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Lifestyle3 min(s) read
Published 13:32 22 Feb 2021 GMT
A heartbreaking video by an UberEats delivery driver has highlighted the importance of customers leaving a tip.
Uploaded to TikTok earlier this week, the video by Riley Elliot [legal name Riley Todd], lays bare the financial hardships faced by many food delivery drivers.
While Riley revealed in a subsequent video that he had just nine followers at the time of posting, his video widely resonated with TikTok users, he has now amassed over 17,000 followers.
In the viral video, Riley can be seen crying in a vehicle after completing a food delivery job.
He says: "Y'all I wish that people who order UberEats or Doordash understood what it's like to be a driver."
He explained that he was paid just $2.50 for the 45-minute job, and he had to pay $3 parking as the customer refused to come outside to meet him, and they tipped just $1.50.
"I gotta prove three times rent for income in two weeks and I can't," he said. "It doesn't matter that I'm working multiple jobs, that I barely sleep, that I can barely afford to feed myself. I'm about to be homeless for the third time since May and it's all because people don't tip their delivery drivers.
"Like, how hard is it to throw us five bucks?"
He added in the caption: "I'm out here risking my life in a pandemic and no one cares."
The video was subsequently shared on Twitter where, at the time of writing, it has been viewed over 3.7 million times.
A debate was subsequently sparked on Twitter about why Jones was being paid just $2.50 for 45 minutes' work in the first place.
One Twitter user wrote: "It's very nice that people are trying to help this man, but the real problem is - why is he getting paid only $2.50 from Ubereats? What sort of crazy wage is that?!!? People shouldn't have to go out there and BEG for tips in order to survive. We need fair pay!"
A second added: "Lmao, where is your anger for the multi million [sic] dollar delivery/food/service industries who refuse to pay their workers properly? The onus should not be on the customer to supplement the person’s wage.
"Companies shouldn’t treat American service workers like sh*t. Pressure them."
Meanwhile, a third Twitter user took a more balanced view of the situation, writing: "It's devastating and horrifying. These people, from the corporations to the bad tippers themselves, need to be called out."
Riley revealed in a subsequent video that as a result of his original TikTok, he has now received enough donations to move into a new home.
However, while Riley's situation might have improved, it is important to remember that there are countless others like him the next time you order food.
