Maxine Carey-Gorey is one of the ever-growing army of food delivery riders buzzing around streets in Melbourne on electric bikes.
"It's lovely," she said.
"I enjoy cycling as it is. I like to get out and pick up these shifts whenever I can.
"I'm an animator mainly working in television. But when I can't pick up gigs that way, this is a nice way to earn some extra money."
It is unusual to hear someone so happy in an industry notorious for underpaying and exploiting its delivery riders in a job that can also be dangerous.
So-called 'gig economy' companies like UberEats, Deliveroo and Menulog usually pay their workers per task.
But Maxine is one of the few riders working for a guaranteed hourly rate, earning $29.50 an hour for her four-hour shift — whether she is busy or not.
She is still an independent contractor – which means no superannuation, penalty rates or workers compensation.
But Maxine says it is far better than sitting around waiting for a job earning nothing at all.
The company Maxine works for is a startup, founded by ex-delivery driver Vishal Plato – who hated the stress of never knowing if he would be making money on the evenings he spent on his bike.
"I used to wait around in the streets for a long time, and never used to get paid for that," he...
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