Can we just be honest?
Nobody cares about your problems.
There. I said it. Can we move on now?
Are your feelings hurt? Can you show me where the bad mans words touched you?
I have a question for you. Since when did bitching about your job become a thing? "It didn’t," you say? Why then - every time I go online is there a new story about some UberEats or Amazon driver bemoaning the difficulty of their work? When did it become fashionable for journalists to do hit pieces on companies that provide people opportunities by holding companies accountable for actions of customers or the employees themselves?
A few months ago both the NYT and the San Francisco Chronicle did hit pieces on DoorDash about a driver whose kids were kidnapped when his car was stolen on the job. Neither article held the driver accountable for actually bringing his kids to work with him. In fact, they advertised a Go Fund Me account that actually rewarded the man over $100,000 for his irresponsibility!
Fast forward to this week, and the entrepreneur-hating press seems to have found a new virtue signaling fave after sandwiching many other gig disparate articles between. The New York Post has this story documenting the tribulations of Smithson Michael, who did a TikTok video that was picked up by news agencies and used adjectives like tragic, and heartbreaking to describe the crying TikTokers rant over a dollar tip. Pro tip Michael…It happens. Get over it pal - because, guess what? - it’s gunna happen again and again and again. Any rational, responsible person knows this, in fact, Michael - I would gander that you know it as well.
When did my job become such a harbinger of dread? I chose this job and I treat it as a
business that I own…because it's just that. I learn the ins and outs and all the stuff in between to become more efficient and thus more profitable at my business. I use all the tools of tax deductions, mileage or otherwise, at my disposal to help me reach profitability. I'm always looking for new ways to cut fat from my operation to increase my take home pay. It’s interesting that probably 70% of drivers I ask about tracking mileage don’t do it when it’s potentially their biggest tax write off. And guess what? I know enough about my area to not take a delivery that’s going to take me an hour and offer me a payout of three bucks when the company I work for is giving me enough detail about the order that help me decide to accept it or pass on it.
Why isn’t there ever much concern over a semi truck driver and his plight? We’re talking about the same thing, except among the benefits I have that no trucker (or office worker does for that matter) is that I can log off anytime I want to and go home to play Xbox, watch TV, take a nap, go to a last minute event, study, etc.
Please stop it! It’s embarrassing. I’m embarrassed for you. If you don’t want to, or you can’t do the job - then quit. Don’t disparage those who can make money doing this work. Don’t denigrate those who can do this job and enjoy the many benefits of it.
We make choices in life. We are responsible for our outcomes and the decisions we make that get us there. Do situations occur that are beyond our control? Certainly. But crying about a dollar tip is not one. Neither is leaving your kids in a running car. Just stop.
You made bad life decisions that have you delivering pizza? On you. You decided to pursue the tortured artists life where you can’t perform a 9 to 5 and rely on the freedom of an odd hour job? On you. You don’t take advantage of tax deductions and think a magic tax fairy will show up and do your deductions for you? On you.
And understand something else… Those of us that do this gig work aren't in it to achieve victim status, we’re too busy working and managing our businesses.
But, should you be so inclined, this author/driver/tortured artist is always down for a little tragic victimhood portrayal for anyone out there that wants to setup a Go Fund Me account in my name… On you, of course.
I hear there are no taxes on them. Just sayin...
Happy Trails
Should gigs require a minimum tip be added to orders?
- 0%yes
- 0%no