Waymo confirms they are paying DoorDasher’s to close taxi doors

Waymo is adding a new kind of task for DoorDash drivers: they’re now being paid to simply close the doors of Waymo’s self-driving cars.

A DoorDash driver in Atlanta recently received a strange order through the app, as shared in a popular Reddit post. Someone offered just $6.25 for the driver to drive less than a mile to a Waymo self-driving car and simply close its door. The customer promised another $5 once the task was confirmed as completed.

The post quickly drew attention, with one commenter joking, “You actually ‘door’ dashed.”

Waymo confirms DoorDash door-closing pilot in Atlanta

Waymo and DoorDash announced a new pilot program, sharing with TechCrunch that it’s designed to help delivery fleets run more efficiently.

Waymo is testing a new system in Atlanta to help its self-driving cars run more smoothly. If a car door is accidentally left open, preventing it from starting a trip, nearby DoorDash drivers are alerted to help close it, getting the vehicle back in service quickly, according to the companies.

If a passenger leaves a vehicle door open, the ride has to stop. This prevents the vehicle from accepting new requests and could cause traffic problems if it’s left stopped in a roadway.

Craziest Offer
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This automatic door-closing feature is part of a larger collaboration between Waymo and DoorDash. They began working together in October with a delivery service in Phoenix, using Waymo’s self-driving vehicles to bring food and groceries to DoorDash customers.

Waymo, which is owned by Google’s parent company Alphabet, recently received $16 billion in funding as it plans to bring its self-driving technology to more countries around the world.

So, Waymo’s been having door issues in Atlanta, and it’s not the first time! I heard they’re using regular people to help, kinda like a gig thing. But get this – in Los Angeles, they’re paying people through this app called Honk up to $24 just to close a Waymo door! That’s way more than what they’re offering us in Atlanta, where we’re only getting around $10 to do the same thing. Seems a little unfair, right?

Waymo plans to eventually equip its vehicles with doors that close automatically. For now, they’re relying on temporary workers to close the doors for passengers when needed.

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2026-02-13 18:18