Plugging in Scooters for a Living

Scooter Rental service Bird uses the gig economy to maintain and charge its electric scooter fleet. Bird employs contractors to do basic repairs, like fixing flats and brake lines and to charge its scooters. "Casey Dalton, 44, a part-time security guard who lives in Venice, has been charging for about four months out of a one-bedroom guest house he rents. On an average day, he can make about $110," Patrick Sisson reports for Curbed.

Contractors are paid based on how many scooters they fix or charge, with different fees depending on where the scooters need to be picked up and other factors that affect the job. "Every morning, scooters that have been charged overnight need to be released back onto the street into what’s called a nest, a predetermined corner or location on the map chargers can find via their app," Sisson reports.