Uber Eats driver issues heartbreaking message after delivery order gone wrong: ‘Totally unacceptable’

Should you tip your Uber Eats driver? That question is at the dead center of a new, heartbreaking viral video.

Delivery worker Riley Elliot posted the clip on Feb. 17, following an alleged 45-minute order that left him in tears. His message: Tip your delivery drivers.

“Y’all I wish people who order Uber Eats or DoorDash understood what it’s like to be a driver,” Elliot says in his video.

The TikToker goes on to claim that he spent 45 minutes dropping off an order that ultimately earned him just $1.

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As Elliot explains, his customer “refused” to meet him outside, so he had to pay $3 to park. After it was all said and done, he received $2.50 from Uber Eats and a $1.50 tip from the customer.

Subtracting his parking fees, that’s 45 minutes of work for only $1 — not including gas.

Elliot, fighting back tears, goes on to describe his difficult financial situation. He says he works multiple jobs and will be kicked out of his apartment if he can’t prove a higher income than what he currently makes.

“It’s all because people don’t tip their delivery drivers,” Elliot adds.

Ultimately, the TikToker’s point is that without tips, delivery drivers for apps like Uber Eats and DoorDash can earn horrible hourly wages. According to a 2018 study by USA Today, Uber Eats drivers earn somewhere between $10 and $15.57 on average, before paying for fees like gas and parking charges.

TikTok users were largely sympathetic to Elliot’s story, although some disagreed over who was to blame.

“We need to take care of our workers,” one user wrote.

“Totally unacceptable,” another added.

“It’s 100 percent the company’s fault for not paying their employees enough, and for charging so much in extra fees,” another wrote.

“Hon, it’s not about the tips,” another agreed. “Your employer refuses to pay you what you deserve. You deserve better.”

Elliot, for his part, posted a follow-up video addressing the debate. In his new clip, he acknowledged that Uber Eats and DoorDash should pay their drivers more. However, he also begged customers to refrain from punishing drivers for that issue.

“We do however live in a society in America where it’s expected that most of a service worker’s income is from tips,” he says. “We usually make less than minimum wage because companies expect their customers to tip, and this is one thing that has to change.”

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