Waymo One ١٢+

Have been wanting to try Waymo for awhile, and after a very long and uncomfortable Lyft ride where bro’s car smelled like a dirty gym sock, I knew it was time to make the switch. I thought I would be nervous to ride in a driverless car, but as a pedestrian I’ve seen them out and about on the roads and they seemed like very safe and polite “drivers” (unlike most humans) and that was exactly the experience I had riding in it too. Quiet, comfortable, no pressure to talk to a stranger or cope with their crazy driving. The car seemed to cruise control at 40mph even though it was early Sunday morning and there was no traffic, felt perfect for me, I don’t want to go super fast.

I like that you can follow on the screen the car’s route and see people and other vehicles that it has seen, much like on a Tesla, so there’s no question of whether the car has seen that truck next to it. It even stopped, rather awkwardly, for a jaywalker, who at first was trying to signal for the car to pass by him until he realized there was no driver to signal to, lol.

I will love when it expands out to the farther reaches of the valley. I live just northwest of downtown so most places in Waymo’s service territory are places I can easily get to on the light rail or bus for $4, but it will be nice for when I don’t want to bother with a bunch of transfers or need to get somewhere faster.

I had the opportunity to take my first ride with Waymo this evening, and I must say, it was nothing short of amazing. The driverless technology left me genuinely impressed, and I found myself thinking, "I've seen the future, and it's Waymo." The entire experience was top-notch from the moment I stepped into the vehicle. Despite my initial hesitation about the lack of a driver, it quickly became a non-issue. The lack of a driver wasn't as strange as you might think. I found myself immersed in the journey, either checking the view out the window or engrossed in my phone. One standout aspect was the affordability of Waymo. In a time where tipping has become an expectation everywhere you go, it was refreshing not to worry about it post-ride. Tip fatigue is a real thing, and Waymo eliminates that concern. Kudos to Waymo for making the future of transportation so accessible and user-friendly! Driverless technology is definitely the future, and I’m looking forward to my next ride—affordable, convenient, and tip-free. Thanks, Waymo!

The first time you get in a Waymo and click the “Start Ride” button, you feel a bit horrified. The car plays a little safety video and starts driving itself. But after about 30 seconds, all the fear goes away and you completely forget the fact that AI is driving you. And then you quickly lose yourself in the luxurious Jaguar car with music that you have full control over (and don’t need to feel self conscious with a driver listening to it!)

As for the app, it’s well-designed and easy to use. The only problem is on some vehicles the music doesn’t connect to the car. It’d be great if they added AirPlay support to the cars, but I don’t see Google bending over backwards to add Apple technologies to their vehicles.