Woman issues warning to those who use their real name while ordering food: "This man wouldn't..."
Ordering food using one's real name and address seems like a completely normal thing to do in a connected world that offers convenience. However, women often go through experiences that force them to question the decisions that most take for granted. Following a pretty unsettling encounter with a delivery driver, TikToker Olivia Ponton raised the alarm against using one's real name while ordering food. In a widely shared video on her TikTok, she warns that ordering food could have unexpected consequences and urges her audience, particularly women, to stop using their real names on food delivery applications.
She’s not just recommending women switch to a man’s name on their profiles, but she’s also advising them to erase any photos or personal details that could reveal their identity. In a now-viral video, she said, "Never put your real name or a photo of yourself on Uber, Uber Eats, Lyft, Doordash, any of it. Let this be your sign... Matter of fact, change it to a guy's name, Jason, Jake, or John. Anything. And just delete the photo." She described feeling utterly shocked and shaking with fear for 20 minutes after her delivery driver allegedly refused to stop banging on her door.
The woman further continued, "I was standing there. I didn't know what to do. I was literally frozen." As if the situation wasn’t unsettling enough, she claimed that the delivery driver blocked the peephole with his bag, leaving her in the dark about who was on the other side of the door. She said, "I couldn't even match up the photo on Uber Eats with him. We're not safe out here." Ponton’s unsettling experience struck a chord with many viewers, sparking a wave of shock and concern in the video’s comment section. One TikTok user, @discolates, commented, “This happened to me 😭 I had a scary experience with Uber Eats once and since then put a picture of a stop sign on my account LOL.”
Another person, @emillyyxrose, wrote, “As someone who delivers for Uber Eats, I have had many girls use different names bc they have kids! I think it’s so smart.” One more TikTok user who goes by the username @faye.alt shared a similar experience stating, “The one time I used Uber Eats my driver stood outside my house for 15 mins after I already got my food. it was lowkey scary.” @kittcatbar suggested, "You need to move to a building w a front desk and doormen that bring the food up to you themselves and don’t let anyone up! I feel much safer that way.”
Uber Eats and several other food delivery applications frequently give drivers personal information about the customers such as name, order ID, and location to guarantee accurate and smooth delivery. While this might be necessary for productivity, it also raises privacy issues. Unfortunately, women still frequently experience men acting in ways that are uncomfortable, improper, and occasionally harmful even in the twenty-first century. These behaviors, which the one executing them might not even be aware of, can cause anxiety in women, who often don't feel comfortable talking about them.
For more such videos, follow @iamoliviaponton on TikTok.