"The only reason I do it at all is because the few orders where customers tip high enough to make it worth it keep me going on some of them." - Lee, DoorDash worker in Hendersonville, TN
Also of course they may have not done the math yet, or they may be doing this to try and fill in the gaps between their other two shitty minimum-wage jobs that never give them enough hours to be an actual full-time employee with benefits.
It feels more like gambling than "filling in the gaps". Casinos, video game loot boxes, mobile games, etc are all based on the idea that an occasional dopamine hit will keep people interested. A good tip now and then seems like the same thing.
It's quite likely that someone working multiple jobs will be worse off doing something like Uber and Doordash part time, but they feel like they're better off because they occasionally get that dopamine hit.
I think everyone should record everything about these types of side hustles. It's quite likely that the extra miles on your car completely erodes the money you make. The IRS allows deducting $0.50/mile, which is a pretty reasonable estimate for vehicle costs. I drive an older hybrid, which I paid cash for, and my cost is still ~$0.25/mile for repairs, insurance, depreciation, and gas (gas is <$0.10/mile if you get better than 26mpg, so it's very misleading).
"The only reason I do it at all is because the few orders where customers tip high enough to make it worth it keep me going on some of them." - Lee, DoorDash worker in Hendersonville, TN
Also of course they may have not done the math yet, or they may be doing this to try and fill in the gaps between their other two shitty minimum-wage jobs that never give them enough hours to be an actual full-time employee with benefits.