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Waymo than you wanted to know
The dope, the sex, the Phoenix experience
Waymo vehicles in Phoenix and San Francisco are restricted to city streets and do not use freeways.
Since early February, people in Hillcrest, downtown, and Point Loma have been posting photos and videos of peculiar-looking Waymo taxis gliding through our streets—its exterior adorned with spinning LiDAR sensors, cameras, and high-tech gadgetry.
Currently, the Waymo vehicles, Jaguar I-PACE EVs, spotted in San Diego still have human drivers behind the wheel, mapping the city and testing road conditions. According to Waymo’s website, these test vehicles are not yet available to the public, but full operation is expected—though no official launch date has been announced.
San Diegans familiar with Waymo’s operations in Phoenix and San Francisco—whether as passengers or through stories—recall troublemakers pushing the limits by hotboxing, hooking up, and pulling pranks inside and outside the self-driving cars.
The service is a go-to choice for pot smokers heading to dispensaries and cannabis-friendly events. Obviously, it’s a safer option since they can stay high during the ride, but more importantly, the absence of a human driver makes it feel like a more relaxed space. Some online feel so comfortable that they smoke inside the car.
Avid weed smoker and local car detailer Jeff Gomez loves the new “robo taxis, but smoking weed in these is selfish,” he said in a recent interview, “because the next riders, who may be not into our lifestyle, will reek of weed.”
As an auto detailer, Gomez knows how difficult it is to remove weed smoke and cigarette smoke from car interiors. “We gotta use these smell-absorbing rocks, but the scent gets into the vents and behind the dash, and when we spray the solution to wipe away the smell, it could ruin the electronics.”
Redditor Oldbluevespa shared his frustration: "I was headed to work, and a Waymo rolled up where this [weed smoking] had obviously just happened—had to cancel and wait for another ride. Not cute. I hope they pulled footage and banned the clown that did it."
For San Diegans who don't know, Waymo strictly prohibits smoking, vaping, drug use, and drinking alcohol inside its vehicles. The company’s vehicles—which were developed from R&D from Google’s Self-Driving Car project in 2009 and developed into Waymo's current tenure—currently have 29 cameras on each car, which assist with navigation and monitor the car’s interior. According to Waymo’s website, these cameras help maintain cleanliness, locate lost items, provide emergency assistance, improve services, and enforce in-car rules.
A human from the company can communicate with the riders via an intercom system and address any issues, and vice versa; the riders can speak with a company rep via a button placed on the vehicle's dashboard.
While Waymo’s policies aren’t explicit on the subject, a Mashable article reports that some passengers have found creative ways to get intimate inside Waymo cars, even keeping their seatbelts fastened to avoid alerting compliance officers. Reddit users have confirmed the trend, with one joking: “Why not? It’s cheaper than renting a room.”
Passengers violating Waymo’s rules—including touching the steering wheel, sitting in the empty driver’s seat, or failing to secure a child passenger in a car seat—risk a $50 to $100 cleaning fee, account suspension, or a permanent ban, depending on the severity of the offense.
Gomez continued, “I’ve cleaned Ubers and Lyft cars for clients, and $50-$100 for cleaning up and getting rid of partygoers' throw up and strong smoke [scents] is a good deal for the amount of work we have to do.”
Meanwhile, San Diego Uber and Lyft drivers are panicking over the rise of driverless taxis and a loss of revenue. "Once they start airport pickups," said Mitch K., "it’s over." Rich M. added, "So for all you long-term drivers, get your résumé ready. The rides are only going to get smaller and more ridiculous. So sad."
However, many local rideshare drivers don’t realize that Waymo vehicles in Phoenix and San Francisco are restricted to city streets and do not use freeways. Suppose San Diego Waymo follows the same protocol; customers may compare ETAs with with-driver services in comparison with Waymos and opt for traditional rideshare services when freeway routes provide a faster trip.
Jay L., who lived most of his life in San Diego before relocating to Phoenix, Arizona, has been using Waymo services in Phoenix. "Waymo drives like a grandma," he said in a recent interview. "It’s very careful and slow when many people and construction are on the street, and weird intersections like in North Park and Balboa Park, where one-way streets merge with two-way streets, might throw off the Waymo computer. It’s convenient for people coming home from Gaslamp District or PB after a night out partying because you can’t complain about the slow Waymo driver—there is no driver. Plus, the bonus: we don’t tip Waymo."
And while some rideshare drivers fear Waymo’s expansion, others secretly enjoy watching its rare malfunctions.
A Phoenix police officer pulled over a self-driving Waymo vehicle in June after it mistakenly drove into oncoming traffic, according to PCMag.com. The incident occurred when the autonomous car became confused by construction signs in its vicinity, ran a red light before pulling into a parking lot, where the officer could contact Waymo support. On bodycam footage posted online, the officer can be heard telling Waymo support, “The car went into opposing lanes of traffic, which is real bad.” Waymo later reportedly stated that the vehicle drove into the wrong lane due to “inconsistent construction signage” and explained that it ran the red light “in an effort to clear the intersection.”
Safety was a primary concern when Waymo launched in metro Phoenix (2017) and San Francisco (2022). Could driverless cars perform better than humans? According to Waymo’s website, the latest data suggests the answer is yes.
Before I get into the data, San Diegans first noticed the funky exterior hardware of the futuristic self-driving test cars, particularly the four spinning cylinders known as LiDAR sensors. These devices shoot millions of laser beams in all directions, measuring how fast they bounce back to create a detailed 3D map of the car’s surroundings. The technology allows Waymo’s self-driving system to see the road, avoid obstacles, and navigate safely.
In the new self-driving fleet, minivans will join the Jaguar EVs—thanks to the data the fleets have been pulling.
Waymo has reported significant safety improvements in both Phoenix and San Francisco. According to their data, Waymo vehicles have driven a combined 33 million miles across both cities. Compared to human-driven cars, Waymo vehicles have recorded 44 fewer airbag-deploying crashes (an 81 percent reduction), 73 percent fewer injury-causing crashes, and 48 percent fewer police-reported crashes.
But no matter how safe or cheaper the service will be, there will always be protestors. Beyond unruly passengers, Waymo cars have also become targets for activists and pranksters placing traffic cones on the hood of a Waymo, a tactic designed to confuse its sensors and temporarily disable the vehicle.
Here's something you might be interested in.
Waymo than you wanted to know
The dope, the sex, the Phoenix experience
Waymo than you wanted to know
The dope, the sex, the Phoenix experience
Waymo vehicles in Phoenix and San Francisco are restricted to city streets and do not use freeways.
Since early February, people in Hillcrest, downtown, and Point Loma have been posting photos and videos of peculiar-looking Waymo taxis gliding through our streets—its exterior adorned with spinning LiDAR sensors, cameras, and high-tech gadgetry.
Currently, the Waymo vehicles, Jaguar I-PACE EVs, spotted in San Diego still have human drivers behind the wheel, mapping the city and testing road conditions. According to Waymo’s website, these test vehicles are not yet available to the public, but full operation is expected—though no official launch date has been announced.
San Diegans familiar with Waymo’s operations in Phoenix and San Francisco—whether as passengers or through stories—recall troublemakers pushing the limits by hotboxing, hooking up, and pulling pranks inside and outside the self-driving cars.
The service is a go-to choice for pot smokers heading to dispensaries and cannabis-friendly events. Obviously, it’s a safer option since they can stay high during the ride, but more importantly, the absence of a human driver makes it feel like a more relaxed space. Some online feel so comfortable that they smoke inside the car.
Avid weed smoker and local car detailer Jeff Gomez loves the new “robo taxis, but smoking weed in these is selfish,” he said in a recent interview, “because the next riders, who may be not into our lifestyle, will reek of weed.”
As an auto detailer, Gomez knows how difficult it is to remove weed smoke and cigarette smoke from car interiors. “We gotta use these smell-absorbing rocks, but the scent gets into the vents and behind the dash, and when we spray the solution to wipe away the smell, it could ruin the electronics.”
Redditor Oldbluevespa shared his frustration: "I was headed to work, and a Waymo rolled up where this [weed smoking] had obviously just happened—had to cancel and wait for another ride. Not cute. I hope they pulled footage and banned the clown that did it."
For San Diegans who don't know, Waymo strictly prohibits smoking, vaping, drug use, and drinking alcohol inside its vehicles. The company’s vehicles—which were developed from R&D from Google’s Self-Driving Car project in 2009 and developed into Waymo's current tenure—currently have 29 cameras on each car, which assist with navigation and monitor the car’s interior. According to Waymo’s website, these cameras help maintain cleanliness, locate lost items, provide emergency assistance, improve services, and enforce in-car rules.
A human from the company can communicate with the riders via an intercom system and address any issues, and vice versa; the riders can speak with a company rep via a button placed on the vehicle's dashboard.
While Waymo’s policies aren’t explicit on the subject, a Mashable article reports that some passengers have found creative ways to get intimate inside Waymo cars, even keeping their seatbelts fastened to avoid alerting compliance officers. Reddit users have confirmed the trend, with one joking: “Why not? It’s cheaper than renting a room.”
Passengers violating Waymo’s rules—including touching the steering wheel, sitting in the empty driver’s seat, or failing to secure a child passenger in a car seat—risk a $50 to $100 cleaning fee, account suspension, or a permanent ban, depending on the severity of the offense.
Gomez continued, “I’ve cleaned Ubers and Lyft cars for clients, and $50-$100 for cleaning up and getting rid of partygoers' throw up and strong smoke [scents] is a good deal for the amount of work we have to do.”
Meanwhile, San Diego Uber and Lyft drivers are panicking over the rise of driverless taxis and a loss of revenue. "Once they start airport pickups," said Mitch K., "it’s over." Rich M. added, "So for all you long-term drivers, get your résumé ready. The rides are only going to get smaller and more ridiculous. So sad."
However, many local rideshare drivers don’t realize that Waymo vehicles in Phoenix and San Francisco are restricted to city streets and do not use freeways. Suppose San Diego Waymo follows the same protocol; customers may compare ETAs with with-driver services in comparison with Waymos and opt for traditional rideshare services when freeway routes provide a faster trip.
Jay L., who lived most of his life in San Diego before relocating to Phoenix, Arizona, has been using Waymo services in Phoenix. "Waymo drives like a grandma," he said in a recent interview. "It’s very careful and slow when many people and construction are on the street, and weird intersections like in North Park and Balboa Park, where one-way streets merge with two-way streets, might throw off the Waymo computer. It’s convenient for people coming home from Gaslamp District or PB after a night out partying because you can’t complain about the slow Waymo driver—there is no driver. Plus, the bonus: we don’t tip Waymo."
And while some rideshare drivers fear Waymo’s expansion, others secretly enjoy watching its rare malfunctions.
A Phoenix police officer pulled over a self-driving Waymo vehicle in June after it mistakenly drove into oncoming traffic, according to PCMag.com. The incident occurred when the autonomous car became confused by construction signs in its vicinity, ran a red light before pulling into a parking lot, where the officer could contact Waymo support. On bodycam footage posted online, the officer can be heard telling Waymo support, “The car went into opposing lanes of traffic, which is real bad.” Waymo later reportedly stated that the vehicle drove into the wrong lane due to “inconsistent construction signage” and explained that it ran the red light “in an effort to clear the intersection.”
Safety was a primary concern when Waymo launched in metro Phoenix (2017) and San Francisco (2022). Could driverless cars perform better than humans? According to Waymo’s website, the latest data suggests the answer is yes.
Before I get into the data, San Diegans first noticed the funky exterior hardware of the futuristic self-driving test cars, particularly the four spinning cylinders known as LiDAR sensors. These devices shoot millions of laser beams in all directions, measuring how fast they bounce back to create a detailed 3D map of the car’s surroundings. The technology allows Waymo’s self-driving system to see the road, avoid obstacles, and navigate safely.
In the new self-driving fleet, minivans will join the Jaguar EVs—thanks to the data the fleets have been pulling.
Waymo has reported significant safety improvements in both Phoenix and San Francisco. According to their data, Waymo vehicles have driven a combined 33 million miles across both cities. Compared to human-driven cars, Waymo vehicles have recorded 44 fewer airbag-deploying crashes (an 81 percent reduction), 73 percent fewer injury-causing crashes, and 48 percent fewer police-reported crashes.
But no matter how safe or cheaper the service will be, there will always be protestors. Beyond unruly passengers, Waymo cars have also become targets for activists and pranksters placing traffic cones on the hood of a Waymo, a tactic designed to confuse its sensors and temporarily disable the vehicle.
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