A shocking video shows a delivery driver in New York City putting a pizza back into its box after it fell on the street, raising concerns over food safety.
Last week, a bystander filmed a delivery driver on the Upper East Side as he attempted to salvage a pizza that had dropped onto the pavement, sparking viral outrage., the New York Post reported.
Nataysha Jernigan, a medical assistant from Harlem, captured the event while enjoying the spring weather in Central Park on March 28. Later that day, on the corner of Second Avenue and 106th Street, she witnessed and recorded the unsettling scene.
Jernigan noticed the pizza fall from the deliveryman's hands and onto the road. Reacting quickly to the incident, she began filming as the driver picked up the pizza and placed it back into an orange pizza box, seemingly intent on completing the delivery regardless of the mishap.
"Whosever [order] this is, he just dropped it on the floor, ya'll," Jernigan can be heard saying in the video. This statement was followed by, "He picked it up from there, and now he’s gonna deliver it still," expressing her dismay at the driver's actions.
Jernigan, troubled by what she saw, commented during the recording, "I’m about to stop ordering," and "Look at this, he don’t even care … devious!" Her video, once posted on the Instagram page "New Yorkers," quickly garnered over 140,000 views, spreading her shock to a wider audience.
The social media reaction was immediate and mixed. Some sympathized with the driver, speculating that perhaps he had later replaced the dropped pizza with a fresh one before delivery. However, many others shared Jernigan's disgust. "He picked it up so fast and put it back in the box. Like, that is f–king gross," Jernigan added in her commentary.
Many commenters related the incident to their own negative experiences with food delivery services. One user remarked, "This is why I don’t order from Uber Eats, DoorDash … I will pick my food up," and another confirmed, "Yup, that’s why we do pickup only."
This incident raises questions about the practices of food delivery personnel and the potential risks involved in such services. While the identity of the delivery company or the pizzeria remains unknown, the event has undeniably sparked a discussion about standards and accountability in food delivery.
As the video circulated, more and more people shared their similar disheartening experiences. A social media user stated in response to Jernigan’s video, recalling their incident, "I was just shocked."
Another Instagram user summed up the collective sentiment by commenting, "The streets needed to see this!" highlighting the importance of public awareness in maintaining standards in food service and delivery ethics.
The wide range of responses underscores the complex dynamics between consumer expectations and the reality of service industry challenges. Some people advocate for understanding occasional human errors, while others demand that regulators implement higher measures to ensure they do not overlook or repeat such incidents.
Jernigan's role as an accidental watchdog highlights the power and influence of social media as a tool for consumer advocacy. Her spontaneous decision to record and share the incident undoubtedly shines a spotlight on an often overlooked aspect of food delivery.
As discussions continue, this incident serves as a stark reminder to delivery services about the importance of transparency and adherence to health standards, particularly in urban environments like New York City, where food delivery is frequent and expected to be reliable and sanitary. Ultimately, the fallout from Jernigan's video may prompt a reevaluation of practices across the delivery industry.
