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man in gray sweater leaning on van window

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

America's got Talent/Youtube

I mean, who knew that drones could make you so emotional?" said Sophia Vergara.

Listen, just about every act on “America’s Got Talent” is emotionally impactful in its own unique way. But none have left viewers completely wrecked quite like one from last night’s episode (Sept 11).

Sky Elements has continuously wowed the “AGT” crowd with impressive drone shows, but for their semi-finals performance, the group carried out a breathtaking outdoor show which was dedicated to member Preston Ward's late infant daughter, Briley Rose.

As the song “Butterfly” by Liv Meola played in the background, the lit up drones depicted the image of a father and his little girl playing together. But as the father throws her up into the air, she turns into a butterfly and flies away.


Still, the poignant piece ended on a hopeful note, for as the father began crying, the butterfly flew around a giant rose, landed on the father’s finger and then transformed into an exalted phoenix.

When even the characteristically stoic Simon Cowell is left speechless, you know something profound took place.

Watch below:

- YouTubewww.youtube.com

After an immediate standing ovation, Cowell, visibly moved, could not find the words.

“That was, uh … That was, um — oh, gosh,” were all that came out before he let the other judges have their turn speaking.

Howie Mandel managed to share his appreciation for the loving tribute, noting how fitting that it came on Sept 11, marking a day in which so many people lost loved ones.

"I can't thank you enough for this," he said. "And I'm looking at your family members... There isn't an act that just moves your heart this much, and you just broke us."

Meanwhile, Vergara eloquently said what we’re all thinking:

“I mean, who knew that drones could make you so emotional? That was a surprise. That was so beautiful! That was, like, heartfelt, and I mean, I don't even know what to say. Congratulations! What a beautiful, beautiful job.”

Even host Terry Crews would later open up about how much the performance resonated. In an exclusive interview with People, he shared “Me and my wife, we know what it's like to lose a child. We've had three miscarriages. It's one of those things where it was so meaningful and special because the dedication is just, it's a way to process these things.”

It wasn’t just the live audience or judges moved to tears by Sky Elements’ performance. Just take a look at some of these comments from Youtube.

“This act really made me cry because we are living in a world where we are dealing with the loss of our people, our family, our friends who have passed and to those who lost someone in their heart, my heart goes out to all of you.”

“I was crying this whole act. It depicts the sadness of losing the people we loved most.”

“Gosh! The loss of her daughter and put into this spectacular drone show is just heartbreaking. Got me in tears.”

“OMG! I had a lump in my throat and tears were flowing. I was sobbing. What a sad story told in a beautiful way.”

“They really outdid themselves with this performance. This isn't the type of thing I would watch much of but the pairing of the song and the imagery turned on some tears. It was magic. Well done.”

After the performance, Ward shared that the group hoped their act “we really hope and wish that somebody that needs a little hope got something from that.”

Safe to say—mission accomplished.

Pop Culture

Jon Bon Jovi stops in the middle of filming music video to save a woman's life

The singer was filming a music video for his song “The People’s House” when he noticed a woman standing on the ledge.

Laurent Fox--HUD/Wikipedia, @MNPD/X

"A true hero and an amazing human."

Editor's Note: This story discusses suicide. If you are having thoughts about taking your own life, or know of anyone who is in need of help, the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline is a United States-based suicide prevention network of over 200+ crisis centers that provides 24/7 service via a toll-free hotline with the number 9-8-8. It is available to anyone in suicidal crisis or emotional distress.

A surveillance video shared on X by the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department shows the harrowing moment that Jon Bon Jovi helped stop a woman from jumping off the John Seigenthaler Pedestrian Bridge.

As fate would have it, the “Livin’ on a Prayer” singer was on the bridge filming the music video for the song “The People’s House.” The bridge remained open to the public during the shoot.

In the audio-free clip, a woman wearing a blue shirt can be seen peering over the ledge of the bridge, her arms wrapped around its railing as others pass by unaware.

After spotting her, Bon Jovi and a production assistant walk over to her. During the conversation, the rock star attempts to comfort the woman by placing a hand on her forearm.

While we don’t know what he said, his efforts were clearly successful, because the woman did eventually return back to the pedestrian walkway, and the two shared a hug.

Along with the security footage, the MNPD quoted their Police Chief John Drake, who said, "It takes all of us to help keep each other safe.”

Understandably, Bon Jovi’s actions incited a flood of praise online.


“I couldn’t love this man more. The best of the best. A true hero and an amazing human,” one persone wrote on X.

Another echoed, “Thank you for stepping in and stepping up to SAVE a life! Keep doing what you do in the world!”

Yet another said, “This moved me to tears. In a time of such division and hardship, I can truly feel the love in his actions. Well done, @jonbonjovi. A beautiful example of empathy and kindness.”

Others noted how fortuitous the situation had been. As one person put it, “In all honesty, if I was about to jump off a bridge and Bon Jovi showed up, I would maybe think God was telling me something. I'm an atheist so that would be a helluva stretch for me.”

Even for the most hardened cynic, it might feel like divine intervention indeed played a hand. After all, Bon Jovi seems well equipped to handle a situation like this. In 2006 he founded the JBJ Soul Foundation to help people suffering from homelessness, poverty and hunger. They do this via programs that provide food, affordable housing, social services, job training, and other forms of assistance, a lot of which Bon Jovi actively participates in.

“I saw firsthand and continue to see today the impact of charitable, community-based work," he once said in a statement. "I know this for sure: Helping one's community is helping one's self."

So it’s no surprise that Bon Jovi might have picked up some crucial communication skills to handle crises in the moment.

Honestly, whether it’s done by a Grammy award winning rock star or a stranger off the street, the ability to reach out to help someone in a time of dire need is one of humanity’s greatest gifts. These are always the stories worth spreading.

Joey Grundl, Milwaukee pizza guy.

Joey Grundl, who was working as a pizza delivery driver for a Domino's Pizza in Waldo, Wisconsin, was hailed as a hero for noticing a kidnapped woman's subtle cry for help. It's a timeless story that continues to resonate with people today.

Back in 2018, the delivery man was sent to a woman's house to deliver a pie when her ex-boyfriend, Dean Hoffman, opened the door. Grundl looked over his shoulder and saw a middle-aged woman with a black eye standing behind Hoffman. She appeared to be mouthing the words: "Call the police."


"I gave him his pizza and then I noticed behind him was his girlfriend," Grundl told WITI Milwaukee. "She pointed to a black eye that was quite visible. She mouthed the words, 'Call the police.'"

domestic abuse, celebrity, community, kidnapped

The Dean Hoffmann mugshot.

via WITI Milwaukee

When Grundl got back to his delivery car, he called the police. When the police arrived at the home, Hoffmann tried to block the door, but eventually let the police into the woman's home.

After seeing the battered woman, Hoffmann was arrested and she was taken to the hospital for her wounds.

Earlier in the day, Hoffman arrived at the house without her permission and tried to convince her to get back into a relationship with him. He then punched her in the face and hog tied her with a vacuum power cord.

"If you love me, you will let me go," she pleaded, but he reportedly replied, "You know I can't do that." He also threatened to shoot both of them with a .22 caliber firearm he kept in his car. The woman later told authorities that she feared for her life.

An alert pizza delivery driver helped save a woman from her abusive ex-boyfriend, police say. A 55-year-old Grafton man now faces several counts of domestic ...

A day later, Grundl was seen on TV wearing a hoodie from Taylor Swift's "Reputation Tour" and her fans quickly jumped into action, tagging Swift in photos of the hero. Grundl already had tickets to go to an upcoming Swift concert in Arlington, Wisconsin, but when Swift learned of the story, she arranged to meet Grundl backstage.

"She … she knew who I was," Grundl jokingly tweeted after the concert. "I'm thoroughly convinced Taylor gave me a cold."

"This has been one of the most exciting weeks of my life," Grundl said. "I'm legitimately getting emotional and I almost never get like this. But as the likely most memorable week of my entire life comes to an end … I guess I can really say … I'm doing better than I ever was."


This story originally appeared on 10.4.18