Parade-goers in California cheered on a confused Waymo that caused a traffic jam on a parade route canal bridge last weekend. Videos of the hesitant robotaxi, the backup it caused, and the public reaction to it finally moving out of the way spread online.
Waymo vehicles have been causing many issues across the U.S., and not everyone is so patient about it.
Waymo causes another traffic jam
Footage of the stuck Waymo spread on TikTok and YouTube on Monday following the annual Venice Beach Canals Holiday Parade. This annual parade occurs not in Italy, but in Venice, California, where residents decorate boats in holiday themes for cash prizes.
During, a Waymo car entered the area and stalled in front of one of the canal bridges. This backed up driver-operated vehicles as far as one local could see.
@tiktoktuckytucky Waymo chaos for venice canals christmas boat parade happy holidays @Google #fyp #venice #random ♬ original sound – Tuck | Smoov Founder
“The entire canals are backed up,” said @tiktoktuckytucky. “There’s a Waymo at the front of this line of traffic that won’t go.”
This happened on a one-lane street, so there was no getting around it and no way for the other cars to turn around. According to another TikToker, this went on for 45 minutes before the robotaxi finally started to inch forward over the bridge.
“Nothing like a community coming together to cheer on a Waymo that has been stuck on the bridge for 45 minutes,” wrote @msheesheee in her video.
Her footage shows the parade crowd hollering and encouraging the vehicle as it crawls across. One man shouts “come on, come on” as it hesitates again like he’s calling to a infant just learning to walk.
@msheesheee #waymo #venicechristmasparade #venicebeach #christmas @Waymo ♬ original sound – Meeegan
Extended footage by Petrolectric on YouTube caught more of the encouraging comments. Another parade attendee shouts, “You got this, Waymo,” and an announcer calls, “Come on, Waymo, you can do it!”
A woman then starts to chant, “Yes, you can!”
“Bring back the taxi driver please”
While this scene in Venice appears positive and even heartwarming, Waymo robotaxis have been causing serious issues on the road for years. As the software tries to learn by doing, these self-driving cars have been failing to stop for school buses, driving into police standoff areas, and even killing pets.
Most recently, one customer ordered a Waymo and found a man stuck in the trunk.
While many commenters found this incident amusing, those who have to deal with these issues weren’t laughing.
“Why are we infantilizing a major corporation’s product failure?” asked @lactaidforme. “Waymos are currently in trouble for not stopping for school buses because they can’t detect the flashing lights and have gone around and almost hit kids in several cities.”
“Bring back the Taxi driver please before it’s too late,” said @petegreentaxi.
“I hate Waymo’s,” wrote @free2beme55. “Like passionately.”
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