Get ready, Boston. Here's what it's like to ride in a self-driving Waymo car.
Though the robotaxi revolution came to Los Angeles in November, I hadn't had the opportunity or the reason to try it out. I don't use ride-hailing services that much at home because I prefer driving my own car, thank you very much. And besides, Waymo One isn't yet taking
On Memorial Day weekend, however, I flew to San Francisco for a commencement ceremony. Rather than rent a car, I decided to give Waymo a whirl so I could report back to people whose cities are next on the list for driverless car occupation, such as Atlanta and Miami and, at some point,
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I wasn't nervous, but I was prepared for the unexpected. Though Waymo's white Jaguars have been operating commercially for more than a year and a half, this is still new technology. There have been plenty of troubling stories about robotaxis
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And then there was Mike Johns's wild Waymo ride. In early January, Johns posted
But I was comforted that the vast majority of Waymo's
And indeed, my two San Francisco rides were neither wild nor nerve-wracking. Even using the Waymo One app was easy. After I ordered the car, I watched the car progress to a designated stopping point. I briefly wondered how I would tell if it was the right Waymo; they all look the same, with their black top hats and spinning side sensors. Then I saw my initials glowing on the rooftop sensor and got in and said 'hi.' Habit.
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Yes, it's weird to watch a steering wheel move itself. But like anything, you get used to it. Other than a few jerky accelerations, it was smooth riding. My 'drivers' didn't change lanes unnecessarily or hesitate over yellow lights. They obeyed traffic laws much more than I do. At one point a pedestrian with an apparent death wish dashed in front of the car, which stopped immediately and didn't utter a curse under its breath (though I did). I could even watch what the 'driver' was seeing; the center console displayed all the obstacles its lidar (
Generally, I felt safe. Whether I will feel the same way on a high-speed highway trip one day or as a pedestrian is another story. But I did miss the human connection. I have had some amazing conversations with ride-share drivers over the years, most of whom are happy to talk about why they drive as well as recount some of the stranger experiences they've had. In between the Waymo rides, I took an Uber and I found out during the course of the ride the driver had recently worked with a dog-rescue operation in Los Angeles. Cool.
But from my view in California, the robotaxi takeover of the roads feels like an inevitability. Right now, Waymo-biles are only open to customers in four cities, including Phoenix and Austin. But the company plans to extend service to Atlanta, Washington, D.C., and Miami later this year.
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Though Waymo may be in the lead, other robotaxi services are catching up. Elon Musk announced
It's worth noting that driverless taxi companies have so far focused their operations in locations with little to no snow, which has been a problem for the technology in the past. But I have no doubt that, inclement weather or not, robotaxis will invade the north before too long. At least it will be a comfortable ride.
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Miami Herald
27 minutes ago
- Miami Herald
I Bought a 30-Year-Old Land Rover. Worth The Headache?
2025.05.29. Vancouver Island, British Columbia. A few months ago, I decided to purchase a 30-year-old Land Rover entirely on a whim. Previously owned by a neighbor, who was the second owner, and then by another one of our neighbors, who originally purchased it in Scottsdale, Arizona, I had caught glimpses of this beautiful truck over many years. Suddenly, on a sunny day in March, as I was walking my dogs down the street, I noticed it parked tidily on the street side with an old-school "for sale" sign in the window. Shocked that the truck I had lustfully ogled and unhealthily fantasized about for years was available for sale–and that I just barely possessed the necessary funds to have it for myself–I called up the listed number, introduced myself as his neighbour, and politely requested a meeting, trying my best to mask my irrational excitement over the phone. I took a look at the truck the very next day and finalized its purchase the day after that. After what I now remember as a two-day mental blackout, where I was blinded by the carnal urge to own this big green box that had somehow pierced through my sense of reason, right through to my feeble heart, I actually had this barely running old Land Rover sitting in my driveway. As I sat, watching it leak oil all over the pavement, furiously stroking my beard, I anxiously pondered what in the world I was even going to do with it. Admittedly, I probably should have done a bit more research before I shook hands with the kind, retired gentleman down the street and accepted the keys to his Coniston Green 1995 Land Rover Discovery as if I had nobly taken on a quest he had failed to accomplish. When I had "test-driven" the truck the day prior, I wasn't even allowed to drive it myself, and after just two minutes of driving, the throttle decided to stop working properly, and we had to gently limp it home. As far as I was concerned, the most important boxes of my car-buying criteria had been ticked: it had been optioned without sunroofs, meaning no mysterious drips on my forehead during rainstorms, the interior's condition looked as if it were brand new, it had a clear history report, and in the trunk sat an intricately filed stack of laminated maintenance records. I had owned Jaguars, Mercedes-Benzes, Audis, and even BMWs of a similar vintage in the past and always found that, despite what people might tell you online, the British ones are usually the most well-maintained and are therefore far more reliable than their German counterparts. Thus, a seemingly minor problem with the throttle and some cosmetic blemishes didn't scare me off so easily. Having eventually completed a deep dive online and joined various Land Rover ownership groups on Facebook, I was both extremely nervous about the potential headaches the truck might bring and excited by just how passionate Land Rover owners are about their rigs. The general consensus seemed to be that I had certainly signed myself up for a few traumatizing migraines, but with the caveat that, so long as I deal with mechanical problems preventively or head-on rather than neglecting them and allowing them to worsen, the ownership experience would be indescribably rewarding. Firstly, though, my Discovery would have to be drivable. Untrusting of my own mechanical competence, I decided it best to have a professional deal with the elephant in the room: the throttle problem. I had previously concocted my own baseless theories for why it could be acting up, such as a filthy throttle position sensor or a faulty fuel system, and considered repairing these elements myself, only to later be relieved by the knowledge that none of these things were at the root of the issue, and that I was right to contact a mechanic that was familiar with these sorts of vehicles. Being picky about whom I let work on my cars, I had sent the Discovery to a local Euro specialist shop that had done work on my girlfriend's 2010 Mazda6 and a 2001 Mercedes-Benz ML430 I once owned. More importantly, the shop's facade parking spots boasted a dark green early-90s Acura NSX, a bright red Ferrari 348 TS, a green long-wheelbase BMW E38 7-Series, and a Dakar-like Porsche 944 with a lift kit, roof racks, and a Rothmans livery. I knew these had to be the right guys for the job, and I was right. Just $1,200 (CAD) later, the drive belt, its tensioner, and a roller had been replaced, along with a rotten valve cover gasket, which had caused the puddle of oil on my driveway. For what seemed like a lot less money than I was expecting to have to cough up, the Series I Land Rover Discovery was running brilliantly, with no warning lights, misfires, or scary noises to dampen the richly ambient experience of piloting such a passionately crafted machine. After a two-day trip over to the mainland to visit a longtime buddy who had opened his very own automotive detailing shop and a tip that reflected my immense gratitude, the feeling of sitting behind the wheel began to send fizzy chills all over my body. Those fizzy chills. That's when I got it. That's when I finally understood why Land Rover guys don't get offended when Toyota guys spew their rhetoric about how poorly built and unreliable the Land Cruiser's British counterparts tend to be. In that moment, I was reminded of the thrill of hitting a twisty coastal backroad in my ND2 Mazda MX-5, the exhilaration of slamming an upshift in the Jaguar F-Pace SVR, and the overly-confident aura of cruising by the beaches of Vancouver in my old 2001 Jaguar XJ8. It wasn't because of the speed, the acceleration, and certainly not because of its razor-sharp handling. Instead, the Land Rover won me over because my enjoyment stemmed directly from the culmination of factors that it took to get to that point. Even though the headlights don't shut off when the rest of the car does, and this problem is somehow solved by unplugging only the passenger side bulb, and even though the rear suspension is suspiciously clunky, and even though it chugs its way through fuel almost as rapidly as the six-speed manual, 5.0-liter V10-powered BMW E60 M5 I drove the other week, the Discovery steals my heart every time I take it for a drive or, even more so, on an adventure. After everything had been said and done, and the car was finally in solid running order, I embarked on a Mother's Day road trip on a nearby island by the name of Saltspring, where we ate good food, hiked steep mountains, and tasted crisp wine and fine cider. More importantly, I got to open up the taps on the Discovery on some remote and curvy roads, where I quickly learned that its 182 horsepower and 232 lb-ft of torque are more than ample figures to have some good old-fashioned backroad fun, and that despite its body-on-frame chassis, its full-time four-wheel drive system, and weighing over 4,300 lbs., it could handle the hairpins surprisingly well with gentle steering input and enough foresight to accurately anticipate the sharpness of each impending corner. The Series I Discovery truly does a solid job of balancing sport and utility, even when it's 30 years old, so long as it's been taken care of properly. Alright, sure, you can pretty much neglect a Toyota Land Cruiser entirely and it'll probably still start up and drive across entire continents without putting up a fuss, but if you can accept the fact that you'll have to put in either a good bit of hard work or a solid chunk of hard-earned cash every once in a while to keep everything in proper order, the Land Rover is a more enjoyable truck to spend your time in. It's difficult to pinpoint exactly what makes a Land Rover so much more satisfying to operate. Perhaps it, too, is a rewarding experience based entirely on the culmination of so many things coming together, like the distinct aroma of its finely aged leather upholstery, the original factory cassette player that still works and which has prompted me to start collecting old tapes instead of just putting my Spotify on shuffle, the surprisingly raucous rumble of its fuel-injected 3.9-liter Rover V8, or the way you can't stop staring at it even after you've parked at home and everyone else has already gone inside. Whatever it may be, the inimitability of a Land Rover's charismatic grace, elegant sense of style, unmatched road presence, and its ability to drive you absolutely madly insane over the most obscure electrical problems that randomly seem to mend themselves if you just pretend you didn't notice at first, all come together to provide not just a driving experience, but an ownership experience that isn't just rewarding–it sticks with you forever. And, well, isn't that what life's all about? A Toyota Land Cruiser might get you where you need to go every time, but a genuine Land Rover–the true O.G. that Toyota aspires to replicate in all aspects including nomenclature–will make sure that the whole journey towards your destination is deeply imprinted into your memory, whether through the lens of elegant bliss or traumatic mechanical nightmare, but nonetheless unforgettable. When I speak to Toyota off-roader owners, their passion for their trucks lies in their dependability and consistent functionality. On the contrary, Land Rover owners speak of their breakdowns and disasters with words of endearment, claiming that with each problem that arises, a solution prevails which brings man ever closer to machine, and the bond formed between a Land Rover and its owner, over time, thus becomes increasingly unbreakable. So, I could have spent three times as much money and had a Toyota Land Cruiser of the same year in similar condition, but would it really offer me three times as much car? Truly, I don't believe so. Not only has my Series I Land Rover Discovery's iconic fusion of reliability, drivability, and functionality stolen my heart, but it has also forced me to ask why Toyota Land Cruisers seem to command such a massive premium over more overlooked alternatives from Land Rover and Jeep of similar vintage. How much of that inflated value is simply a result of pedantic internet comments and misinformed anecdotes? Who knows, but regardless, my 30-year-old Land Rover has undoubtedly brightened up my life in the somewhat short time that I've owned it. For not a whole lot of money, it's taught me the true value of experiencing memorable journeys in life, and it's allowed me to better understand the importance of disciplined maintenance–a tenet that I take with me into all aspects of my life, from health and fitness to work and study. If you're someone who wants your life to be more than just a walk in the park, don't be afraid to buy that old off-roader on Facebook Marketplace that caught your eye and you can't seem to stop thinking about. Like a well-aged Islay Scotch whisky, my 1995 Land Rover Discovery might be overwhelmingly smoky and difficult to stomach, but once you've developed a palate for peatiness, there's nothing else out there that satisfies your tastebuds quite as effectively. Copyright 2025 The Arena Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
National Geographic
an hour ago
- National Geographic
10 destinations where you can ditch your car this summer
More than 45 million U.S. travelers took road trips for Memorial Day 2025—an increase of approximately one million from the previous year, breaking the 2005 record of 44 million people driving to their desired destination for the holiday weekend. Choosing a car-free destination is a way both to save at the pump and help save the planet. Places that prohibit, or at least greatly restrict, motorized vehicles range from the well-known (Venice, Italy, the world's largest pedestrian zone), to the less-charted Geithoorn in the Netherlands and Holbox Island in Mexico. A horn-free, less-hurried vacation can be more relaxing. 'Traveling without a vehicle alleviates the stresses of route-finding under pressure, the headache, and expense of finding parking spots in busy city centers, and allows people to slow down and soak in a destination at walking speed,' says Paul Melhus, CEO and cofounder of ToursByLocals, which leads trips to auto-free zones, including Dubrovnik in Croatia, Governor's Island in New York, and Hydra Island in Greece. Here are 10 places where you can ditch your wheels and start unplugging immediately. Tunø, Denmark Inhabited since the Stone Age and just 1.4 square miles, Denmark's Tunø is easy to explore on foot, bike, scooter, and traxas, the island's tractor taxis. Travelers arrive via a scenic hour-long ferry from Hou (on the Odder Coast of Jutland), perhaps spotting seals and porpoises along the way. Covered in lush green hills that rise above sandy, stony beaches, the island lures hikers and birders. The best views come at the tower of the 14th-century Tunø Church, an unusual combination of chapel and lighthouse surrounded by apple trees and blackberry bushes. Tunø has several restaurants and a microbrewery, as well as a former dairy converted into a soothing and affordable seaside inn. Mackinac Island, Michigan Victorian architecture and old-fashioned atmosphere draw visitors to Michigan's Mackinac Island. Cars are banned, so tourists get around the 3.8-square-mile island on foot, bike, or via horse-drawn carriage. Photograph by Wiltser, Getty Images Located on Lake Huron between Michigan's upper and lower peninsulas, Mackinac Island has been a popular vacation spot since the late 19th century. More than 80 percent of the 3.8-square-mile island is covered by Mackinac Island State Park, with its natural trails and butterfly conservatory. Historic buildings in the postcard-pretty downtown hold boutiques and restaurants including coffeeshop/art school the Watercolor Café and the Ice House BBQ with its expansive garden. The island's seven confectionaries crank out 10,000 pounds of fudge a day. The Grand Hotel, built in 1887 and home to the world's longest front porch, just added a new BMX bike path, a miniature golf course, pickleball courts, and a greenhouse nature center. (Explore why it's important to preserve historic hotels.) Medina of Fez, Morocco One of the largest contiguous car-free urban locations in the world, the 690-acre Medina of Fez is a UNESCO World Heritage site and the best-preserved medieval town in Morocco. Its 9,400 narrow, meandering streets are open only to foot and donkey traffic. Beyond its souks—which sell food, spices, lanterns, and leather—the medina holds centuries-old palaces, mosques, fountains, and schools. The Bab Boujloud (blue gate), is the main entrance to the old town. Dar Batha, a palace museum, has an excellent collection of local artifacts, especially textiles and embroidery, plus a garden with a mosaic patio and fountain. Stay at one of the city's many riads, historic mansions that have been transformed into boutique hotels. While non-Muslims are prohibited from entering most mosques, the library of the ornate Al Quaraouiyine Mosque is open to the public. Trogir, Croatia The 13th-century Cathedral of St. Lawrence towers over the old town in Trogir, Croatia. The island is a UNESCO World Heritage site due to its wealth of medieval and Baroque buildings. Photograph by Robert Harding, Alamy Stock Photo A UNESCO World Heritage site with Hellenistic roots (B.C. 323-33), this small island settlement in the Adriatic features architecture from Roman to Baroque. Located an hour west of Split—reachable by bus, taxi, or water taxi—Trogir holds a quaint, cobblestoned Old Town with pristinely preserved medieval buildings. The finest might be the 13th-century Cathedral of St. Lawrence with its 150-foot bell tower, three naves, and a stone portal featuring intricately carved nude images of Adam and Eve. A short-but-dazzling waterfront promenade is lined with palm trees, seafood restaurants, and cafés. Local guide Dino Ivančić jokes, 'I can't keep up with them all. They are like mushrooms, popping out after the rain.' Several music festivals take place here in the summer. For the sunny Adriatic beaches Croatia is known for, Čiovo is a quick walk over a pedestrian bridge. Little Corn Island, Nicaragua A spit of land once frequented by pirates, Little Corn Island feels like a lost tropical paradise. Maybe that's because getting here requires a flight to Great Corn Island, about 50 miles off the coast of Nicaragua, then an eight-mile boat ride onward in the Caribbean. Although tourism is Little Corn's biggest business, even high season is crowd-free. Walk the one-square-mile island under mango, breadfruit, and coconut trees. Or sink into a hammock on palm-shaded beaches. If you're not daunted by heights, climb the vertical metal ladder to the top of the Little Corn Lighthouse, a lightless tower with impressive views of the island and its candy-colored sunsets. Hiking and horseback riding paths head into the jungle and along the shoreline. The idyllic waters surrounding Little Corn can be explored via paddleboard, kayak, or Miskito, a type of primitive wooden sailboat named after the Indigenous people who created them. Porquerolles Island, France A 10-minute water shuttle from the Cote d'Azur zips nature and history fans to Porquerolles, the most-visited of France's Golden Isles. Its pristine stretches of sand, limestone cliffs, and lush greenery can be explored via hiking and biking trails that crisscross the seemingly trapped-in-time island, 80 percent of which forms Port-Cros National Park. Beaches, including secluded Notre Dame, can be reached by ferry, foot, or the many e-bikes for rent. Tour gardens and several historic fortresses, including the 14-century Sainte-Agathe Fort. The Villa Carmignac, a Provençal farmhouse-turned-museum, fills 21,000 square feet with contemporary art. The main village, founded in the 19th century, claims the bulk of the island's 22 restaurants and several shops. There are also dozens of lodgings options, from boutique hotels and villas to houseboats. The blissful surrounds draw thousands of visitors a day in the summer, making spring or early fall the best time to come. Channel Islands, California Wildlife watchers, kayakers, and hikers find crowd-free, car-free nature in California's windswept Channel Islands National Park. Five of these eight small islands off the coast of Santa Barbara can be accessed by private plane or boat or via ferries which operate several times a week in season. The trip through the Pacific takes between one hour to four hours each way; upon arrival you'll need your own water—and a tent if you want to stay over. (Take this epic trail around Canada's Prince Edward Island.) Isolation and a unique mix of warm and cool ocean waters fuel biodiversity on both land and sea. In the depths off Santa Cruz, Santa Barbara, and Anacapa islands, snorkelers and divers might see giant black sea bass and California moray eel amid kelp forests and sea caves. Worthwhile hiking trails include a flat walk to Water Canyon Beach on Santa Rosa Island and a grueling 16-miler on foggy, challenging-to-reach San Miguel Island, best attempted with a guide. Birders come to the islands to spot Western gulls, Brandt's cormorants, Scripps's murrelets, and the only nesting population of California brown pelicans along the West Coast. Hoi An, Vietnam Chua Cau, commonly known as the Japanese Covered Bridge, is a wooden structure dating to the 16th century. It's among the historic attractions in the old town of Hội An, Vietnam. Photograph by Peter Forsberg, Alamy Stock Photo Scenic and compact, Hội An is a former colonial trading port on the Thu Bồn River in central Vietnam. Its Old Town, a UNESCO World Heritage site, features 1,000 buildings dating from the 15th through 19th centuries, including shophouses and pagodas. Its most photographed spot? A 400-year-old Japanese bridge, built, some believe, to prevent the mythical Japanese monster Namazu from thrashing about and causing earthquakes. The nights here are ambient and lantern-lit; days buzz with cruises on round, Vietnamese basket boats, cooking classes, or visits to one of Hội An's legendary tailors, who can whip up a custom dress or suit in 48 hours. Refuel with a sweet Vietnamese coffee or a banh mi; Hội An is considered a sandwich capital. There are numerous lodging options, including the new Hội An May Village and Hội An Riverland Villa. Pontevedra, Spain Less than an hour's drive southwest from Spain's Santiago de Compostela, Pontevedra (the capital of a Galician province by the same name) went car-free in 1999, helped by a government program that created 1,600 free parking spaces around its perimeter. Now travelers can traverse Pontevedra's Old Town end-to-end in a 25-minute walk, taking in handsome stone buildings, including the Gothic-style Santa Maria Basilica and the barrel-shaped Church of the Pilgrim Virgin, who is said to guide voyagers along the Portuguese route of the Camino de Santiago. (Learn why the pandemic spurred a pilgrimage travel boom.) Pontevedra Museum showcases Celtic coins, religious iconography, and contemporary paintings. The city's tree-lined central plaza, Plaza de la Herrería, is surrounded by restaurants and bars, most pouring the crisp white wines of the nearby Rías Baixas. After lunch, walk over the Lérez River via the Burgo Bridge, a medieval crossing built over a Roman one. Rottnest Island, Australia Water and wildlife are the big draws at Rottnest Island ('Rotto' to locals), a short ferry ride from Perth, amid the coral reefs and shipwrecks off Australia's western coast. Dozens of beaches offer swimming, snorkeling, sea bikes, and other watery diversions. Glass-bottomed boat trips spotlight marine life such as bottlenose dolphins and 400 species of fish. Rottnest (a mere seven miles by three miles) is small enough to walk in a day, but is best seen via hop-on, hop-off buses that loop around the island, or on an e-bike or Segway. Or explore hidden coves and shorebird-rich wetlands on the Wadjemup Bidi, a 27-mile network of walking trails. Keep an eye out for quokkas, native wallabies with upturned lips that some say are the happiest animal in the world. The Indigenous Whadjuk Noongar people inhabited the island thousands of years ago. Landmarks related to their culture headline in GoCultural's Aboriginal Tours and Experiences. This article was updated on June 6, 2025, but originally published on May 18, 2022.
Engadget
2 hours ago
- Engadget
Tesla is reportedly blocking the city of Austin from releasing Robotaxi records
Tesla has been awfully cagey with its self-driving data this week. Reuters is now reporting that Tesla is trying to stop the city of Austin from handing over public records involving its robotaxi operations in the city, which are set to expand this month. This comes just a few days after the automaker asked a judge to prevent the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration from releasing certain data related to crashes that involved its cars with self-driving features. Reuters says that it requested two years' worth of communications between Tesla and Austin officials in February, shortly after Tesla CEO Elon Musk said that Austin would play home to the robotaxi experiment. Dan Davis, an Austin public information officer, told Reuters in April that 'third parties' were asking the city to withhold these records in the interest of protecting 'privacy or property.' After the publication escalated the matter to the Texas Attorney General's office , an attorney for Tesla wrote Ken Paxton opposing the release of what it called 'confidential, proprietary, competitively sensitive commercial and/or trade secret information.' Reuters also spoke with Neal Falgoust, an Austin Law Department official overseeing public records issues about the matter. Falgoust told reporters that the city of Austin doesn't take any particular position on the confidentiality of the materials involved. When Reuters pressed further, asking if the people of Austin have a right to information about the driverless cars that would be traversing their streets, Falgoust did not respond. Tesla said just last week that it had been testing driverless Model Ys in Austin for several days, which Elon Musk said was a month ahead of schedule . This would not be the first fleet of autonomous taxis on the streets of the Texas capital, with Waymo operating there since 2023 within a specific geofenced area. Waymo has also partnered with Uber in Austin since March. By Texas law, the Attorney General's office has 45 business days to decide whether the city of Austin is required to make these records public, which would be next week.
