A TikTok user who goes by @emgwaciedawgie has recently requested more control over Uber Eats delivery options. In the comments, people are speaking of bicycle couriers and the realities of getting cold food delivered. The discussion began with a video shared on Aug. 17, in which the creator said she wanted the option to opt out of having a bicycle courier deliver food.
“I wanna be able to opt out of my Uber Eats driver being a bicyclist,” the creator said. “That’s not a driver, it’s a bicyclist.”
The user also clarified that she respects bicycle couriers and their work. However, bicycle delivery usually takes much longer than a car delivery when the restaurant is a few miles away. The creator described seeing a courier who was 18 minutes away while picking up a sandwich. While she acknowledged that the courier was trying to make money and said she would give the person an "awesome tip," she wanted to opt out of it if she could personally.
Both the video's caption and comments drew more attention to the difference between delivery expectations and the realities of getting food from one place to another, mainly when it's not a short distance.
@emgwaciedawgie Is that ok to say like I’m sorry I respect ur hustle I do
♬ original sound - Viral Music Hits
Several commenters said they were not concerned about the type of vehicle but the condition of the food when it arrived. One said they wanted the option to opt out of couriers picking up multiple orders too, especially as they have had food arrive cold or the wrong order be delivered.
Another said they had paid $4.99 for priority delivery and expected their food to arrive hot. The commenter said their bicycle courier traveled 2.5 miles through the Las Vegas summer heat with a lobster roll and fries, and the food was inedible by the time it arrived.
Other users described issues such as spilled drinks and shaken-up food. One commenter recalled a cyclist delivering sushi to them, and they had allegedly pulled the order sideways out of a backpack rather than an insulated food bag. The food was ruined, obviously, but the commenter said that it took two hours of contacting DoorDash to get a refund.
Some commenters, on the other hand, thought bicycle couriers were far from being a problem. One said cyclists in Toronto often go faster because they avoid traffic and do not need to search for parking. Another wrote that the situation was the opposite in New York City because the majority of delivery workers travel on foot or by bicycle. A commenter said they wanted to opt out of car deliveries instead, as parking near their building was difficult.
Some users also mentioned that bicycles were just step one; they got deliveries from scooter riders and even skateboarders.
