DoorDashers are getting paid to close Waymo's self-driving car doors

[watty]

I bet the Waymo engineers are feeling pretty stupid now that they never designed self-closing doors for their self-driving cars!

DoorDashers are getting paid to close Waymo's self-driving car doors

A few days ago, a Redditor posted in the community for DoorDash drivers that they received an offer to close a Waymo vehicle’s door. The job paid a guaranteed fee of $6.25 with a $5 extra on top of it after the DoorDasher verifies that it has been completed. Waymo has confirmed to 404Media and TechCrunch that, yes, it is indeed paying Dashers to shut the doors of its self-driving cars. And it makes sense because, well, there’s nobody to do it otherwise if a passenger accidentally leaves it open.

The Alphabet subsidiary and DoorDash told the publications that it’s currently running a pilot program in Atlanta, wherein if one of its vehicle’s doors is left ajar, nearby Dashers are notified. Waymo’s self-driving vehicles can’t leave if one of its doors remains open, so the company is framing the program as a way to enhance its fleet’s efficiency. Waymo told 404Media that the program started earlier this year and that payments are structured to ensure “competitive and fair compensation for Dashers.”

To note, this isn’t the first time the two companies have teamed up. In October 2025, Waymo’s self-driving cars became a delivery option for DoorDash customers in Phoenix, Arizona. To get a Waymo delivery, customers will have to choose “opt in to autonomous delivery” during checkout and to physically retrieve their order from the car’s trunk when it arrives.

 

[Dr. Martin Gooter Bling]

it's very strange the way they launched and the yokes can't go on the motorway and handle nasty weather yet. why didn't they wait to iron all this stuff out. they've been workin on robot cars for 15 years. it's like stockton rush and his advanced carbon fiber submarine. i really think it's a matter of time before someone get's bollixed to death on a dark rainy night in one of them. they're playin with fire.

[watty]

Autonomous Vehicle Accidents: NHTSA Crash Data (2019-2025) (Craft Kaw Firm)

"Injuries and Fatalities in Self-Driving Car Accidents: Of the 5,202 autonomous vehicle incidents that occurred through November 17, 2025, there were 451 injuries and fatalities. This includes crashes involving vehicles with ADS and vehicles with ADAS."

They break the data further to record 65 fatalities.

[mercenary for hire]

It's the USA.No real regulations on tech companies because they want to roll out their tech all over the world.The US is a real life testing ground and if a few people die they'll just pay the families off.

Waymo is a Google company and their share price has tripled in a few years on promises of AI advances and robotaxis.Most of it is bullshit but that's why big tech is donating to Trump.Relaxed regulations fuel all this shite.

Separately Russia just banned WhatsApp which is owned by Facebook.Mark Zuckerberg is one of Trump's pals and donors.The Russians called it a US spyware app or something similar.

Plus Trump forced the Chinese to sell their US tik tok to Oracle which is owned by one of Trump's donors too.

Do yis see a pattern here?

[watty]

Google thinks it'll be around in 100 years...  Alphabet sells rare 100-year bond to fund AI expansion as spending surges

We'll see.  They're all playing musical chairs by investing in each other.  Very incestuous.  We'll see what happens when the music stops.