A woman tried to order tampons on DoorDash, only for her delivery driver to offer her completely different products.
TikTok user Squasha (@iloveeemyman444) posted screenshots from a particularly frustrating DoorDash delivery in a TikTok that currently has over 635,000 views. Her male delivery driver seemingly did not know the difference between tampons and pads. When Squasha specifically clarified that she wanted tampons, the male driver sent her a photo of diapers, not the tampons she specifically requested.
Ignoring the fact that the driver clearly did not know the difference between tampons and pads, he seemingly also did not know the difference between pads and products specifically made for children. At least, that’s what the photo of Huggies diapers he sent Squasha seems to imply.
So, why are male drivers an immediate no for many shoppers on apps like DoorDash?
Male delivery drivers—a history of incompetence
A longstanding complaint with delivery platforms like DoorDash, Instacart, and Favor has been that male delivery drivers don’t know what they’re doing. Women frequently post that they’ve received the wrong items in orders, whether that be produce or feminine products.
Commenters shared their experiences, saying that male drivers cannot reasonably discern between products in-store and don’t know how to pick out items.
One TikTok user shared a frightening example, saying, “Once at work we were out of 1.25 litre Cokes and I watched in horror as the instacart shopper used a 20oz bottle as a replacement (which was also more expensive than the 1.25litre). He didn’t listen when I tried to explain that it’d be better to contact the customer for a replacement flavor instead.”
But, male drivers are especially helpless when it comes to feminine products, according to TikTok.
“They really think it’s cute to be dumb about feminine products,” said one viewer.
A Reddit user posting to r/Instacart had a nearly identical experience to Squasha, saying, “One time I got a male shopper for an order that included two types feminine hygiene products. He grabbed the wrong pads ( like a landslide, not even close to what I needed) and refunded the tampons entirely. He claimed that they were out of them throughout the entire store. No tampons whatsoever.”
Later, the Instacart customer reached out to the store and confirmed that they did have the correct pads and tampons in stock. The shopper simply ‘didn’t see them’ or ignored the products entirely.
Why are men so scared to purchase feminine hygiene products?
Men not knowing what feminine hygiene products women use is also a longstanding (and relatively intolerable) issue. According to some surveys, many men think it’s “embarrassing” to purchase these products. Some men refuse to purchase them out of fear of purchasing the wrong products, while others simply refuse to do so in case someone sees what’s in their shopping cart.
In 2022, the Huffington Post cited research that stated that over half of all U.K. men have never purchased feminine products for a partner. According to that very same study published by Medino, around 80 percent of men feel uncomfortable discussing women’s personal hygiene.
Posts in Reddit communities like r/askmen echoed this sentiment. One user recounted how her father would not purchase her tampons at the store for the very same reason: it was “embarrassing.”
But, many men stepped forward to say that they’re more than willing to purchase feminine hygiene products for the women in their lives, regardless of societal ‘weirdness,’ or expectations.
What should women with (bad) male delivery drivers do?
Generally, TikTok commenters recommend reporting, one-starring, or even canceling orders with incompetent male delivery drivers attached.
One viewer had a great pro tip for those that don’t want to cancel their orders: “I say I’ll call the store to ask if there’s any [of a missing product] in the back and suddenly it’s easy to find.”
The Mary Sue reached out to Squasha via TikTok direct message and DoorDash via email for comment.
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