Hello, again—-
Yep, been awhile. I keep promising I will add content regularly and then……I disappear for a year again. I will get the hang of things eventually. Maybe I should set a reminder?
Anyway, I have something I want to discuss. In general, it’s on tipping service people, because if there’s one thing I’ve discovered during the Time Of COVID, it’s that us white people are some overbearing, entitled motherfuckers. Not only do we generally come from a place of privilege granted simply by our melanin-deficient mugs, but we somehow think we EARNED it. Now that's some shit! And while this was driven home most uncomfortably in the early days of lockdown, nowhere have I seen the affects so starkly as when I decided to start driving for GrubHub.
Now, I have a decent full-time career, and I admit, I’ve mainly started delivery driving as a way to break up the monotony of Lockdown Life. I love my life, my husband and my dog, but we could all use a bit of a break from each other, even BEFORE my dog managed to get herself skunked (which is a story for another time). I only take short blocks of 1-1 1/2 hours, and they’re usually during non-peak times (those fill up fast) but one thing I’ve learned in my short time: all of you need to seriously re-assess where you are on the privilege spectrum. You’re willing to fork out money to order takeout, be a pain in the ass by changing orders or adding orders or whatever, ordering INSANE amounts of food, and then what? Tip $1.00???? Now I’m picking on white folks here, but I admit, I’ve rarely come face-to-face with any of my delivery customers thanks to Contact Free Delivery. I’m mainly assuming, but even if it isn’t ALL white people, I’m still picking on you because honestly, it carries over into what I see in grocery stores, restaurants, and any other business still running during this time.
What I’m saying is, this is a trying time for everyone, and we’re all facing our own sets of personal challenges. Do you really want to be the reason someone else’s life is a little more difficult? I think this is a serious question you should ask yourself before you interact with another human. Take a moment and say, “Would saying/doing this make me ANY level of asshole?” Chances are, what you’re about to do, will.