It still feels like a technological marvel: Waymo’s autonomous cars now transport passengers in six cities. Alas, this driverless future has its own set of problems. These vehicles become inert if a passenger accidentally leaves the door open.
According to a Reddit posta DoorDash driver discovered this issue when a strange request appeared in their queue. Instead of delivering, the driver is offered $6.25 to drive less than a mile in a Waymo car and close its door. After “verified completion,” they will receive an additional $5.
“You really broke the ‘door’,” said one commenter.

It seems too ironic to be true. Waymo’s vehicles represent technological advances that once seemed unfathomable. The Alphabet-owned company recently rose $16 billion to take its driverless cars internationally!
But Waymo and DoorDash have confirmed to TechCrunch that this Reddit post is legitimate. This is, in fact, a real problem.
“Waymo is currently running a pilot program in Atlanta to improve the efficiency of its AV fleet. In the rare event a vehicle door is left open, preventing the vehicle from leaving, nearby Dashers are notified, allowing Waymo to get its vehicles back on the road quickly,” Waymo and DoorDash said in a joint response. (The closing of the door, which begins earlier this yearis just one part of a broader relationship 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.)
If Waymo’s door is left open, it’s worth the company paying someone to close it — the car can’t complete any ride if it doesn’t move. Besides, a stationary car can obstruct the flow of traffic.
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This isn’t the first time Waymo has asked for help with problems on its doorstep. In Los Angeles, working with Waymo Honkingan Uber-like app for towing services. According to reports, Honk users in LA are offered up to $24 to close the door on Waymo – more than double what Atlanta DoorDash drivers receive.
The company noted that future Waymo vehicles will have automatic door closers. But for now, gig workers are Waymo’s best bet.






