Waymo’s autonomous vehicles are offering another type of gig to DoorDash drivers as the company confirms they’re paying dashers to close Waymo doors.
According to a viral Reddit post, a DoorDash driver in Atlanta received an unusual request. Instead of picking up or delivering food, the Dasher was offered $6.25 to travel less than a mile to a Waymo vehicle and close its door. The listing promised an additional $5 after “verified completion.”
The post quickly drew attention, with one commenter joking, “You actually ‘door’ dashed.”
Waymo confirms DoorDash door-closing pilot in Atlanta
In a joint statement to TechCrunch, Waymo and DoorDash said the program is part of a pilot aimed at improving fleet efficiency.
“Waymo is currently running a pilot program in Atlanta to enhance its AV fleet efficiency. In the rare event a vehicle door is left ajar, preventing the car from departing, nearby Dashers are notified, allowing Waymo to get its vehicles back on the road quickly,” the companies said.
If a passenger leaves a door open, the vehicle cannot continue operating. That means it cannot accept new rides and could potentially block traffic if left stationary.
The door-closing arrangement is one part of a broader partnership between Waymo and DoorDash. In October, the companies launched an autonomous delivery service in Phoenix, where Waymo vehicles deliver food and groceries to DoorDash customers.
Waymo is owned by Alphabet, the parent company of Google, and recently raised $16 billion as it looks to expand its driverless technology internationally.
Atlanta is not the first city where Waymo has turned to outside help for door-related issues. In Los Angeles, the company works with Honk, an on-demand roadside assistance platform. According to reports, Honk users in LA have been offered up to $24 to close a Waymo door, more than double what Dashers in Atlanta are receiving.
Waymo has said future vehicles will include automated door closures. Until then, gig workers are being used to manually resolve the issue when it occurs.
