In Coons Rapids, Minnesota, a delivery driver for Instacart took her frustrations too far when she vandalized groceries and left a hateful note for a pro-police elderly couple. Tara Plum, a 36-year-old liberal, was outraged when she saw a Blue Lives Matter flag in the couple’s driveway. In a fit of anger, she scribbled “F*** the police” on their receipt and smashed the grocery bags with her vehicle.
The groceries, worth around $50, were completely flattened. Plum wanted to make sure the couple knew that she intentionally destroyed their order because of their support for the police. She even yelled at them before driving away, telling them to look at the wreath on their front door for an explanation.
According to the Blaine Police Department, Plum wrote, “Instacart doesn’t pay employees. Sry [sic] find another slave. F*** the police.” She also called the elderly couple “racist pigs” for showing appreciation to the police department that works to protect their community.
As a result of her actions, Plum has been cited for criminal damage to property and could face up to ninety days behind bars. Although a court date hasn’t been set yet, she will have to appear before a judge to plead her case. Instacart has also fired her from their roster, and the couple has been reimbursed for their damaged groceries.
Meanwhile, the Blaine police officers are still investigating the incident. Captain Mark Boerboom stated that they need to determine whether the act was committed based on any form of discrimination.
While speaking out about the citation on Facebook, Plum expressed her frustrations with disorderly conduct and property damage charges for an unpaid delivery. She questioned why she was held responsible for damaging property she hadn’t been compensated for, despite the customer getting reimbursed by Instacart.
After vandalizing the groceries, Plum drove away to a nearby pizzeria to order food for herself. However, the couple whose groceries were destroyed alerted the police about her actions. This incident marked Plum’s second strike with Instacart, and she is now receiving counseling from an employee assistance program while being on probation from the company for one year.
In an email to The Pioneer Press, Plum admitted her wrongdoing and apologized for her actions. She acknowledged that her anger got the best of her and that she shouldn’t have taken it out on innocent people. This experience served as a harsh reminder for her to take responsibility for her actions and be more mature in handling her frustrations.
