TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Food Panda on Monday announced that it has severed ties with a duck restaurant after an employee there was captured on camera verbally abusing and threatening physical violence against a delivery driver in central Taiwan.
On Saturday (Jan. 2), video surfaced on the Facebook group Baoyuan Commune (爆怨公社) showing an employee of Fu Wang Duck Specialty Shop (富王鴨肉專門店) in Taichung's Beitun District ignore a Food Panda driver for nearly 20 minutes before berating her and threatening to assault her after she complained about the restaurant's slow service.
The incident prompted many netizens to pile complaints onto the eatery's Facebook page and post scathing 1-star reviews on Google.
In the caption for the video, the female Food Panda driver wrote that she had already waited for 10 minutes to pick up an order. When the video begins, at the 11:14 mark, she can be heard telling restaurant employees that she is No. 26. At 11:22, she asks a staff member when the order will be ready and is told that she will need to wait approximately 10 more minutes.
Four minutes later, she begins to complain that she has been waiting for 15 minutes and has seen three other orders that were placed after hers already filled. An employee in his 20s surnamed Wang (王) then snaps and begins hurling insults at her, such as "Little college coed, come back when you grow up," "F***ing bitch," and "You want to sue me, go ahead!"
He then threatens to physically assault her by saying, "You haven't been beaten before have you?"
Netizens criticized the duck shop employee for being so verbally abusive:
"This attitude is bad, really messed up."
"Really arrogant."
"Sue him to death."
"What kind of behavior is this? You delay an order and then dare to intimidate the delivery driver."
After finally receiving her order and delivering it, she went to the Taichung City Police Department and showed officers the video.
When police questioned Wang about the incident, he said that he was angry and that his emotions had got the better of him. He expressed regret over the incident.
Police then transferred the case to the Taichung District Prosecutor's Office for further investigation. On Monday morning, the duck restaurant posted a message on its Facebook page stating that it was closed for the day, asking the public to stop hurling insults, and adding that the case has entered the settlement process.
It added that the employee, who was identified by Liberty Times as the manager of the shop, has taken personal leave because of the incident. It stated that Wang fears for his safety and does not dare venture out outside his home.
On Monday, Food Panda announced that it has contacted the driver involved and expressed its regrets about the incident. It stated that it would fully support the driver were she to take legal action against the restaurant.
Food Panda also condemned the restaurant's employee for using inappropriate language to insult delivery staff and said it has terminated its cooperation with the establishment, reported NOWnews. It called on its restaurant partners and the general public to respect its drivers and work together to create a "friendly and healthy delivery environment."
