” option for delivery. Estimated time of arrival is 11:40pm. At 10:50pm, the driver texts you, saying he is far away and asks you to wait. The message makes no sense to you, because the restaurant is less than 2 kilometers from you. Then you realize the application may have sent a driver from a different area. At 11:00pm, the driver texts you again, saying “sorry, chicken can’t be breast or upper thigh, both have to be mixed with lower thigh or wings, thank you.”
You have ordered a hamburger and a toy. You say, “I ordered a hamburger. What chicken?” Response? “Sorry.” (You are beginning to wonder if you are in Canada rather than Indonesia.)
Around 11:23pm, you get an alert that your order is being delivered, and you head downstairs to the location of your building tower. After some photos back and forth, it appears your driver is not at the location pinpointed in the mobile application, but at the entrance. Other drivers park outside the gate, then walk 300 meters to the apartment tower. You tell him you will walk to his location. You are upset because you are hungry and you are worried you are going to receive chicken instead of beef.
As you walk, you see the driver walking towards you, and you meet in between around 11:30pm. He is polite. You notice he is blind in one eye. Later, you discover your order is perfect. What rating do you give the driver?
Consider:
It is late at night. It is also a holiday.
According to Disability:IN, “People with disabilities in Indonesia have lower educational attainment, worse health, fewer economic opportunities and lesser access to public services than people without disabilities.”
The mobile application asks you to provide specific reasons for not giving a perfect “5” rating. If you give anything less than perfect, even a “4,” you must give a reason.
I gave a 5. I understand Immanuel Kant would be upset with me.
© Matthew Mehdi Rafat (June 2025, from Jakarta)
