Some food-delivery workers in New York City have built makeshift break rooms in parking lots so they can shelter between shifts, according to a report

• Some food-delivery workers in NYC have built makeshift break rooms in parking lots, The Verge reported.
• The spaces allow them to recharge bike batteries while eating, napping, and using the restroom.
• One driver said he paid $120 a month for his spot, The Verge reported.

Food-delivery workers in New York City have set up makeshift break rooms in parking lots so they have somewhere to shelter between shifts, according to a report by The Verge.

Verge reporter Josh Dzieza said he visited an underground parking lot near Manhattan's Lincoln Center and saw more than a dozen delivery workers charging their electric bikes, eating lunch, drying their clothes, and napping.

Anthony Chavez, who lives in The Bronx, told the publication that he paid $120 a month to rent his space in the parking lot. He said he spent about half his week working as a delivery driver at a rotisserie-chicken restaurant and the rest working for food-delivery apps.

The Verge reported that spaces in multiple parking lots were being used as shelters by some of the city's roughly 65,000 food-delivery workers.

Delivery apps like Uber Eats, DoorDash, and Grubhub don't provide shelter for riders during their shifts, unlike restaurants that have in-house delivery teams. The number of in-house delivery workers has fallen as the apps have gained popularity, meaning many riders no longer have access to shelter, restrooms, or perhaps free food.

As well as renting spaces in parking lots, some delivery riders were getting Chase Bank debit cards so they could access the bank's lobbies to stay warm in cold weather, The Verge reported.

A Doordash spokesperson told Insider that the company was working to improve working conditions for delivery drivers. The spokesperson said that as part of this, Doordash had provided drivers with free and discounted road-safety equipment, identified restrooms in hundreds of restaurants that drivers can use when picking up an order, and provided drivers with "resources to reduce their expenses."

Drivers earned an average of more than $33 per hour in Manhattan when they were on the job, including 100% of tips, the spokesperson said.

A Grubhub spokesperson told Insider that supporting delivery workers was "a top priority" for the company.

"That's why we support the proposals the City Council is considering later this month that would provide a number of new protections, including guaranteed bathroom access and giving delivery workers the ability to limit trip distances," the spokesperson said.

The Verge's report comes after videos surfaced on social media showing food-delivery workers cycling down flooded streets in New York and New Jersey during Storm Ida to bring food to customers, even as residents were warned to seek shelter. One told The City he was paid just $5 for the last hour of his shift during the storms, which was made up of just one journey from Astoria, Queens, to Brooklyn.