A Los Angeles tech entrepreneur, Mike Johns, found himself trapped in a self-driving taxi from Waymo as it circled a parking lot in Phoenix, Arizona, on December 9. Johns was on his way to Sky Harbor International Airport when the autonomous vehicle began driving in loops, causing a five-minute delay. Despite the dizzying experience, Johns managed to catch his flight.
Johns shared his experience on social media, expressing frustration and confusion as the car completed eight circles. According to CNN, Waymo, the self-driving car arm of Google’s parent company Alphabet, contacted Johns through the car’s system after receiving a notification about a routing issue. A Waymo representative instructed Johns to use the app to resolve the problem, as they could not control the car directly.
This incident is not the first time Waymo’s technology has faced challenges. In June 2024, Waymo recalled 672 cars to prevent them from driving into poles. The company has also been part of a federal investigation for erratic driving, alongside Zoox, another robotaxi company.
Waymo completed a software update following the incident and attempted to contact Johns for follow-up. Johns, who works in the technology industry, initially chose Waymo over traditional rideshares like Lyft and Uber. However, after this experience, he expressed a preference for conventional rideshare services. Waymo assured that Johns was not charged for the trip.
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