Thanks to the Waymo vehicles, autonomous taxis are becoming a more significant part of the conversation. However, there’s still quite a bit of apprehension about the idea of self-driving cars, and for good reason. Recently, an attempted car theft exposed another concern with this futuristic mode of transportation, and the rider who was unfortunately in the vehicle says they felt helpless during the encounter. The video of the incident is linked at the end of the article.

Car theft Is a massive problem, and it could pose a risk to Waymo taxis

Car theft is a significant problem worldwide. Sadly, it’s getting worse, and people are trying to find better ways to protect their vehicles. According to PC Mag, a man in San Francisco attempted to break into one of the city’s Waymo taxis while it was stopped at a red light. The report says he approached the vehicle and attempted to open it as the rider watched in fear from the backseat. He even brandished what the rider believed to be a knife. 

According to the rider in the Waymo taxi, “I’m not sure it was a knife. Maybe it was a tool to break car windows. The scariest part was that I felt a bit helpless without a driver that could have just floored the gas to get us out of the situation. Once the light turned green, the Waymo drove me home like usual.”

After the attempted car theft, the passenger called Waymo to report what happened. They called the response to the report “very supportive.” Additionally, the company sent an email the next day to check in on their wellbeing after such a tense encounter. Of course, Maymo taxis use an app for the passengers, and they encourage them to press the emergency button in the future if something like this happens again, as it would call 911. 

In the end, the driver said that they would use Waymo autonomous taxis again in the future. Currently, Waymo is testing its self-driving vehicles in a few cities around the country, including San Francisco, Phoenix, and Los Angeles. They plan to add more in Atlanta and Austin next year. You can see the original video on Reddit.

For more reading, check out this recent article by Sarah Kennedy on one of the issues with Waymo taxis in San Francisco.