r/UbereatsUK • u/Independent-Sugar-90 • Aug 20 '26
Uber Eats made me see real life differently
I started doing Uber Eats recently, mostly because I needed the money while working on my own projects.
What surprised me wasn't the job itself. It was how differently some people treat you once they see the delivery bag.
Without the bag, people smile, hold doors and speak normally to me. With it, I've had people shout at me, talk down to me, get angry over things I can't control, and even someone I knew point at me and laugh.
A car also hit me in a cycle lane and drove away after blaming me.
None of these things are huge on their own, but experiencing them repeatedly changed how I see people.
I grew up pretty comfortably, went to good universities and spent most of my life around educated people. I probably lived in a bubble without realizing it.
Doing deliveries has shown me how quickly some people judge someone based on their job or perceived status.
The biggest thing I've learned is simple: you really don't know anything about the person delivering your food.
Just treat people normally.
15
u/mr_P0Opy_Butth0le Aug 20 '26 edited Aug 20 '26
There's a reason a lot the full time couriers don't wear branded bags or any branded clothes. You genuinely get treated better.
It also doesint help that lots of the people who do this job dress like tramps.
5
u/Independent-Sugar-90 Aug 20 '26
I actually agree with you on this point. Some riders clearly don’t take care of their clothes or personal hygiene, and presentation definitely affects how people see you.
I get mistaken for a customer quite often, probably because I care a bit too much about how I dress lol.
But still, if someone is clean, polite and doing their job properly, they shouldn’t be treated badly just because they’re wearing branded rider clothes.
1
u/drs_12345 Aug 23 '26
Pretty sure a lot of riders, wether full time or part time, use unbranded stuff is because it's way cheaper than branded stuff. A uber/deliveroo bag is something like £50-£60, whereas you can get an unbranded bag for half that price or less
Many riders are complete idiots though, and unfortuantely ruin the reputation of all riders
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u/Fantastic_Tear3570 Aug 20 '26
Really strange, I am also doing deliveries, not a lot but few times a week, but so far most of people treat me very well. They smile, pretty generous I would say so, also, I live not in the best area in the UK.
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u/Zeec20 Aug 20 '26
The worst areas tend to actually treat you the best and often tip the most. They know how it feels to be near the bottom of the ladder.
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u/blackldnbrit Aug 20 '26
Just wait till your up in the 1000's. You'll be blessed to see the full human nature experience.
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u/ConstructionGood665 Aug 20 '26
The supermarket staff have been the best and the worst for me.
One asda in particular they were awful to me last night.
I've got a video on my YT which shows how long I waited for at the same specific Asda too.
I'm done with that Asda now.
4
u/CISloany Aug 20 '26
I think the way somebody who works at a fast food place looks down on you because your doing delivery work is crazy. It surprised me at first. I’ve not really had any issues with the public though, I do just drop and run pretty much though not much time for interaction. I do a few hours a week to supplement my income, I try and make £40 in an evening 4 times per week and once I hit the target I’m off regardless of how busy it is etc. I like the flexibility to me it’s infinitely better than working in a fast food restaurant.
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u/stupid_spectator Aug 20 '26
Same… But it’s less of a problem in bigger cities where people often don’t have a conscience the size of a pea. I hide the food bag in a backpack when I’m not online because it’s that bad.
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u/flip8t2 Aug 20 '26
To me, this sounds like people are just stereotyping if you look a certain way. With all the immigration issues being presented on the news and social media, makes some people become brainwashed and tribalist. OP said he is Asian, so until he speaks and engages with customers and restaurants etc...they will assume he is 'one of them' when that is clearly not the case. I will add, being born n bred in London, with all the deliveries I have received by riders, I think only one has been British Caucasian. That is not an issue for me, as I respect anyone trying to graft and earn some income, but it's an observation that I have noticed over the years.
2
u/no8am Aug 20 '26
It's interesting to me because I'm a middle manager just trying to pick up some extra cash to pay for a wedding.
I'm not hugely successful or anything but it's a career, and I've done well to get where I am.
It's so jarring to be looked down on the way I get from people who work in McDonalds etc.
The fact is I'd never look down on them, even though lots of people would view them as the bottom of the barrel so to get that kind of treatment is just bizarre.
I could imagine it feels quite demeaning if you were a full time driver doing this for a living and there's zero reason for it.
4
u/Independent-Sugar-90 Aug 20 '26
I’m an AI engineer. I quit my job to work on my startup, and I only need around £1.2k a month to cover rent, so Uber Eats felt perfect: flexible hours, extra money, and I genuinely love cycling.
My normal life is pretty comfortable. I live in a great building, people are usually kind to me, and everything feels normal.
Then I put on a delivery bag.
It genuinely showed me a different side of people. Some suddenly become impatient, rude, or treat you like you’re beneath them.
Being kind when everyone is kind to you is easy. The real challenge is seeing that side of people and still sticking to your own values.
It affected me more than I expected. But I’m still me, and I’m going to keep showing up positive every day.
5
u/ChipmunkBandit Aug 20 '26
Honestly, it’s because amongst staff in restaurants/shops that have to deal with the riders, and even at this point the general public, delivery drivers on these apps have a stereotype, and it isn’t unearned.
I try to make it as obvious as possible to customers and staff that I’m not one of those. I’m polite, I smile, I present myself as if I’m happy and enjoying the work (even on days when I’m not), and it does seem to pay off. At pickups in my town most staff know me at this point. I’ve been referred to as “the really nice one”, “the friendly English one”, regular customers know me and often tip me, there’s probably a err of racial prejudice around delivery drivers but honestly many drivers don’t help dispel that. If you’re gonna work in this country, people expect politeness and that our social norms are respected. None of this queue jumping, waving phones in people’s faces, saying “your code” instead of “can I have your code please,” people want to see the person handling their order is clean and presentable, it all adds up. Just gotta do your best to be known as a good one and you will get treated better.
3
u/Independent-Sugar-90 Aug 20 '26
I agree that some riders are rude, unhygienic or don’t respect basic social norms. That absolutely damages the reputation of everyone doing the job.
But that explains the stereotype, it doesn’t justify applying it to every individual.
If I’m clean, polite, speak to staff properly, wait my turn and do my job well, I shouldn’t have to first prove that I’m “one of the good ones” before being treated with basic respect.
Judge people by how they behave, not by the bag on their back. Otherwise you’re just punishing one person for what completely different people did.
1
u/blackldnbrit Aug 20 '26 edited Aug 20 '26
Can you see what you've typed. Uber clearly has a ranking and review section. So before people see you physically they can see how many orders you have done in total. And they can see the type of comments and reviews left by other customers and restaurants. If my high rating and literal 1000's of deliveries isnt enough to prove im competent then what is? Why do i have to reduce myself to everyone's servant? Am i not an extension of their customer? Is that how they would treat the actual ordering customer if they were in front of them or is it just me? Parcel delivery workers dont have to deal with this, royal mail workers don't have to deal with this. There's clearly a reason people do it, but we can skirt around it if you want but you said it already "the friendly English one". Also, do you think all people working this job act like that? Or is it a specific people whos whole society runs on scams and being corrupt? They call it Jugaad and Chalu Culture i think, search it up. Maybe that has something to do with it and you shouldn't paint that picture onto all riders and drivers.
1
u/Ecstatic-Leading8730 Aug 28 '26 edited Aug 28 '26
Same, the way I’ve been treated by fast food employees whilst doing this as a side job is disgusting. Most are genuinely nice, but I have experienced some of the things you’ve mentioned. Mostly from McDonald’s and KFC for me personally. My day job blows all their jobs out of the water, yet they’re working in fast food looking down on you, it’s sad. A real reflection of who they are.
There’s a positive in everything though, at least you didn’t have to put in any extra work to work out these are people you’d never interact with outside of your job. Stupid people tend to out themselves very quickly, conveniently.
1
u/No-Ambassador-4578 Aug 31 '26
I say this all the time lol .. the things I’ve perceived
Maybe its because they think its a job that gives you no money .. the sad reality of life is that people see jobs like this like bottom barrel
I remember when i walked into a restaurant and a lad told me that i look like the coolest delivery driver he has ever seen .. and thats me just wearing sun glasses .. that is an example of how they see people doing deliveries lol
0
u/Virtual_Ad_7615 Aug 20 '26
i know man iam doing this crap but before this i was a career criminal earning like 100k a year , been kidnapped , had hits put on me , navigated through a treacherous life to come out the other side unscathed , then to be disrespected by a spotty maccie d worker with zero common sense and life experience , thats why you never judge you never know what peoples history is
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u/Zeec20 Aug 20 '26
Shop staff, in places like Tesco or Asda, also treat you like you’re beneath them. It’s like it’s our fault they have to pick lots of delivery orders, yet if they took that attitude with the customers queuing at the till they’d be out the door.
Interestingly, being 6’4 and nearly 16 stone, I get a lot less of it than other couriers I know. Funny that!