Summary

An Uber Eats driver recounts a traumatic incident of physical assault by a customer, reflecting on the dangers and lack of support in the gig economy, and decides to take self-defense measures.

Abstract

The author, an Uber Eats driver, shares a harrowing experience where they were punched by a customer while attempting to deliver food and adhere to the company's PIN verification system. Despite reporting the incident, the driver feels unsupported by Uber and traumatized by the event, leading to a day of inactivity and contemplation about the risks of working in the gig economy. The driver, who has experienced various forms of abuse since starting in 2018, points out the lack of protection, low pay, and high expenses faced by gig workers. In response to the increasing dangers, the driver has decided to carry weapons such as pepper spray and a taser for self-defense, while also suggesting an app for cashback on gas to mitigate expenses. The narrative underscores the darker aspects of gig work, including safety concerns and financial strain, despite the initial allure of flexibility and self-employment.

Opinions

The author feels that Uber Eats does not adequately protect or value its drivers, exemplified by the lack of meaningful response to the reported assault.
The gig economy is criticized for its false promises of being one's own boss and having a flexible schedule, without acknowledging the risks and financial difficulties involved.
The driver expresses frustration over the lack of tips and the expectation to work for minimal pay, which does not compensate for the wear and tear on vehicles or the rising cost of gas.
There is a sense of camaraderie among gig workers, as evidenced by the sharing of self-defense strategies and tools in online forums.
The author has lost the sense of satisfaction that came with gig work due to safety concerns, indicating a shift in perspective after the assault incident.
The driver's decision to carry weapons for protection reflects a personal response to the perceived increase in danger associated with gig economy jobs.

The Dark Side of the Gig Economy

An open letter to Uber Eats

I am a Uber Eats driver. From now on, all deliveries are NO-CONTACT. I don’t care if it requires a PIN number, I don’t care if it says “Meet me at the door.” Everything will be delivered as a “No Contact” delivery. Because what happened to me should never happen to anyone.

If you are familiar with Uber Eats, it is a food delivery service. Lately, some customers have been complaining that they are not getting their food for whatever reason. So Uber developed a PIN number system in which the customer has to give the driver a PIN number and the driver needs to enter it into the app in order to keep on delivering and move onto the next order.

I think, but I’m not sure, that the customer is the one who sets this up because only some orders require a PIN and some don’t so I think maybe it is up to the customer to require this.

Anyhow, to make a long story short, I received such an order the other day on Saturday morning at 7:00 AM. No big deal, I was working the breakfast crowd. Got an order for McDonalds. Had a pretty good tip on it so I picked it up. It was to be delivered to a hotel room. The order said to hand it to the customer and also to get a PIN number from the customer. So I knocked on the door. A woman answered and I said very politely, “You were provided a PIN number may I have that number?”

She seemed to already be upset about something and grabbed the bag out of my hand and said, “You will give me my food because I paid for it!” “Just give me my food!” and slammed the door in my face.

I’m used to this type of abuse from customers, so like I said earlier, I had to enter the PIN number so I could move to the next delivery. So I knocked on the door and said to her to give me the PIN number through the door. She didn’t even have to open it.

She opened the door and punched my in my chest and shouted the PIN number to me and slammed the door in my face again.

After catching my breath from her punching me in my chest I finally entered the PIN number and walked downstairs. I asked to speak to the manager. The lady on duty said the manager was not there and so I told her what happened and she took my name and number.

I got in the car and called Uber to report the incident. Just got a bunch of “I’m sorry this happened to you,” BS from some woman who could barely speak English. I hung up the phone I knew nothing was going to get done, because Uber doesn’t really care about its drivers.

I cried on the way back home. I didn’t really realize how much I was traumatized by this incident until I got back in my car, and got off the phone with Uber.

When I got home, my husband told me to call the police and press charges. I didn’t want the drama. Besides I felt like it would have just been a “He said, she said” situation in which I would tell my side of the story and she would probably deny that she punched me and since there were no witnesses the police would just write up a report and nothing would really get done.

I laid in bed the whole day, paralyzed to get back out there and work. I heard on the news recently that a Texas Uber Eats driver and mother of 3 were killed while dropping off a food delivery or the recent story of an ‘Outgoing’ Instacart shopper identified as Richland Fred Meyer shooting victim.

I have been doing food delivery with Doordash and Uber Eats since 2018 and have to deal with all types of abuse from customers and restaurant workers, and these company’s don’t care about us.

Not really…. We are very disposable. The market is oversaturated by drivers who were looking to get into the gig economy with promises of “being your own boss and having a flexible schedule.” But nobody talks about the dark side of food delivery work. The fact that gas prices are through the roof and we have to wear out our cars for very little money. And work long hours for ungrateful customers who do not tip or refuse to tip. Like someone who expects you to drive 12 miles to deliver their food and tips you $2 and the lousy $2 base that Uber Eats or DoorDash pays, making the trip $4. To drive 12 miles? Really?

Or like when you work Instacart and the customer expects you to shop for 50 to 100 items and drive 7 miles to their house to deliver their groceries and you look on the app and it says that Instacart has paid you $7 but the customer left “NO tip.” Really?

Anyway, the bottom line is that I used to work the gig economy and feel good about it. I no longer feel good about it. I don’t feel safe. What happened to me happened at 7 AM in broad daylight. So there should not be any danger working in the daytime…but there is.

Don’t get me wrong, some good has come out of this job. But I feel like maybe it’s time to move on.

Update: 3/11/2022

I have decided to stay in the gig economy. But I now carry a weapon. Not only do I have pepper spray, I am also going to purchase a lipstick taser gun from Amazon. Ladies, if you want one too, you can purchase one here. On the Facebook groups Dashers are using anything from guns, to rifles, to bug spray, to hammers, you name it, and I don’t blame them!

I installed an app called GetUpside https://app.getupside.com/ You can get cash back when you use the services of different gas stations and restaurants. By the way, if you do decide to sign up, you can use my promo code: KRISTEN9598.

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