A Waymo robotaxi repeatedly parked in the same residential spot outside a West Los Angeles home, delighting 10-year-old Morgan and drawing parental curiosity. The vehicle idled after dropping the family off on New Year's Eve and returned to that spot repeatedly afterward, sometimes for minutes, sometimes for hours. The parents ran informal experiments and documented license plates, finding multiple different Waymo vehicles visiting the same locations. Waymos appear to select one of two specific parking spots near the house. Residents report annoyance at backup sounds, concern about always-on sensors and cameras, and uncertainty about the cars' traffic behavior.
10-year-old Morgan rushes to the window. "The Waymo is home!" she says, calling to her parents, Lisa Delgin and Zach Tucker. It is by no means the first time a Waymo has come "home" to this particular spot. Last year, a Waymo robotaxi dropped Delgin and Tucker off after a New Year's Eve party and idled there for several minutes until it took off for the next ride.
As with Uber rideshares and Bird scooters before them, Waymos are the latest tech transportation innovation to start showing up in people's lives - and they sometimes cause friction with residents in the cities that become their first markets. But the AI of it all adds a layer of opacity to these interactions. Confused driverless cars seem to make random stops, their mandatory backup sounds are irritating, and it's unclear whether they are even beholden to traffic laws, human drivers allege.
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