Picture this: a drive where there’s no one behind the wheel! That’s exactly what Kim Ollerhead and her 6-year-old twins experienced as they embarked on an exciting journey in a Waymo, right in their Scottsdale neighborhood.
Waymo’s presence has become a regular sight in Scottsdale, Arizona, with its white, driverless Jaguars roaming around town. Kim, a local resident and mom of twins William and Emerlyn, often plays a game with her kids to count how many Waymos they can spot daily. Her curiosity about these driverless cars reached a point where she decided to take the plunge and book a ride with Waymo, not just for herself, but for her children as well.
After a few solo rides last summer, which left her impressed with the autonomous vehicle’s prompt responses to pedestrians and cyclists, Kim knew her kids would be thrilled to hop on for a ride. On the twins’ sixth birthday, when they were finally old enough to use booster seats, she surprised them with a trip to a nearby restaurant in a Waymo. The twins were beside themselves with excitement as they spotted the car, their initials glowing on the LIDAR sensor. “Mom, can you just pretend you’re not here?” they joked, relishing the novelty of the experience.
Installing the booster seats in the Waymo’s Jaguar I-PACE was straightforward, much to Kim’s relief. The twins’ initial nerves gave way to sheer delight as the car smoothly stopped at signs and made turns without a driver. Their minds buzzed with questions, constantly wondering what the vehicle would do next.
Despite the thrill of the ride, Kim remains cautious. While she acknowledged the general safety of Waymo rides, her confidence wavered due to tales of bizarre maneuvers by these vehicles and a personal experience where a Waymo oddly attempted to overtake another car. Such incidents make her hesitant to use Waymo regularly, especially for daily tasks like school runs or soccer practices, where she prefers using her own car for convenience and space.
Kim emphasizes that while Waymo provides an intriguing technological experience, it doesn’t quite fit into her family’s everyday routine. Living in an area where distances require time on the road, she finds it easier to manage life on the go in her own vehicle. However, she remains open to the possibility of her children using Waymo rides when they grow older for short trips, like visiting friends.
A representative from Waymo informed that riders must be at least 18 to ride alone, but some parents find it a handy tool for scenarios like chauffeuring babysitters, eliminating the need to disrupt their children. Although Kim doesn’t see Waymo becoming a staple for her kids now, it seems like a possibility for future adventures.
While Kim and her children found joy in their Waymo ride, the day-to-day practicality of such trips remains limited. As autonomous technology evolves, families like Kim’s may one day incorporate driverless cars into regular life, but for now, Waymo remains an exciting glimpse into the future.
Source: Yahoo
