San Francisco Building Managers Mandate Downstairs Delivery Amid Driver Misconduct Reports

San Francisco residents are increasingly expressing concerns over the conduct of food delivery personnel, leading to new building restrictions and prompting some users to discontinue services. A local resident, identified as Audrey, recently highlighted issues ranging from sanitation breaches within private buildings to safety concerns regarding driver identity. These incidents underscore a growing tension between the convenience of the gig economy and urban living standards.

Building managers in San Francisco are now requesting residents meet food delivery personnel downstairs, a direct response to reported misconduct within private properties. Audrey stated, "Our SF building managers are requesting we meet food delivery people downstairs bc they are urinating in the elevator and stairwell," indicating a severe breach of building sanitation. This reflects a broader challenge for gig workers, who often lack access to public restrooms, a factor that can contribute to such incidents.

Beyond building interiors, pedestrian safety has also emerged as a significant concern. Audrey recounted, "I’ve also almost been run over my food delivery people riding their motorcycles on pedestrian sidewalks." While direct reports on food delivery motorcycles on sidewalks are limited, San Francisco has documented broader issues with vehicles, including e-bikes commonly used by delivery drivers, illegally operating on pedestrian paths, posing a risk to public safety.

A critical safety issue highlighted by Audrey involves discrepancies between the driver's identity in the app and the person performing the delivery. "I’ve mostly stopped ordering delivery in SF bc it started to get creepy how the delivery person did not match the photo of the person in the app," she explained. This concern is widely reported across the gig economy, with numerous articles detailing the rise of "ghost drivers" or account sharing, which undermines trust and accountability for both customers and platforms.

Major food delivery platforms, such as DoorDash, maintain community guidelines that explicitly prohibit illegal activities, including traffic violations, and require the registered driver to be the one completing deliveries. Despite these policies, the persistence of such issues, as reported by residents like Audrey, suggests ongoing challenges in enforcement and verification. The cumulative effect of these problems is impacting consumer behavior, leading some to discontinue delivery services due to eroded trust and safety worries.