I travelled alone in a driverless taxi – it's a game changer for single women like me
A SLEEK white car approached me, gliding towards the pavement as a flashing green beacon like an old fashion police light revealed the letters 'CF'.
That was the signifier that this way my driverless taxi.
5
Waymo was introduced to the public in San Francisco back in 2024
Credit: Alamy
5
I travelled in a Waymo when visiting San Francisco last year
Credit: Cyann Fielding
To unlock the car, I had to go back onto the app and confirm - none of the usual issue of someone battling you for the Uber you thought was yours.
I was in San Francisco hailing a Waymo taxi, which was introduced to the public in the city back in 2024.
The
cars
are littered all over the city and look like car-versions of Big Hero 6's Baymax.
Once inside, the
energy
felt very much the same.
Read more on taxis
Unlike an Uber - where I avoid the front seat at all costs - I made a beeline for it.
This was the best place to be - like the front of the
Though in this case, it was the roads ahead, a wheel rotating on its own accord and a tablet screen showing all of the things within feet of the car.
In fact, the cars sensors and cameras even stretched to the bins and people on the pavement... on the other side of the road.
Most read in News Travel
Without doubt, I was impressed.
The apprehension I had prior to getting in the car had immediately subsided.
Incredible moment Britain's first ever air taxi takes to UK skies with speeds of 150mph and room for four passengers
It didn't feel like an erratic or janky journey, instead very smooth, taking each turn and speedbump with a planned approach.
The reason why San Francisco is home to these vehicles - and other brands' driverless vehicles too - is mostly due to the city's proximity to Silicon Valley, it being a challenging city with lots of hills and also, it having a welcoming attitude towards new technologies.
Whilst the cars cannot go on the highway, they can zip around the city with ease.
Admittedly, to a lot of people they seem like a novelty.
But in reality, the cars really do feel safe and like the
future
of taxis.
In recent years, there have been a flurry of taxi driver scandals, with young women airing their grievances over creepy drivers.
And in 2022, Uber was sued in the US over allegations of assault by drivers including allegations women passengers were kidnapped.
I have had Uber drivers ask about my age, question my career as a journalist, ask if I am single, been on any dates recently, 'behave' appropriately on nights out - the list goes on.
When I first moved to London, these kinds of incidents meant I didn't know which firm to trust - if it could happen with Ubersdrivers, it could happen with any driver from any taxi app or firm.
I remember having a female driver in Texas, who drove so erratically I thought she was drunk.
And a male driver in London, at 10am in the morning, interrogating me if I had been drinking - all because I had a can of Sprite in my hand.
After a night out, I was stranded on two percent with no Uber accepting my trip.
Whilst the app told me there were no nearby drivers, I was in central London, with many cars with Uber stickers whizzing by me.
More than likely, I was being rejected by drivers because my trip was short and only would cost £5.
Another night, whilst with friends, we had an Uber abandon us on the side of the road and zoom off with no reason explained.
5
Once you have ordered an Waymo and it arrives, you unlock it with your phone
Credit: Cyann Fielding
I have had Uber drivers ask about my age, question my career as a journalist, ask if I am single, been on any dates recently, 'behave' appropriately on nights out - the list goes on.
Undoubtedly, I have had amazing drivers too - chatty or not, friendly and respectful, and ones who have offered me water or a charger.
And whilst I make effort to give five stars and a tip for these drivers, I shouldn't feel the need to award someone for not being creepy.
With Waymo, there is none of this anxiety.
You unlock the car from your phone, get in and a safety demo is explained to you, the screen constantly shows what is around the car, the doors are locked for the duration of the journey, you can contact customer service by simply asking.
5
Once your ride is finished, you just shut the door and watch the vehicle drive off
Credit: Cyann Fielding
All of these safety measures are then enhanced by measures that make your ride enjoyable - a fun, upbeat voice, music options and even the joke that "you can sing as loud as you like because no one will hear you".
Essentially, my experience was a safe, comforting private karaoke room on wheels.
No complaints - even despite the slightly-higher-than-Uber price - just one satisfied customer.
Driverless taxis don't just offer a
Last year, a British driverless car firm also raised $1bn from investors in Europe's biggest AI deal to date.
5
Driverless taxis in London could change the future of getting a ride
Credit: Alamy
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The Irish Sun
a day ago
- The Irish Sun
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Well, would you get on an airliner without a pilot? READ MORE ON ROBOTAXIS Gazing out on to the busy freeway in Phoenix, Arizona, with giant SUVs motoring past, I had a similar pang of nerves about riding in the driverless contraption that had come to pick me up. More gadgets than Bond I had read some horror stories about robotaxies going rogue. In 2021, a self-driving car in the sunbelt city became confused by traffic cones then drove away from a technician sent to rescue it. Eventually the Waymo motor had to be disabled so a human driver could get behind the wheel. The passenger filmed the 33-minute debacle and plastered it on YouTube. Most read in Motors Last year a General Motors-owned Cruise robotaxi struck and dragged a pedestrian 20 feet in San Francisco. The woman — who was injured — survived the ordeal. And in 2018 a cyclist was killed by an Uber cyber car with a safety driver in Phoenix. Watch moment passenger left TRAPPED in driverless car 'going round in circles' after robot taxi malfunctions The back-up driver had been looking down to watch The Voice TV show which he was streaming when Elaine Herzberg, 49, crossed a darkened road in front of her. It was the first fatal collision involving a fully autonomous vehicle. Nevertheless, with self-driving cars being touted as the Booking my ride was simple. I downloaded the app of Waymo One — a self-drive firm owned by Google's parent company Alphabet — and punched in my details along with where I wanted to go. With the thermometer hitting 39C in this desert city, I was on the hunt for a nice, cool pint of Guinness and was told Casey Moore's Oyster House was the place to go. At least there would be no argument about designated drivers. Soon I was tracking the Waymo on my phone as it surged to my hotel through the early rush-hour traffic. And then the gleaming white Jaguar I-PACE came into view — with no one at the wheel. On the roof was something that looked like a giant police blue light with my initials displayed on it. Unlocking its door with the app, I sat in the back (no one is allowed in the driver's seat) as the Waymo played calming elevator music. 6 Screen on dashboard to greet passenger and button they must press to get going Credit: Paul Edwards 6 Booking a ride on app, which is also used to unlock the door Credit: Paul Edwards I pressed a screen between the front seats saying 'start ride'. Then, a bit like KITT, the car from Eighties TV series Knight Rider, Waymo began talking. As we pulled smoothly away from the hotel forecourt, the robotaxi told me to buckle up. And then, with the steering wheel spinning as if by some invisible force, we eased into the Phoenix traffic as I let out an involuntary 'whoaa!' On the opposite side of the road cars were whizzing towards us but all-electric Waymo deftly navigated the right path before pulling up at a red light. How did it know it was red? That's one for the brainiacs. Swinging left into East Apache Boulevard, I caught sight of a couple of pedestrians ahead. How would the cyber motor react? My Waymo One slowed and made sure to give them a wide berth. That's because it is bristling with more gadgets than a James Bond car. Its sensors include cameras, radars and something called lidars which use lasers to create a 3D image of the vehicle's surroundings. The in-car computer then makes sense of all the data that Waymo is gathering. And, learning to trust the tech, I was soon beginning to relax. All speed limits were observed and driving rules obeyed. The ride was smooth and felt safe. Perhaps I was better off without a driver after all. Wayve's technology operates more like a human driver would learning to drive in one city and then applying that knowledge to drive in new places. Bill Gates Britain's Department for Transport estimates that 88 per cent of road accidents are caused by human error. Soon we were pulling up outside the pub. Keeping the rear door open a little too long, an actual human called Brian came through on Waymo's intercom to check I was OK. He was certainly more amenable than Johnny, the robot driver of the taxi in 1990 sci-fi flick Total Recall, who My 14-minute journey over 1.6 miles had cost $9.33 (just over £7). And, unlike most things in America, there was no need to add a tip. Waymo One serves 180 square miles of Arizona's capital — that makes Phoenix the largest fully autonomous ride-hail service zone in the world. After a couple of pints, I decided to summon another Waymo. Not arriving at the front of the pub as I had imagined, it headed to- wards a park- ing lot at the back. Would the robotaxi be able to navigate this manoeuvre? In May this year another empty Waymo trying to pick up its ride collided with a telephone pole in a Phoenix alleyway. No one was injured but pictures show a fire crew attending the scene with the robotaxi suffering a crumpled front grill. Hunk of metal Waymo voluntarily recalled its 672-car fleet for a software update in what the company called a 'safety-first approach'. The crash was put down to the robotaxi's software having 'assigned a low damage score' to the pole. It had misjudged the danger because there was no kerb or clear road edge. My Waymo pulled into the parking lot smoothly and confidently. But, unlike many humans, could it parallel park? Indeed it could and reversing is no problem either. And — despite having sampled some local beverages — there was no barked warning: 'Mate, you're not going to be sick in my cab, are you?' Soon this taxi was traversing the two miles to Society restaurant like a London cabbie with The Knowledge. The 11-minute ride cost $13.31 (£10.25). Again, no tip required by the computer chip and its hunk of metal. 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The Irish Sun
a day ago
- The Irish Sun
I travelled alone in a driverless taxi – it's a game changer for single women like me
A SLEEK white car approached me, gliding towards the pavement as a flashing green beacon like an old fashion police light revealed the letters 'CF'. That was the signifier that this way my driverless taxi. 5 Waymo was introduced to the public in San Francisco back in 2024 Credit: Alamy 5 I travelled in a Waymo when visiting San Francisco last year Credit: Cyann Fielding To unlock the car, I had to go back onto the app and confirm - none of the usual issue of someone battling you for the Uber you thought was yours. I was in San Francisco hailing a Waymo taxi, which was introduced to the public in the city back in 2024. The cars are littered all over the city and look like car-versions of Big Hero 6's Baymax. Once inside, the energy felt very much the same. Read more on taxis Unlike an Uber - where I avoid the front seat at all costs - I made a beeline for it. This was the best place to be - like the front of the Though in this case, it was the roads ahead, a wheel rotating on its own accord and a tablet screen showing all of the things within feet of the car. In fact, the cars sensors and cameras even stretched to the bins and people on the pavement... on the other side of the road. Most read in News Travel Without doubt, I was impressed. The apprehension I had prior to getting in the car had immediately subsided. Incredible moment Britain's first ever air taxi takes to UK skies with speeds of 150mph and room for four passengers It didn't feel like an erratic or janky journey, instead very smooth, taking each turn and speedbump with a planned approach. The reason why San Francisco is home to these vehicles - and other brands' driverless vehicles too - is mostly due to the city's proximity to Silicon Valley, it being a challenging city with lots of hills and also, it having a welcoming attitude towards new technologies. Whilst the cars cannot go on the highway, they can zip around the city with ease. Admittedly, to a lot of people they seem like a novelty. But in reality, the cars really do feel safe and like the future of taxis. In recent years, there have been a flurry of taxi driver scandals, with young women airing their grievances over creepy drivers. And in 2022, Uber was sued in the US over allegations of assault by drivers including allegations women passengers were kidnapped. I have had Uber drivers ask about my age, question my career as a journalist, ask if I am single, been on any dates recently, 'behave' appropriately on nights out - the list goes on. When I first moved to London, these kinds of incidents meant I didn't know which firm to trust - if it could happen with Ubersdrivers, it could happen with any driver from any taxi app or firm. I remember having a female driver in Texas, who drove so erratically I thought she was drunk. And a male driver in London, at 10am in the morning, interrogating me if I had been drinking - all because I had a can of Sprite in my hand. After a night out, I was stranded on two percent with no Uber accepting my trip. Whilst the app told me there were no nearby drivers, I was in central London, with many cars with Uber stickers whizzing by me. More than likely, I was being rejected by drivers because my trip was short and only would cost £5. Another night, whilst with friends, we had an Uber abandon us on the side of the road and zoom off with no reason explained. 5 Once you have ordered an Waymo and it arrives, you unlock it with your phone Credit: Cyann Fielding I have had Uber drivers ask about my age, question my career as a journalist, ask if I am single, been on any dates recently, 'behave' appropriately on nights out - the list goes on. Undoubtedly, I have had amazing drivers too - chatty or not, friendly and respectful, and ones who have offered me water or a charger. And whilst I make effort to give five stars and a tip for these drivers, I shouldn't feel the need to award someone for not being creepy. With Waymo, there is none of this anxiety. You unlock the car from your phone, get in and a safety demo is explained to you, the screen constantly shows what is around the car, the doors are locked for the duration of the journey, you can contact customer service by simply asking. 5 Once your ride is finished, you just shut the door and watch the vehicle drive off Credit: Cyann Fielding All of these safety measures are then enhanced by measures that make your ride enjoyable - a fun, upbeat voice, music options and even the joke that "you can sing as loud as you like because no one will hear you". Essentially, my experience was a safe, comforting private karaoke room on wheels. No complaints - even despite the slightly-higher-than-Uber price - just one satisfied customer. Driverless taxis don't just offer a Last year, a British driverless car firm also raised $1bn from investors in Europe's biggest AI deal to date. 5 Driverless taxis in London could change the future of getting a ride Credit: Alamy
