Melody Jacob

Recently, a disturbing incident involving a DoorDash delivery driver came to light. A couple ordered food and left what many would consider a modest tip. After the food was delivered to their porch, their security camera captured the driver spraying a substance onto the food package. Shortly after, the wife began eating the meal and started choking violently, coughing to the point of nearly losing consciousness. Only then did her husband review the camera footage and see the delivery driver, identifiable by her purple hair, spraying the food with what was later believed to be pepper spray.

The driver who was caught on camera tampering with a customer’s meal has officially been caught. Kourtney Stevenson, 29, was arrested in Kentucky and is facing multiple felony charges, including Consumer Product Tampering and Battery Resulting in Moderate Injury.

Despite her claiming she was just "spraying a spider," investigators didn't buy it—especially since it was 35°F outside! The couple she targeted ended up in agony, suffering from burning in their throats and stomachs.

This is exactly why we have to be careful. You can watch the shocking footage that led to her arrest right here: Watch: DoorDash Driver Caught Pepper Spraying Food

This is not just a story meant to shock. It is a warning.

Food is not just a product. Food enters your body. It affects your health, your safety, and sometimes your survival. When you eat, you are placing immense trust in whoever prepared, handled, transported, and delivered that meal. In the past, food was prepared by family, trusted neighbors, or professionals working under strict oversight. Today, we are expected to trust complete strangers because an app tells us to.

That is a major shift, and we should not ignore its consequences.

Technology can be useful. Phones, apps, and delivery services were created to make life easier. But convenience does not automatically mean safety. There is a dangerous belief today that because something is popular, widely advertised, and used by millions, it must be safe. That is not always true.

Food delivery apps rely heavily on volume. Their main goal is to get as many drivers on the road as possible and as many orders delivered as possible. While companies often claim they conduct background checks, those checks are limited. A clean police record does not mean a person has good character. It only means they have not been caught.

Most delivery drivers are decent people trying to earn a living. That must be said clearly. But the system does not filter for emotional stability, moral judgment, or impulse control. And when food is involved, even one bad actor is one too many.

Food delivery creates a long chain of handling: the restaurant, the packaging, the pickup, the transport, the drop-off, and finally you. Each step introduces risk. Once the food is left unattended on a porch or hallway, anything can happen. Cameras catch some incidents, but many homes do not have them.

Think about people with allergies. Think about elderly individuals. Think about children. How many people may have gotten sick, choked, or worse without ever knowing why?

This is not paranoia. This is awareness.

Another uncomfortable truth must be addressed: entitlement.

No one has the right to tamper with food because they are unhappy with a tip. If someone accepts a job knowing the pay structure, they are responsible for doing that job with integrity. Doctors, nurses, pilots, security guards, cleaners, retail workers, and many others do not receive tips, yet they perform their duties professionally every day.

Tipping is optional, not a moral obligation enforced by threat. When entitlement turns into retaliation, it becomes dangerous. And when that retaliation involves food, it becomes potentially deadly.

Low pay is a real issue, but poisoning or tampering with someone’s meal is never justified. If a job is unbearable, the responsible choice is to leave it, not to harm others.

The harsh reality is that large corporations are insulated from the consequences of these incidents. Executives are not ordering food through these apps daily. They have private chefs, trusted staff, and controlled environments. When something goes wrong, the burden falls on the customer, not the company.

Reports are filed. Apologies are issued. Life goes on.

But for families affected, the damage is real.

Kourtney N. Stevenson (Courtesy: McCracken County Jail)

There was a time when food was prepared at home, shared at the table, and treated with respect. Vulnerable people were assisted by trusted caregivers, not anonymous gig workers rushing against a timer.

Cooking is not always easy. Life is busy. But learning to prepare simple meals, buying groceries, and eating in places where you can see your food being made restores control. It reduces risk. It strengthens self-reliance.

You do not need to embrace every new technology simply because it exists. Wisdom lies in knowing what to accept and what to refuse.

Children must be taught early that they are not entitled to everything they want. Entitlement breeds resentment, and resentment leads to harmful behavior. Love is not giving without limits. Love is teaching truth, discipline, and responsibility.

A society that avoids correction creates adults who cannot handle disappointment. And when disappointment meets access to someone else’s food, the results can be tragic.

This world is not as gentle as it once was. That does not mean we should live in fear, but it does mean we must live with awareness. Your life is not a gamble. Your health is not a convenience fee.

If there is one habit worth reconsidering as we move forward, it is cooked food delivery from strangers. Prepare your meals when you can. Eat where accountability exists. Teach your children caution, patience, and responsibility.

Technology should serve humanity, not endanger it.

Sometimes, the old ways were not outdated. They were wise.

• Respiratory Distress: A baby's lungs are tiny and still developing. The ultrafine particles, heavy metals (like nickel, tin, and lead), and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in vape aerosol can cause immediate irritation and inflammation. This can trigger or worsen asthma, bronchitis, and other respiratory infections.

• Nicotine Exposure: Vapes contain high levels of nicotine. Even passively inhaling the aerosol leads to nicotine absorption. For a baby, nicotine is a potent neurotoxin that affects their developing brain.

• Increased Risk of SIDS: Exposure to any secondhand smoke or aerosol has been linked to an increased risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).

• Pulmonary Damage: Constant exposure can lead to chronic lung conditions and reduced lung function later in life. They are essentially starting life with a handicap on their respiratory system.

• Neurodevelopmental Issues: Nicotine exposure in early life can cause lasting problems with brain development, potentially affecting attention, learning, and impulse control.

• The Addiction Pathway: This is incredibly disturbing. The baby's body is absorbing nicotine (a highly addictive substance) through passive exposure. While they are not choosing to smoke, their body is being physiologically primed for addiction. This early, involuntary exposure could theoretically lower the threshold for them becoming smokers or vapers themselves later in life, a truly cruel start.

• The "Cool" Factor: Vaping companies, despite regulations, use marketing that appeals to youth, from fun flavors (like "Gummy Bear" or "Strawberry Milk") to sleek, tech-like devices. It's often framed as a rebellious, sophisticated, or modern alternative to traditional smoking, a way to fit in or appear edgy on social media.

• Misinformation: There's a widespread, but dangerous, belief that vaping is "just water vapor" or "harmless." This misinformation, often spread peer-to-peer, dismisses the real chemical dangers.

• Stress and Anxiety: Some teens use it as a coping mechanism, mistaking the rush of nicotine for relaxation or stress relief.

• Accessibility: Vapes are often easier to obtain and conceal than cigarettes, making them a more accessible vice.