As robotaxis become increasingly common, an unexpected "basic mistake" has become one of the biggest headaches for tech giants: passengers forgetting to close the door after getting out of the car.
To solve this physical problem that renders high-tech vehicles "paralyzed," Alphabet's Waymo came up with a very "intuitive" solution: outsourcing to delivery drivers.
According to 404Media, TechCrunch, etc.ReportWaymo has confirmed that it is currently conducting a unique test program in Atlanta, USA, with the food delivery platform DoorDash, where delivery drivers can easily earn extra money by simply helping to close the door as they pass by.
A door that wasn't closed properly rendered a luxury car worth millions unable to move.
Why would a giant in the autonomous driving industry have to hire someone to shut it down?
The reason lies in Waymo's stringent safety mechanisms. If the sensors detect that a door is not fully closed (even just a crack), the unmanned taxi will lock itself to prevent accidents. Without a driver to turn around and help open the door, the vehicle may at best become stuck on the side of the road, delaying subsequent operations, and at worst cause a traffic jam on the entire road.
To quickly remove obstacles, Waymo's system now automatically sends push notifications to DoorDash delivery drivers (Dashers) near the incident location, asking them to "go and close the door" for them.
"America's most lucrative gig": Earn $360 by closing a door once.
According to online delivery workersShared screenshotsAccepting this "door-closing task" will earn you a guarantee fee of $6.25. Once the system confirms that the door has been closed, you will receive an additional $5 bonus, meaning you can earn $11.25 (about NT$360) for helping to close a door.
While paying $11 to have someone close the door might sound absurd, it's actually a "cost-saving" approach for Waymo. Previously in Los Angeles, Waymo used the roadside assistance platform Honk to call for help, with a single door-closing fee reaching as high as $24 (approximately NT$750).
This isn't the first time the two parties have collaborated, from food delivery to closing time.
In fact, Waymo and DoorDash established a cooperative relationship quite early on. Back in October 2025, they launched [a product/service] in Phoenix, Arizona.Autonomous delivery serviceLocal consumers can opt in to autonomous delivery when ordering food or groceries. The food will then be delivered to the designated address by a Waymo driverless vehicle, and the consumer can pick it up from the trunk of the vehicle.
Turning DoorDash delivery drivers into Waymo's "temporary debuggers" in Atlanta is another extreme example of how the two companies can complement each other's resources.
