On my recent solo work trip to San Francisco I started noticing something new cruising amongst the regular traffic: sleek cars topped with a distinctive, boxy apparatus. Initially, they were a bit of a mystery, these autonomous vehicles gliding along with an almost eerie smoothness. I’d just assumed the rooftop contraption was some sort of advanced sensor array or camera equipment. Little did I know I was witnessing the quiet revolution of self-driving technology in the form of Waymo.
The reality of what these cars were truly hit me when my colleague, with a mischievous grin, whipped out her phone and announced, “Our ride’s here!” She’d secretly ordered a Waymo to take us back to the hotel. My initial reaction? Pure, unadulterated nervousness, quickly followed by a bout of excitement — I think I wanted to try it. The idea of entrusting my safety to a car with no human behind the wheel felt like something straight out of a sci-fi movie.
As the sleek, white Waymo pulled up, its “box-like thing” now clearly identifiable as a sophisticated array of sensors, cameras, and lidar, a wave of apprehension washed over me. Getting into the back seat felt… strange. There was no driver to make eye contact with, no reassuring nod. Just an empty front seat and a touchscreen interface displaying our route.
The initial moments were filled with nervous giggles. We watched with a mixture of fascination and slight panic as the car smoothly pulled away from the curb, navigating the San Francisco traffic with an almost unnerving precision. It stopped at red lights, yielded to pedestrians, and made turns with a level of calm and predictability that honestly, some human drivers could learn from.
What struck me most was the sheer amount of information the car seemed to be processing in real-time, displayed visually on the in-car screen. We could see a 3D rendering of our surroundings – other cars, pedestrians, cyclists, even parked vehicles – all meticulously tracked and identified. It was like watching the car’s “brain” at work, and surprisingly, it was incredibly reassuring.
After the initial wave of surrealness and nervous laughter subsided, a sense of calm actually settled over me. The Waymo’s movements were smooth and deliberate. It adhered strictly to traffic laws, and its reactions to changing conditions felt measured and safe. There were no sudden accelerations, no aggressive lane changes – just a consistent and predictable ride.
By the time we arrived back at the hotel, my initial apprehension had completely melted away, replaced by a sense of awe and a healthy dose of impressed curiosity. Riding in a self-driving car was a truly unique experience, a glimpse into the future of transportation. While the initial novelty and slight fear were certainly present, the smooth and safe ride ultimately left me feeling surprisingly secure. I look forward to this experience with Justin and seeing what his reaction will be.