Online food delivery service has developed rapidly and expanded the boundaries of the catering industry. Being a food delivery rider in the gig economy attracts workers with the premises of flexibility and freedom. However, existing studies based on labor process theory revealed that freedom is fictitious. The study sheds light on how the individual rider finds meaning in their work from the mobility perspective. A mixed-method approach based on questionnaires, interviews, and mobile ethnography is applied. Findings showed that food delivery riders gain the experience of freedom in many aspects, from flexible working hours, body movement, immediate cash transfer to freedom from many other regulations. Being a rider represents a free lifestyle and a way to control one’s fate. Yet, it is perceived as a transitional job. This study contributes to making connections between the mobility perspective and work-related studies.

在线送餐服务发展迅速，拓展了餐饮行业的边界。作为零工经济中的送餐员，以灵活和自由的前提吸引工人。然而，现有的基于劳动过程理论的研究表明，自由是虚构的。该研究揭示了个体骑手如何从移动性的角度发现他们工作的意义。应用了基于问卷、访谈和移动民族志的混合方法。调查结果表明，送餐骑手在许多方面获得了自由的体验，从灵活的工作时间、身体运动、即时现金转移到摆脱许多其他法规的束缚。成为骑手代表着一种自由的生活方式和一种掌握命运的方式。然而，它被认为是一项过渡性工作。