We went to San Francisco and tried a driverless car
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A driverless car in San Francisco. Photo: Alex Golden/Axios
I have seen the future, and it's self-driving.
State of play: I recently spent a long weekend in San Francisco, my first trip to what is now one of my favorite cities. As I was taking in the expected culture and views, I noticed something that felt especially new to my brain — people riding in cars without anyone in the driver's seat.
- Oh, we're in the tech hub, I thought.
Catch up quick: Autonomous vehicle company Waymo, which is owned by Google's parent company Alphabet, operates Waymo One, a taxi service for public use. They are in operation in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Phoenix and Austin and are coming soon to Atlanta and Miami, according to the company's website.
The intrigue: My husband, Trenton, and I took two Waymo rides (after we'd seen them driving around enough to know they staunchly obey traffic rules) and had seamless experiences.
- They were sensitive to every parked car, pedestrian and stop sign, drove the speed limit, easily took us through curvy roads and generally made us feel safe and sound.
- A real "Look, Mom, no hands" moment for sure.
How it works: It was just as easy as grabbing an Uber. Similar to rideshare services, you use an app to request a Waymo and you agree to a price. It comes to pick you up within minutes and takes you directly to your destination.
- You can hit a "pull over" button if you back out or your plans change. And there's a button to call for support, too. The radios by default play calming elevator music, perhaps for the apprehensive.
Yes, but: We checked on both Ubers and Waymos several times when considering how to get from Point A to Point B and, in most cases, Uber was still notably cheaper.
- Occasionally, Waymos were about the same price or even slightly less expensive. We decided a few extra bucks for a novel experience was worth it.
Flashback: The country's first driverless trucks were operated right here in Bentonville in 2021 via Walmart. But there's no indication that driverless taxi services like Waymo One are coming to Arkansas soon.
- I'll be in them if and when they arrive.