Am I supposed to be tipping the food delivery drivers and bicylists? (UberEats, DoorDash, GrubHub, Postmates, etc.)

You're right, the economics don't make sense at all. I delivered UberEats for nearly a year. Most of the time, if you factor in my expenses and time, I made less than minimum wage. The only time I did better was when people tipped. Which was less than half the time.

One time I accepted a request that turned out to be nearly a half hour away (mostly freeway). When I arrived, it was a McDonalds, and a man who lived a mile away had ordered a Big Mac, fries and a soda. And of course, no tip. I think I made $3.50 on the delivery. And then I had to drive back. An hour of my time, probably $8 in gas, and $3.50 was what I had to show for it. It was the proverbial straw that broke the camel's back.

And I won't even mention the dozens of times I had to wait 15 or 20 minutes at a restaurant while they were preparing an order. And of course I wasn't paid for that time.

No longer. If you're thinking about driving Uber Eats, think again.

Convenience has a price.   It's not free.  If you're "too broke" to tip your driver, then you should get up off your butt and drive to the restaurant and pickup your food yourself.  

Too inconvenient?    Don't want to deal with the traffic?  Don't want to go out in the rain/snow?  Don't want to climb several flight of stairs?  Don't want to fight for a parking space?   That driver does all of the above so you don't have to.  Do you not think they deserve to be compensated for their time and efforts?

Delivery drivers do all of those things so that you don't have to.  Why wouldn't you tip them?  (Or do you think that they want to spend their evenings delivering your food for free instead of spending it with their families?)  

I wasn’t trying to get out of paying the poor driver. For one, there is a delivery fee and up-charge for ordering through these services. I as a customer have no idea how much of that they are being paid. For two, I have no idea how much they’re being compensated by the companies. 

Not to mention I have no idea how much to even tip. 

I feel this is a valid question and something consumers would like to know when we are discussing a business that is new and people aren’t familiar with. Hey, at least I ask because I care. (Better then those who don’t.) 

So how much do you tip?

And on top of it all, you have a person who doesn't have the willingness to cook and wants someone to cook it for them, and doesn't have the willingness to get it themselves. And they are willing to pay for all of those luxuries, but want to short change the person who has the most dangerous job getting your food.