This paper develops the concept of the non-encounter for geography in the context of the changing experience of gig economy work during COVID-19. Supplementing political economy insights with a cultural geographic sensitivity to embodiment, we explore the fluctuating bodily capacities of food delivery drivers during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic in Melbourne, Australia. We reflect on fieldwork with gig workers which drew our attention to how the practice of doorstep food delivery became ‘contact-free’ during the pandemic. In dialogue with cultural geographical literatures on boredom and interruptions, our paper highlights the deleterious impacts of repetition without interruption on workers' bodies. We argue that the felt absences of previously enjoyed light-touch interactions with customers and other delivery drivers has created a strange kind of ‘non-encounter’ for gig workers, intensifying feelings of boredom and a sense of detachment. We speculate on what this means for the future of gig work and for cultural geographers.

中文翻译：

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在零工经济中工作很无聊：平台资本主义中的不相遇和超然政治

本文在 COVID-19 期间零工经济工作经历不断变化的背景下，提出了地理学非相遇的概念。我们通过对体现的文化地理敏感性补充政治经济学见解，探讨了澳大利亚墨尔本 COVID-19 大流行的第一年期间送餐司机身体能力的波动。我们反思了与零工工作者的实地考察，这引起了我们对大流行期间送餐上门的做法如何变得“无接触”的关注。在与关于无聊和中断的文化地理文献的对话中，我们的论文强调了不间断地重复对工人身体的有害影响。我们认为，以前与客户和其他送货司机享受轻松互动的感觉缺失，为零工工作者创造了一种奇怪的“非接触”，加剧了无聊感和超然感。我们推测这对零工工作和文化地理学家的未来意味着什么。