A Waymo driverless taxi caused a traffic jam at a Chick-fil-A drive-thru in Santa Monica on Monday evening. According to KTLA, the autonomous vehicle stalled at the entrance of the drive-thru on Lincoln Blvd around 9:30 p.m., creating a longer line than usual for customers waiting to order.
Chris Kellogg, who was in line, captured videos showing the stalled vehicle with its hazard lights on. Chick-fil-A employees were seen standing around the taxi, which briefly backed up before stopping again. Kellogg reported waiting for about 30 minutes before being informed that the drive-thru-only restaurant was closed.
Waymo, a subsidiary of Google’s parent company, confirmed the incident and stated that their team retrieved the vehicle from the site. A company spokesperson said, “We are committed to continuously improving our service and making appropriate updates to prevent this from happening in the future.” It remains unclear if the vehicle was carrying passengers or if it was directed to the Chick-fil-A as part of a fare.
This incident highlights the ongoing challenges faced by driverless technology, which has occasionally experienced navigation issues since its deployment on city streets. Despite these setbacks, Waymo continues to work on refining its autonomous systems.
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