Customer Allegedly Throws Hot Soup At GrabFood Rider After Delivery Delay
Throughout the pandemic, many of us have had the luxury of working from home but frontliners like food delivery riders continue to travel to and fro every day, whether rain or shine.
On 7 Aug, the daughter of a GrabFood rider in Malaysia took to Facebook to recount her father’s everyday experience as a food delivery rider.
We summarise the lengthy post below.
Rider faces long waiting times
On 7 Aug, the daughter of a GrabFood rider in Malaysia, Esther, wrote a Facebook post detailing a typical day in her father’s life.
According to her, he wakes up at 5am every day, plagued with aches, and only eats 2 meals — breakfast at 5.30am and lunch at 8pm.
Despite working for 12 hours daily, he constantly worries if he has made enough deliveries to cover bills.
Recounting one particular incident, the daughter explained that her father had wanted to make one last delivery at 6pm on a Thursday before heading home for dinner with his family.
He received a job at a Korean food restaurant and arrived there in less than 5 minutes.
Upon arrival, the restaurant owner reportedly threw him a displeased look and curtly instructed Grab drivers to wait outside.
After 30 minutes, Esther’s father received a message from the customer, apparently demanding a reason for why the delivery was taking so long.
Panicking, he went to check on the order but the owner simply glared at him, raising his voice and asking him to wait outside.
Esther’s father then explained the situation to the customer, who replied that he would give a low rating.
Customer allegedly throws hot soup at GrabFood rider
After 20 long minutes, the order was ready and Esther’s father quickly set off, riding as fast as he could.
Upon seeing the customer, he hurriedly apologised. However, the customer reportedly cut him off and asked him not to be rude.
Stunned, Esther’s father simply handed the order over.
Instead of walking away with his order, the customer allegedly took out a piping hot bowl of soup and threw it at the rider.
He then retorted, “So f*cking long better don’t deliver next time”.
Esther didn’t mention whether her father responded to the comment. But tired, confused, and upset, he eventually headed home after a long day.
He arrived 2 hours late for dinner that day in damp clothes, with puffy eyes and burns on his skin.
While this incident in itself is shocking, she noted that this wasn’t the first time her father had met with harsh remarks and curses from impolite customers.
Rather than take them to heart, he chooses to remain grateful that he still has a job during the pandemic.
Daughter calls for kindness & respect
In her Facebook post, Esther said that it pains her to know that her father is often subjected to emotional abuse.
She added that with Malaysia’s Movement Control Order (MCO) is still ongoing, families and businesses continue to suffer.
Delivery riders, for instance, face insults despite dealing with long waiting times and risking their lives on the road every day.
They are also at the mercy of an app that customers rate based on their mood and standards.
Identifying these issues, Esther called for the public to be kind to one another.
After all, everyone is fighting their own battles. The least we can do is treat one another with empathy, kindness, and respect.
Be understanding towards riders
Food delivery riders work for long hours, putting in high levels of physical and emotional labour in their line of duty.
As customers, we are blessed with the convenience of waiting comfortably in our homes for food to arrive at our doorstep.
So, do remember to treat delivery riders with the respect and understanding they deserve.
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Featured image adapted from Facebook and Singapore’s Impact On The Earth, for illustration purposes only.
