After accidentally yelling at his DoorDash driver, a man used TikTok to make things right
A misunderstanding turned into a sweet moment.

Much to his chagrin, Australian resident Mark Polchleb went viral on Tiktok after sharing that he unknowingly yelled at his DoorDash driver as he approached the front door.
Polchleb had not actually been shouting “get away from the door, mate!” to the innocent driver, but rather to his rambunctious dog, who clearly could smell food fast approaching and began barking in anticipation.
Unfortunately, this was lost in translation, and the driver put down the delivery in shame as he slowly backed away before leaving.
@markp_ Im genuinely losing sleep over this. He was so sweet and my dog is a menace 🥺
♬ original sound - fiona’s gf
Polchleb saw what had happened after reviewing his security camera footage and was instantly dismayed. He told TODAY, “I couldn’t bear the thought of someone thinking I disrespected them for just doing their job!”
“I’ve genuinely lost sleep over this,” he added in a follow-up TikTok.
Others were quick to commiserate in the comments section.
"The way I’m actually shedding tears thinking of how he must have felt disregarded and a nuisance. I’m feeling sick,” wrote one person
“I WOULD LOSE SLEEP FOR DAYSSSSSS,” wrote another.
Of course, finding a way to apologize would be no easy feat. Not long after the delivery is done, customers have no way of contacting their DoorDash driver. But that didn’t stop a determined Polchleb from reaching out on TikTok for help.
And luckily, being viral meant millions of people were ready to spread the word. What could have been a long and arduous process came to fruition in the blink of an eye.
@markp_ #duet with @maroob ♬ original sound - fiona’s gf
“It took only two days to track him down,” Polchleb told TODAY. “His daughter stumbled across my original TikTok after around 7 million views, and I was able to connect with her, and then her dad.”
Polchleb posted a follow-up TikTok showing a sweet reunion with the driver, who we can affectionately call Sami.
@markp_ Replying to @stylands ♬ original sound - Mark Polchleb
In the video we hear Polchleb say, “This afternoon I got to head out and meet with my DoorDasher Sami to say thank you in person and make sure he was happy,” followed by the two sharing a hug.
But wait, there’s more. This story gets an even happier ending.
DoorDash soon heard about the incident and gave Sami “Top Dasher” status for life as well as extra Dasher pay. Then Sami’s daughter Mary set up a GoFundMe so that he could visit his son in France.
Sami wrote on the fundraiser website, “I came to Australia 8 years ago as a refugee and I haven’t seen my son for 10 years. He lives in France, and I have to do some work to book a ticket to see him.”So far, more than AU$8,000 has been raised, well surpassing the AU$2,000 goal. It looks like this misunderstanding was a blessing in disguise.
Delivery drivers often have to put up with a lot. Rude customers, terrible tips or worse, tip baiting, where a large tip is offered for fast service then taken away, are just some of the unsavory common occurrences. It’s great that Polchleb went out of his way to make sure Sami was treated with kindness and appreciation.This article originally appeared on 7.15.22
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There's a reason why some people can perfectly copy accents, and others can't
Turns out, there's a neurodivergent link.
A woman in black long sleeve shirt stands in front of mirror.
Have you ever had that friend who goes on vacation for four days to London and comes back with a full-on Queen's English posh accent? "Oooh I left my brolly in the loo," they say, and you respond, "But you're from Colorado!" Well, there are reasons they (and many of us) do that, and usually it's on a pretty subconscious level.
It's called "accent mirroring," and it's actually quite common with people who are neurodivergent, particularly those with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). According Neurolaunch, the self-described "Free Mental Health Library," "Accent mirroring, also known as accent adaptation or phonetic convergence, is the tendency to unconsciously adopt the accent or speech patterns of those around us. This linguistic chameleon effect is not unique to individuals with ADHD, but it appears to be more pronounced and frequent in this population."
Essentially, when people have conversations, we're constantly "scanning" for information—not just the words we're absorbing, but the inflection and tone. "When we hear an accent, our brains automatically analyze and categorize the phonetic features, prosody, and intonation patterns," writes Neurolaunch. For most, this does result in copying the accent of the person with whom we're speaking. But those with ADHD might be more sensitive to auditory cues. This, "coupled with a reduced ability to filter out or inhibit the impulse to mimic…could potentially explain the increased tendency for accent mirroring."
While the article explains further research is needed, they distinctly state that, "Accent mirroring in individuals with ADHD often manifests as an unconscious mimicry of accents in social situations. This can range from subtle shifts in pronunciation to more noticeable changes in intonation and speech rhythm. For example, a person with ADHD might find themselves unconsciously adopting a Southern drawl when conversing with someone from Texas, even if they’ve never lived in the South themselves."
People are having their say online. On the subreddit r/ADHDWomen, a thread began: "Taking on accents is an ADHD thing?" The OP shares, "My whole life, I've picked up accents. I, myself, never noticed, but everyone around me would be like, 'Why are you talking like that??' It could be after I watched a show or movie with an accent or after I've traveled somewhere with a different accent than my 'normal.'
They continue, "Apparently, I pick it up fast, but it fades out slowly. Today... I'm scrolling Instagram, I watch a reel from a comedian couple (Darcy and Jeremy. IYKYK) about how Darcy (ADHD) picks up accents everywhere they go. It's called ADHD Mirroring??? And it's another way of masking."
(The OP is referring to Darcy Michaels and his husband Jeremy Baer, who are both touring comedians based in Canada.)
Hundreds of people on the Reddit thread alone seem to relate. One comments, "Omfg I've done this my whole life; I'll even pick up on the pauses/spaces when I'm talking to someone who is ESL—but English is my first language lol."
Sometimes, it can be a real issue for those around the chameleon. "I accidentally mimicked a waitress's weird laugh one time. As soon as she was out of earshot, my family started to reprimand me, but I was already like 'oh my god I don’t know why I did that, I feel so bad.'"
Many commenters on TikTok were shocked to find out this can be a sign of ADHD. One jokes, "Omg, yes, at a store the cashier was talking to me and she was French. She's like 'Oh are you French too? No, I'm not lol. I'm very east coast Canada."
And some people just embrace it and make it work for them. "I mirror their words or phrase! I’m 30. I realized I start calling everyone sweetie cause my manager does & I work at coffee shop."
This article originally appeared in May.