Waymo is asking DoorDash drivers to close the doors of its self-driving cars

It still feels like a technological marvel: Waymo’s self-driving cars now carry passengers in six cities. Unfortunately, this driverless future comes with its own problems. These vehicles can 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 his queue. Instead of making a delivery, the driver was offered $6.25 to drive less than a mile in a Waymo vehicle and close its door. After “verified completion”, they would get an additional $5.

“Actually the ‘door’ was broken,” noted one commenter.

It seems too ironic to be true. Waymo vehicles represent technological breakthroughs that once seemed unfathomable. The Alphabet-owned company just raised $16 billion to take its driverless cars international!

But Waymo and DoorDash 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 performance of its AV fleet. In the rare event that a vehicle door is left ajar, preventing the car from departing, nearby Dashers are alerted, allowing Waymo to get its vehicles back on the road quickly,” Waymo and DoorDash said in a joint response. (The collaboration to close the door, which started earlier this yearit’s just one aspect of Waymo and DoorDash’s larger relationship. In October, the companies launched an autonomous delivery service in Phoenix, where Waymo vehicles deliver food and groceries to DoorDash customers.)

If a Waymo door is left open, it’s worth the company paying someone to close it — the car can’t complete any more rides if it sits still. Not to mention, a stationary car could impede the flow of traffic.

This isn’t the first time Waymo has asked for help with door issues. In Los Angeles, Waymo is partnering with Honk, an Uber-like app for towing services. According to reports, Honk users have been offered in LA up to $24 to close a Waymo door — more than double what Atlanta DoorDash drivers get.

The company noted that future Waymo vehicles will have automated door closers. But for now, gig workers are Waymo’s best bet.