UberEats Driver Breaks Down After Only Getting Tipped $1.19 For An Hour's Work — 'Not Even Enough To Cover Gas'
He is struggling to pay his bills.
@deliveryguy100 / TikTok Workers in the food industry are often overworked, underpaid and under an immense amount of stress, including delivery drivers.
One UberEats driver got incredibly raw on TikTok, documenting the hardships of being a delivery driver, working incredibly hard for little money.
The driver broke down after only getting tipped $1.19 after an hour’s work.
In a video that has been viewed over 1 million times, an UberEats driver, Smithson Micheal (@deliveryguy100) gets personal about working so hard and earning so little.
“You know, I wish people knew what it was like to deliver for UberEats, PostMates, DoorDash, all of these companies,” he says, with tear streaks staining his face.
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“I just spent an hour driving around for a $1.19 tip,” he informs viewers while wiping his tears. “Would it hurt y’all to tip us? Throw us $5?”
Michael says the tip money he earns along with the delivery base pay is not even enough to cover the gas costs of driving around to deliver.
“How am I supposed to survive like that?” he asks.
Micheal shares that he is four months behind on rent and is nearly homeless.
“Everything fell apart on me and I haven’t been able to sustain myself or provide for myself. And these are essential services,” he says.
“I just wish people knew what it was like…I wish they understood what it was like to drive for these services.”
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Some TikTok users sympathized with Micheal’s struggles.
“I feel you bro, and it still stands true. lost my job last week so I started doing food delivery. I make $65 a day, just enough to fill my gas tank,” one user shared.
“These food company delivery services were never meant for the driver they were meant to make life easier for the consumer. You’re getting scammed,” another user pointed out.
“If you can't afford to tip at a restaurant, don't go to a restaurant. If you can't afford to tip your delivery driver, don't order delivery,” another user encouraged.
Others believed that corporations including UberEats and DoorDash needed to be held accountable.
These users argued that companies should pay their workers better so that they wouldn’t have to rely on customers’ tip money to afford their bills.
“I find it weird why the customers are the ones who are pressured to tip, how about the actual company y’all work for that makes millions ask them,” one user commented.
“I feel bad and all but blame the food services, they charge mad fees, and then at the end, they still want us to tip 10 bucks I’m sorry but no,” another user wrote.
“Maybe the company should support their workers better. Not people who are also working for their money,” another user added.
Holding UberEats and other food delivery companies accountable was the main purpose Micheal was attempting to convey in his video.
“This video is to raise awareness for all workers in the food industry that aren’t being paid what they are worth. We will win!” he wrote in a comment.
In the U.S., UberEats drivers earn around $15/$20 an hour, with a base pay of $2 to $10 per delivery depending on factors including distance and duration.
Drivers keep 100% of the tips they earn from customers.
Megan Quinn is a writer at YourTango who covers entertainment and news, self, love, and relationships.