Waymo contractor reveals gruesome cleanup duties in interview

An anonymous contractor for Waymo, interviewed by the Bay Area Current, described the unpleasant duties of cleaning up human and animal waste from the self-driving cars. The contractor also detailed lax hiring practices and the constant data collection from rides. The interview highlights the hidden labor behind the robotaxi service.

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The contractor works at a San Francisco depot run by Transdev, Waymo's workforce manager. Duties include sanitizing interiors after passengers leave human or animal waste, plus collecting and storing ride data after each trip. The interview also revealed Waymo relies on remote assistants internationally to handle computer failures.

Hiring was notably casual—the contractor was told they were hired without a formal interview. At $29 per hour, the contractor suggests the arrangement values labor capacity over the workers themselves. The July 4 gridlock incident, which left several vehicles powerless, prompted