Waymo Pays Doordash Drivers To Close Doors

Waymo's cars don't have drivers. The driverless fleet of taxis has gradually expanded in recent years, but removing human beings from an equation so complex as driving often has unintended consequences. A simple problem now requires a complex solution at Waymo, with Doordash workers being paid a small sum to find and close doors left ajar by departing Waymo passengers.

Waymo has to pay gig workers to get taxis moving again

When a passenger departs, and the Waymo's door is not fully latched shut - either through forgetfulness or when the door isn't shut hard enough - the driverless taxi treats it as a fault, and one that won't allow it to continue. It's logical: if the car's door is open, it probably shouldn't be driving down the road. It could lead to accidents or property damage. But it also interrupts service, effectively disabling Waymo vehicles until the door is closed.

The company's solution is to pay gig workers to close doors. The brand acknowledged this after a Reddit post showcasing the problem made the rounds online, showing an Atlanta DoorDash driver being offered $11.25 to close the door on a stuck Waymo taxi. The two companies issued a statement to CNBC, stating they're always looking for "new and flexible ways for DoorDash deliverers to earn money." Waymo added that future models will have self-closing doors.

Doordash drivers aren't the only ones, despite the Atlanta pilot. The Washington Post published a report that showed Waymo was also paying users of Honk, a sort of gig-work roadside assistance company, to close doors in Los Angeles for up to $24.

At some level, autonomous taxi companies like Waymo are still reliant on humans, either for more subtle, mundane tasks like this one or for more complex ones. Waymo in development vehicles frequently have humans at the wheel, ready to take over in the event of an incident. Tesla's Cybercab was to be remote-operated in some instances where the company's software could not navigate its way out of a scenario.

Meanwhile, Waymo continues to expand. Its next-generation robotaxi was just deployed, with the brand operating in six cities currently: Austin, San Francisco Bay Area, Phoenix, Atlanta, and Los Angeles. A further 26 are planned, including the following cities for 2026: London, Dallas, Denver, Detroit, Houston, Las Vegas, Miami, Nashville, Orlando, San Antonio, San Diego, and Washington. Testing continues in New York and Tokyo, too.