By Eve Regina Rose
June 9, 2025

What shocked me most about my maiden voyage in a driverless car took place long
after the ride. Not during it.

I don’t mean that nothing about my eight Waymo trips around San Francisco took me off
guard. The steering wheel moved back and forth, which looks creepy when there isn’t a
pair of hands to control it. Ghostlike is not a good look.

Nor do I mean to imply that I never got nervous. When our Waymo pulled around a car
that was double parked and squeezed past an oncoming BMW, we screamed quite
loudly. But Waymo handled it with Finesse. Even if we didn’t.

Other than that, it was pure pleasure. No tips, no talking. I hate chit chat and often
forget to tip with Uber and Lyft. The electric car was quiet, clean and I could even curate
the music on a screen (‘60s Classics as we cruised through Haight Ashbury…Mellow
jazz after a late night).

The car arrived exceedingly fast. It picks you up from where you call it unless it’s too
dangerous. When we ordered a Waymo in the middle of a crowd that had spilled onto
the street, Waymo steered clear, parking across from us where it was safer.
It had a fun factor I didn’t expect. It was like going on a ride at Disney World. Or starring
in my own Sci-Fi movie. I couldn’t wait to order the next one.

The real shocker came later when I learned just how many people didn’t share my
enthusiasm:

“I would never go in one of those.”
“Not enough testing for me.”
“Really? You’re crazy.”

Believe me, I am no daredevil. Some might even call me a control freak. But I was
never really scared, especially after the first ride. If anything, the car relaxed me. Better
to rely on a machine than a tired or distracted human (I’ve never been fond of the
ridesharing companies’ untrained amateurs).
Will this fear I encountered from dozens of people be a roadblock for Waymo in the
future?

My hunch is that like any new technology (early car makers were called imbeciles after
all), people will get more comfortable with time and exposure. Waymo just completed its
10 millionth paid ride so clearly some people are already there.
However, the safer these city trials go, the better. People – at least the ones I know –
will still need some persuading.

About the Author: A graduate of the Northwestern University’s Medill School of
Journalism, and the Vermont College of Fine Arts, Eve Regina Rose, a guest
contributor, is an award-winning business journalist. She’s covered everything from the
technology sector to International trade.