I rode in a self-driving car so you don't have to

My experience taking a Waymo in Phoenix, Arizona

Welcome to Gen Z Translator, where I break down trending topics on Fridays. If you’re new, you can subscribe here. Views are my own. Happy reading!

If you happen to find yourself in Phoenix, Arizona, of all places, you might notice something strange on the roads.

There are self-driving cars everywhere.

They’re easy to identify – the white cars wear a rotating sensor as a hat, have giant cameras embedded at the front and back, and most notably, usually don’t have a driver in the passenger seat. Locals like me call them by their legally given name, Waymos.

This experiment has been underway in my hometown for years, migrating from its Silicon Valley origins. Phoenix has a clean grid system with many straightforward routes and the right amount of urban-to-suburban sprawl for a driverless car to successfully joyride.

waymo

A post shared by @waymo

On Oct. 8, 2020, Waymo said they opened up their “fully driverless offering to Waymo One riders” in Phoenix. In June of this year, the program expanded into “an additional 90 square miles of Metro Phoenix, making the largest autonomous ride-hail territory in the United States even larger,” according to their release.

Since the Waymo influx, I’ve been incredibly curious about what it’s like to ride in a self-driving car. Sometimes, I’ll wait next to one at a stoplight, making awkward eye contact with no one as I consider whether it’s embarrassing to be seen in one. Other times, I’ll read posts about confused Waymos and their legal troubles, wondering if they’re really as scary to ride in as they seem.

I know getting in a driverless vehicle reliant on an algorithm is the last thing some people would do. That’s why I decided I had to do it. Here’s what happened.

The Prep

My family and I spent seven lovely days in Mexico in lieu of the American holiday. We flew back on Thanksgiving day to cut costs. When we arrived back in Phoenix, I thought, Now’s my chance.

It was a holiday, so I wouldn’t feel bad taking a driverless ride if it meant a rideshare driver got to be home with their family. The airport is one of the most popular places to get a Waymo, thanks to Waymo’s partnership with Phoenix Sky Harbor and the City of Phoenix. Plus, the roads were empty, making for a controlled environment to experience not being in control.

While waiting for our bags at customs, I sought out the Waymo One app on the App Store. It was an easy sign-up process, taking around one minute, 30 seconds, start-to-finish. The longest part was waiting for the app to download.

Waymo is owned by Alphabet, the same company that owns Google, so the app made me sign-in through a Google account. This meant my username and password were already saved to the keychain. Waymo texted me a confirmation number and voila, I was on my way.

Waymo One’s interface looks like a simplistic version of other ride-share apps. Once we exited the airport, our ride was 8 minutes away and gave us a specific pick-up point. I was able to change the beacon at the top of the car to have my initials in the color yellow, making it easier to identify (though there really wasn’t any need at the time).

Our car pulled up to the curb before ours, making us walk to get to it. I used my app to unlock the Waymo, we put our bags in the back, and we got in.

The Ride

Our car gave us a nice orientation, telling us to buckle up and setting the expectations for the ride. Currently, only four people can ride in a Waymo at a time, with no one allowed in the driver’s seat. The touchscreen kept us up-to-date with our journey and allowed us to change the music, pull over, or request to speak with a support team.

I was excited for the music – isn’t song selection always the best part of a car ride? – only to find a partnership with iHeartRadio prevented riders from easily streaming their own music. We flipped through the channels to keep ourselves busy.

The car stayed consistently at or under the speed limit, making it painstakingly slow at times. Phoenix is a fast city, where going over is the norm, which can make for stressful situations when someone else is riding your tail. Luckily, we didn’t run into that problem on a quiet Thanksgiving night.

We were able to see the other cars Waymo detected. There was one unexpected dip going into our neighborhood we were sure the Waymo was going to go over too fast, but at the last moment, it was able to slow down and execute a smoother descent than we usually can.

Before my Waymo arrived, I screenshotted the prices for an Uber. An UberX would’ve cost $36.85, plus tip. My Waymo ride cost $32.06 in total. The difference in drive time might explain the prices: It took Waymo 40 minutes to get us home, while an Uber was projected to take 25 minutes. This is because Waymos are still in the testing phase on freeways in Phoenix, meaning we had to take a strange, residential way.

When we neared home, the Waymo reminded us to get our phone, keys and wallet, and any items in the truck, as well as to “save room for pie!” (A nice touch from the devs¹ along with the animated turkey car, I might say).

The Afterthoughts

I felt comfortable throughout the ride, though it might be because I played my experiment a bit too safe. There weren’t many cars on the road to truly put the Waymo’s detection capabilities to the test – though I don’t know if I would ever want to test it during rush hour.

It made me painstakingly aware of one thing above all else: I was more worried about the danger other humans on the road posed than the risks of an automated driving system.

The Waymo follows the rules: it stops at stop signs, drives 25 miles-per-hour when it’s told to, and uses its turn signal every time. In a perfectly controlled environment, a Waymo wouldn’t make a mistake it’s not programmed to. That means your biggest risks come from human drivers breaking the rules – someone cuts you off, turns left on a red, tailgates you, etcetera.

I assume as someone who has driven alongside a Waymo that other drivers like me immediately clock, “Oh, this is a self-driving car. I need to be more careful about how I drive,” just like a “New Driver” sticker would signify to be more patient.

I’ve always thought it was sad we have to put stickers like “Baby on Board” or “New Driver” for people to consider there are actually humans in the car deserving of respect, patience, and kindness. Could a driverless car make other drivers more human?

I would ride in a Waymo again, if it were convenient. The car arrived to the airport quick and was overall a smooth drive, other than taking us through an expensive neighborhood I don’t think would appreciate robotaxis. I feel bad about taking away business from ridesharing app drivers and the slow pace/freeway avoidance would mean I’d have to find an occasion appropriate to justify the ride. Overall, a satisfactory experience though.

Waymos are currently available in San Francisco, Phoenix, Los Angeles, and Austin. If you’re ever in town, (don’t) drive responsibly.

Read my last explainer here: The water bottle brand thriving off capitalism

---

My weekly roundup:

😇 What I’m Doing: If I had a nickel for every time I wrote about copypasta, I’d have two nickels, which isn’t a lot but it’s weird it’s happened twice

🎞️ What I’m Watching: Daisy Jones and The Six after I just finished…

🔎 Reading: Daisy Jones and The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid

📱 What I’m Scrolling: #womeninmalefields

⚠️ What’s On My Radar: The attention on Pop Crave as a reputable news source is back after increased attention on insurance issues within the U.S.

---

Read the full Gen Z Dictionary here.

---

1. devs: developers