I'm glad you're here.
As we get into summer, I wanted to do something a little different.
Not hurricanes.
Not terrorism.
Not China.
Not Iran.
Something much closer to home.
DoorDash.
Uber Eats.
Instacart.
Grubhub.
Millions of Americans use these services every day.
And that's the point….Because preparedness isn't just about rare events…..It's about understanding the ordinary things we've normalized.
Now, before we begin, let me say something very clearly.
Most delivery drivers are good people.
They're working hard.
They're trying to support their families.
And the overwhelming majority of deliveries happen without incident.
This episode is about recognizing 10 different vulnerabilities.
Because convenience is wonderful. Blind trust isn't.
Number One: Arguments Can Turn Deadly
In 2018, an Uber Eats driver named Robert Bivens arrived in Atlanta to deliver food.
An argument began with customer Ryan Thornton over the delivery.
The disagreement escalated.
Bivens shot and killed Thornton.
He would later be convicted and sentenced to life.
The lesson here isn't complicated.
Never fight with strangers.
Never argue over food.
Never escalate face-to-face.
If something is wrong, use the app.
Call customer service.
Let technology solve the problem.
Not emotions.
Because people are unpredictable.
And pride has killed more people than bad chicken sandwiches.
Number Two: Sometimes Predators Wear Delivery Bags
In St. Louis in 2023, a woman opened her door expecting an ordinary DoorDash delivery.
Instead, prosecutors say the driver forced his way inside, assaulted her, and attempted to rape her.
Thankfully, neighbors heard the commotion and helped her escape.
Again, these events are rare.
But rare doesn't mean impossible.
There is a reason I prefer "Leave at Door."
Not because I'm antisocial.
Because I don't need unnecessary interactions with strangers.
The less friction you create, the fewer opportunities exist for something to go wrong.
Number Three: Not Every Delivery Driver Is Real
Police departments around the country have warned about criminals posing as delivery drivers.
In Houston, robbers disguised themselves as DoorDash drivers.
Once the door opened, they forced their way inside, zip-tied a mother in front of her children, and robbed the family.
Think about that.
The DoorDash bag wasn't the threat.
The trust was.
Never open the door simply because someone says "DoorDash."
Verify the order.
Look at the app.
Check your cameras.
And if you didn't order anything?
Keep the door closed.
Number Four: Your Address Is Information
One thing people forget is that delivery drivers know where you live.
They know whether you live alone.
They know what cars are parked outside.
Whether there are cameras.
Whether someone answers immediately.
Most drivers forget about you the second they leave.
But occasionally people don't.
There have been numerous reports involving unwanted contact, stalking, and harassment after deliveries.
The lesson isn't paranoia.
It's boundaries.
Keep communication inside the app.
Report anything unusual.
And remember that your address is information.
Treat it like information.
Number Five: Food Tampering
A few years ago, videos started going viral.
Drivers eating fries.
Opening containers.
Taking drinks.
Enough incidents occurred that companies began introducing tamper seals.
Think about that.
Entire industries changed because enough people violated trust.
Most people are honest.
But trust without verification isn't preparedness.
If seals are broken, throw it away.
It's not worth it.
Number Six: Delivery Work Can Provide Reconnaissance
This isn't new.
Criminals have used legitimate jobs for reconnaissance forever.
Meter readers.
Repairmen.
Maintenance workers.
Delivery drivers.
They learn routines.
Who is home.
Who isn't.
Whether cameras exist.
Whether the house appears occupied.
This doesn't mean drivers are gathering intelligence.
It means every interaction reveals information.
Preparedness doesn't mean hiding from life.
It means recognizing that information has value.
Close your garage.
Use exterior lights.
Install cameras.
And maybe don't announce your two-week vacation to the world before you leave.
Number Seven: Drivers Are Often the Victims
One of the most disturbing cases occurred in Holiday, Florida.
Uber Eats driver Randall Cooke texted his wife and told her he had one last delivery before coming home.
He never returned.
Investigators later discovered he had been murdered and dismembered.
Sheriff Chris Nocco described the crime as demonic.
Oscar Solis was arrested.
The case shocked everyone.
And it reminds us that these risks run both ways.
Drivers spend their nights alone.
Entering unfamiliar neighborhoods.
Meeting strangers.
Trusting GPS.
Trusting people.
Many are just trying to make extra money.
And sometimes they become victims.
Number Eight: Wrong Addresses Become Deadly
Not every tragedy involves bad intentions.
Sometimes it's confusion.
A dead phone.
Bad GPS.
A wrong turn.
In New York this year, a DoorDash driver became lost.
He approached the wrong property.
And according to investigators, was shot by a local official.
Misunderstandings happen.
Fear happens.
People make terrible decisions.
The lesson?
Slow down.
Communicate.
And remember that everyone involved may simply be trying to get home.
Number Nine: The Background Check Illusion
People assume these companies know everything about every driver.
They don't.
Background checks are snapshots.
Not crystal balls.
People change.
Records lag.
Aliases exist.
Bad actors slip through.
That doesn't mean most drivers are dangerous.
They're not.
But the belief that technology guarantees safety is an illusion.
Preparedness starts with accepting that systems aren't perfect.
Because systems are made of people.
And people are imperfect.
Number Ten: Convenience Has Changed Our Relationship With Strangers
Thirty years ago, strangers didn't routinely come to our homes.
Today they do.
Food.
Packages.
Groceries.
Furniture.
Maintenance.
And we don't think twice about it.
We've normalized opening our front door.
Preparedness doesn't mean becoming afraid.
It means understanding how convenience changes risk.
It means creating simple habits.
Exterior cameras.
Good lighting.
Leave-at-door deliveries.
Trusting your instincts.
Not opening the door if something feels wrong.
Simple things.
Not paranoid things.
Prepared things.
We spend a lot of time worrying about extraordinary threats.
Terrorism.
Cyber attacks.
Hurricanes.
But preparedness isn't only about rare disasters.
Millions of strangers come to our homes every day.
Most are hardworking people trying to earn a living.
Most deliveries are uneventful.
And that's good.
But understanding these vulnerabilities makes you aware which creates options.
Again as we said at the start Convenience is wonderful–Blind trust isn't.