Watch this self-driving Waymo taxi circle a parking lot instead of taking its passenger to the airport

Jan 6, 2025

A Waymo taxi loops a parking lot, delaying a passenger's airport trip.

Watch this self-driving Waymo taxi circle a parking lot instead of taking its passenger to the airport

: Mike Johns faced a delay as his Waymo taxi circled a parking lot eight times instead of heading to the airport. He captured the incident on video and contacted Waymo support, who were unable to stop the vehicle remotely. Although he missed his flight according to comments, conflicting reports suggest he made it. Waymo later stated the delay was five minutes and the software glitch was fixed.

Mike Johns had a peculiar experience when his self-driving Waymo taxi began looping a parking lot while he attempted to get to the airport. Capturing the event on video, Johns expressed frustration and dizziness, suspecting the car might have been hacked, as he sought help from Waymo's customer service.

Despite instructions to use Waymo’s app to stop the car, the vehicle continued circling, resulting in eight loops before resolving. Johns shared his experience on LinkedIn, sparking comments about his actions, including why he didn't use the in-car 'Pull Over' button, and noted a lack of follow-up from Waymo.

Waymo, responding to inquiries, confirmed a five-minute delay with no ride charge and addressed the software issue causing the problem. They claimed to have attempted follow-up contact via voicemail. This incident comes amid Waymo’s growth in robotaxi rides, reaching significant milestones in paid trips.