Delivery Drivers Share 41 Moments That Got People Banned From Ever Getting Pizza Again

Blacklisting customers has always been a safety precaution used by companies to help keep their employees safe, but nowadays, with services like Uber Eats, DoorDash, and Grubhub, it has almost become the norm for these types of companies. After all, everything is digital now, and it’s much easier to track problematic customers.

In fact, several studies involving delivery drivers indicate that, in the U.S. alone, 77% of grocery and food delivery drivers reported being actively targeted by customers on the job within a single year. This usually comes in the form of verbal altercations or even physical harassment, and it doesn’t always get reported, since isolated incidents don’t always lead to a ban.

The fact that some isolated cases often go unnoticed has even led to a rise in drivers' self-blacklisting. According to a survey, 26% of drivers have refused to complete a delivery or go near a certain address after feeling unsafe while doing their job. Most of the stories here show the kind of danger they often face.

Situations like robberies and physical altercations are fairly common, and companies may even ban an entire neighborhood because of these incidents. Some stories also mention that it’s not uncommon for people to set up fake orders to steal from delivery drivers who are simply trying to do their jobs. Yikes.

It’s not always a safety issue, though. While companies may create no-go zones, it isn’t always fear for employee safety that leads them to do so — sometimes, it’s just because of scammers. Experts have referred to this as “friendly fraud,” a common type of delivery scam that has become increasingly widespread.

Nowadays, some people falsely claim that an item or order never arrived. It has become a “victimless” way to dine and dash, similar to what many people used to do in the past, and around 30 out of every 1,000 orders end up with a refund request. Unfortunately, delivery drivers are often blamed for these claims, even when the reports are fake.

Usually, these situations can lead to pretty serious consequences. From being placed in dangerous or potentially traumatic situations to nearly losing their livelihood because of rising scam rates, delivery drivers are among the most mentally strained workers in the modern gig economy.

Psychologists have studied the mental health of food delivery drivers and found that many show signs of high stress, chronic anxiety, and severe burnout. Not only is their job at the mercy of customer ratings, but it can also take just a single 1-star review to put their work at risk. On top of that, it’s a financially precarious job, which only adds to the pressure.

If you look at it from a social perspective, it’s also quite an isolating job. You spend hours upon hours driving or sitting in traffic, and the only interactions you usually have are while delivering food. And judging by these testimonies, it’s not hard to imagine that those interactions are often unpleasant, and sometimes even dangerous.

It’s truly one of those jobs where you have to accept that there are occupational hazards, do your best to protect yourself, and hope the company does the same. But what about you, dear reader? Do you have any food delivery stories you’d like to share? Let us know!