A frustrated woman’s post went viral this week after she shared a digital flyer she said she received from her DoorDash driver, Shannon. The brightly colored graphic contained generic details about the delivery, including a cartoon version of Shannon holding a bag of food with the company’s logo on it.
The flyer was posted by Threads user @proud2bmrslarose, and it also included a few other details about Shannon herself — like the fact that she runs on “caffeine, chaos, good people,” and that she considers herself a “feral delivery gal”—as well as multiple requests for the customer user to turn her outdoor lights on.
“Our DoorDash delivery person just sent me this,” she captioned the screenshot of the flyer. “Why? Why does someone need AI for this?! BRB gonna turn the front porch light off.”
The post quickly went viral, receiving over 14,000 likes and 1,400 comments in the first two days after it was shared. However, a large number of those 1,400 were from people sharing messages they’d received from their own Dashers in the past, and many of them could definitely give Shannon a run for her money in the creativity department.
The DoorDash Flyer Went Viral Because of AI Backlash
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With so much backlash against AI and data centers these days, it probably does not come as a shock that most people were upset that the DoorDash driver used AI to make the flyer. “Tell her you’ve turned your light off to accommodate the electricity she used with the AI to send you that,” one annoyed commenter wrote.
“I have a personal rule to always give delivery drivers 5 stars,” another added. “I would break it for this.”
Others Thought the Message Would’ve Been Better as Text
The longer someone looks at the flyer, the clearer it becomes that many of the instructions were repeated throughout the design. The flyer mentioned turning outdoor lights on in at least five different places in the graphic, which people thought would’ve come across more clearly in a text message.
People Shared Their Funny DoorDash Messages
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Perhaps the most enjoyable part of the viral thread came from those who shared the graphics they had received from their own Dashers in the past, with many of them opting for a classic meme format instead of a custom AI flyer.
In fact, one comment hit the mother lode, and it contained multiple examples from a subreddit that is dedicated to DoorDash drivers. “There’s a thread on r/doordashdrivers where they share memes we could send to the customer, but this is definitely too much,” the person wrote before sharing a few examples.
A Few People Defended Shannon’s Hustle
While the responses ranged from annoyed to angry, some came to Shannon’s defense. “I get that people hate AI. I hate it too, but it seems like sis is just trying to make a tip,” one person wrote.
Another person added to the comment, saying that it seemed like Shannon was attempting to get the customers she delivers to take her safety seriously. “Also, she’s clearly just trying to make herself feel safe by asking for the porch lights in a nice way,” they wrote. “I hate AI, but I can give Shannon a pass.”
According to Indeed, Dashers make an average of $5,150. Some regions pay more than others, and it looks like major cities like Los Angeles see drivers averaging $23.46 an hour. However, those numbers don’t take expenses and taxes into account, both of which can really take a bite out of earnings.