A Los Angeles tech entrepreneur, Mike Johns, experienced a frustrating delay after a Waymo autonomous vehicle repeatedly circled a parking lot before finally reaching the airport. Johns, who was returning to LA from Scottsdale, shared the incident via LinkedIn video and social media.
The video shows Johns expressing concern and bewilderment as the vehicle circles. He reported difficulty contacting customer support to resolve the issue. Waymo customer service reportedly attempted a remote intervention but was unsuccessful in stopping the car's erratic behavior.
While Waymo maintains that the delay was only five minutes and that Johns reached his destination, he initially claimed a missed flight. He later clarified the near-miss in a subsequent LinkedIn post. The experience, coupled with perceived lack of post-incident support, led Johns to pledge future reliance on rideshares.
This incident follows recent news regarding a separate incident where a passenger attempted to drive off in a self-driving Jaguar. Waymo's software update aimed to address the car circling issue, but further issues continue.
The incident highlights ongoing challenges in autonomous vehicle technology, particularly in unexpected scenarios. The Independent is seeking comment from Johns regarding his experience.
