A TikTok video has gone unexpectedly viral after it shocked viewers by exposing the reality of the financial hardships of people who work as drivers for food-delivery companies. The clip was uploaded by user Riley Elliot back in 2021 (although he clarified that his legal name is Riley Todd until he’s married). According to a subsequent video, he only had 9 followers at the time – all of whom were his close friends. But his video clearly resonated. It’s been widely viewed on TikTok, amassing hundreds of thousands of likes and comments, and Elliot’s account has blown up – he now has more than 17,000 followers. In the video, Elliot is sitting in a vehicle, clearly distressed after having completed a food delivery job. He says: “Y’all I wish that people who order UberEats or Doordash understood what it’s like to be a driver.” Sign up to our new free Indy100 weekly newsletter In tears, he goes on to explain that he was only paid $2.50 for the 45-minute job, and had to pay $3 for parking as the customer wouldn’t come outside to meet him. He added that the customer gave him only a $1.50 tip. “I gotta prove three times rent for income in two weeks and I can’t. It doesn’t matter that I’m working multiple jobs, that I barely sleep, that I can barely afford to feed myself. I’m about to be homeless for the third time since May and it’s all because people don’t tip their delivery drivers. Like, how hard is it to throw us five bucks?” In the on-screen caption, he added: “I’m out here risking my life in a pandemic and no one cares.” Elliot's sudden increase in popularity helped him turn his life around and is now reportedly in a much better place. A successful GoFundMe page, that is still active for Elliot has raised more than $20,000 for him. Elliot's clip was also shared on Twitter, where it has been viewed 3.4 million times. The responses largely echoed the comments on the TikTok video, with people sympathising with Elliot while also debating whether blaming the customers for a lack of tips is the solution, as opposed to holding the delivery companies accountable. In a video posted later the same day, Elliot explained that he had received an overwhelming amount of support, as well as donations which allowed him to move into a new home. @elliot_wanders THANK YOU SO MUCH!!! #ubereatsdriver #fyp #tipyourdeliverydriver #payitforward #tiktokchangedmylife He also addressed comments that referenced expensive items visible in his video, explaining that his income has drastically changed since the start of the pandemic – as has been the case for so many Americans. In a later follow-up, Elliot acknowledged that the blaming customers entirely was not helpful, and that he believed that food-delivery companies that rely on gig workers should bear more responsibility to ensure drivers are paid fairly. He added that this is a broader issue too, highlighting the tip-based culture which exists in the service industry in America. While Elliot appears to be in a much better financial situation now thanks to the viral success of his video, it’s important to remember that there are thousands of others in similar situations who aren’t going viral and may well still be struggling. Just something to bear in mind next time we order pizza... Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

After 'accidentally' going live on Twitch while making a private phone call, xQc appeared to have disclosed his contact information

The NFL, NBA, and UFC have a live-streaming problem and they're asking the feds for

Alphabet Inc.’s Google has removed hundreds of negative reviews for a tracker that identifies apparel brands linked to

The Prince of Wales said he was “blown away” by futuristic technology on show from Singapore start-ups just hours before his Earthshot Prize awards ceremony. William toured the EcoLabs Centre of Innovation for Energy, at Singapore’s Nanyang Technological University. Hi-tech schemes for green energy included Autsren (ERI@N) which develops autonomous vehicles and long-lasting electric car batteries. He was told how the vehicles are used to collect golf balls and also ferry staff around Singapore Zoo. It reminds me of my chemistry and physics tests. I will have to write this down when I get home Prince of Wales And he was told the biggest challenge facing the autonomous vehicles was being attacked by peacocks and monkeys. The prince laughed and said: “That’s not something you normally think about. They never behave, those monkeys and peacocks.” William also marvelled at a PowerCube that can store solar energy in remote locations that could power 35 small flats for a year. And he was surprised by a start-up called ALIENA which has sent its first plasma thruster into orbit for almost two years, which can be used to measure climate data. He shook his head and looked impressed and said: “You’ve blown my mind.” But the prince, who has a geography degree, admitted he needed to brush up on his science after eco start-up Etavolt described how they were building a circular economy for solar panels via regeneration, recycling and digitisation of performance. William said: “It reminds me of my chemistry and physics tests. I will have to write this down when I get home.” After an intense run-down in technology of degraded solar panels, he added: “Thanks for the brush-up for my chemistry and physics.” The prince was at the labs in Singapore’s Nanyang Technological University which wants to become the most eco-friendly and sustainable in the world. It is one of 22 buildings in Singapore that is totally energy self-sufficient. It has 19,000 solar panels and generates 9.5 megawatts of energy. But the university cannot expand any further otherwise it would produce so much energy it would have to register officially as a power station, under Singapore laws. Read More Return of original Fortnite map causes record traffic on Virgin Media O2 network NatWest creates new AI-powered chatbot capable of ‘human-like’ conversations Succession star Sarah Snook says AI use in film industry needs ‘stringent rules’ Sir Paul McCartney: It was magical to feel like I was reuniting with John Lennon Sexist comments on TikTok ‘more liked’ than non-sexist ones – study ‘Is AI dangerous?’ UK’s most Googled questions about artificial intelligence

Telkom SA SOC Ltd. and the South African government are in advanced talks to partner in rolling out

COLOGNE, Germany--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug 23, 2023--

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sep 8, 2023--

BARCELONA, Spain--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sep 19, 2023--

SAVE 49%: Unblock Australian Netflix from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN. A one-year subscription

Scroll on to see Charli D'Amelio's complete beauty transformation in before and after video

Hungry? You might want to think twice about using your iPhone to order takeout through