Waymo and, formerly, Cruise self-driving cabs have, um, “short-circuited” more than a few times while ferrying fares
Mike Johns was anticipating a rather normal trip to the Los Angeles airport when he ordered a Waymo cab last month. However, what happened next was anything but normal. No sooner had he gotten into the self-driving taxi than the vehicle began looping the parking lot, inexplicably driving around in constant circles that left the poor passenger disoriented.
In a chat with CBS News, Waymo stated it had traced the issue to a software glitch, which it has since addressed to prevent future occurrences. To its credit, the company did not charge Mike for the airport ride.
California-based Waymo continues to lead the charge in the self-driving robotaxi race. However, Johns’ experience and a few other incidents highlighted below prove there is still room for improvement before autonomous taxis can be regarded as a viable alternative to other conventional modes of city transport.
Confused Stand-Off
One Waymo, attempting a daring maneuver around an Amazon truck, found itself face-to-face with another Waymo approaching from the opposite direction. But the drama didn’t stop there. Two more Waymos joined the fray, effectively trapping the Amazon truck and creating a comical yet concerning bit of gridlock.
The drama continued for several minutes, with the robotaxis, overwhelmed by the unexpected encounter, seemingly unsure how to proceed. Eventually, one of the Waymo cabs “seized the initiative” and successfully made its way through the choke-hold, freeing up the other vehicles.
Wayward Waymo
Here’s yet another vivid example spotlighting the unpredictability that even the most advanced AI has yet to figure out how to solve. Last year in Arizona, a Waymo robotaxi came upon a construction zone. Its solution? Proceed down a lane with oncoming traffic. The illegal maneuver was spotted by a cop, who promptly turned on his cruiser’s emergency lights in an attempt to pull it over. That did not work, at least not immediately. Instead, the Waymo proceeded right through an intersection before coming to a halt.
The Waymo Honking Wars
Residents were understandably irate, unable to sleep due to the unexpected dawn chorus of horn-y autonomous vehicles. Waymo acknowledged the issue, apologized to the community, and implemented a fix to address the issue. The company even offered free ice cream to the aggrieved residents to soothe frayed nerves.
Robotaxi Takes Concrete Dip
Not Waymo this time. In a bit of a muddy mishap, a Cruise self-driving car took a wrong turn and promptly found itself stuck in wet concrete. The incident, which occurred in San Francisco, saw the Chevrolet Bolt EV-based vehicle stray into a construction zone and become firmly embedded in the freshly poured material.
The incident was caught on camera by several passersby and shared widely on social media, attracting some unflattering comments aimed at GM, the majority owner of the robotaxi company. Luckily, the situation didn’t escalate beyond a minor embarrassment for Cruise. The company quickly intervened, retrieving the wayward robotaxi from its gooey prison.
Wireless Connectivity Fiasco
While we’re talking Cruise robotaxis, here’s another little incident from August 2024, when a fleet of 10 autonomous vehicles suddenly ground to a halt in San Francisco’s North Beach, backing up traffic considerably. Social media posts showed multiple Cruise driverless vehicles stopped in the middle of Grant Avenue with their hazard lights blinking.
This lasted for about 20 minutes before the robotaxis suddenly resumed motion and continued on their way. In response to a social media post on X, Cruise stated “wireless connectivity issues” were to blame for the sudden immobilization of its vehicles.
Waymo Taxi Torched by Frenzied Mob
Eventually, the robotaxi was set ablaze when a stray firework landed in the interior. Thankfully, a Waymo spokesperson confirmed “the vehicle was not transporting any riders and there were no injuries reported.” Pictures of the aftermath of the attack were shared on social media by the San Francisco Fire Department, with a statement noting the cause was being investigated.
There was no mention of any arrests made in connection with what marked the most destructive attack on driverless vehicles in the U.S. The incident also highlighted the limited ability of robotic cars to make judgment calls in the moment.
An Unforeseen Peril of Robo-rides
Wrapping up this list is an incident highlighting an unexpected danger of self-driving cars, an issue that demands urgent attention from the principal parties involved in autonomous-vehicle adoption. While initially hailed as a safer option for passengers trying to avoid creepy Uber drivers, it turns out these self-driving vehicles can create new vulnerabilities, especially for women.
Thankfully, the altercation ended without further escalation as the men moved aside, and the robotaxi continued its journey. However, the scary event lays bare the potential for criminals to exploit the limitations of self-driving technology to endanger passengers. There urgently needs to be a re-evaluation of autonomous vehicle design and implementation to prioritize passenger safety in all scenarios.
We should note it’s not all bad news: in early January 2025, a suspect in a grocery store robbery in Los Angeles tried using a Waymo robotaxi as a get away car. Unlike the incident in Arizona last July, this time the Jaguar pulled over when the cops tracked it down a few miles from the scene of the crime. The suspect was taken into custody.
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