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By Lucy Notarantonio
Senior Reporter
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The internet has been left in tears after reading a heartbreaking note that was given to a delivery driver to explain why the customer couldn't tip.
The 20-year-old woman, who works for DoorDash, a food-ordering and delivery platform, shared the note on Reddit.
It said: "I'm very broke. Sorry, I cannot afford a tip (I shouldn't have even ordered food). Have some candy." Followed by another apology.
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User chunkybeann told Newsweek: "When I received the letter I was immediately saddened. Right now I feel like everyone is struggling in some way."
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Despite being paid $2.50 per order and relying on tips, the young woman felt obliged to accept the order as it "hit close to home."
In the comments, she said: "Being a child who grew up in poverty I know what it's like to struggle. I will continue accepting those no-tip orders."
She told Newsweek: "I wasn't mad at the customer, but heartbroken they felt the need to apologize just for needing food. No matter what form—food is a necessity and everyone deserves a full stomach."
Although the original poster chose not to reveal her location, the global cost of living crisis has impacted people everywhere. Consumer research firm Attest revealed in a 2023 report titled "Facing Up to Food Insecurity" that 59.5 percent of Americans had difficulty, in one way or another, when they went grocery shopping.
The results found that those who are facing difficulty affording food most likely order a takeout once or twice a week. The biggest consumers of takeout food are Millennials and Gen Z: around 20 percent eat it more than twice a week.
The original poster explained in her initial post shared on February, 4: "Food shouldn't be seen as a luxury, who knows what this person is going through maybe that little Taco Bell is exactly what they needed.
"Maybe they got off a long shift to an empty fridge and spent the last few dollars on something cheap and filling, I've been there personally spending my last dollar on a McDonald's hamburger in times I was too depressed to cook a meal."
There's always a bright side to a story, as the woman got her "biggest tip of all time" of $21 following this order. So far, the post has racked up 13,200 upvotes and over 860 comments.
One user said: "Stop, I'm on the verge of tears. You're an awesome human being!"
"You are so kind. I was expecting the caption to be annoyed, but you are understanding and it's so refreshing to see," praised another.
Newsweek has reached out to DoorDash for comment via email.
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