I recently received a pitch from a law firm trying to make a controversy out of two teens being taken into custody after firing what looked like real guns out of the windows of a driverless Waymo vehicle while drinking alcohol. San Mateo, California, police posted photos and video of the incident earlier this week. The robotaxi notified its dispatchers that it detected illegal activity in the vehicle. The dispatch center contacted local police and the vehicle pulled into a parking lot to wait for officers. It turned out that the teens had painted the pistol black to make it look like a real gun but it was actually shooting Orbeez water beads. That is little comfort to other drivers who thought they were being shot at. Other drivers had called 911 reporting the shots being fired out of the Waymo vehicle. The two 15-year-olds were released to their guardians. No word on what, if any charges the teens will face.
The law firm is trying to frame the incident as a privacy concern, “the legal debate is moving beyond road safety to passenger privacy, consent, criminal evidence, and whether robotaxis are still private rides at all.” I personally find that argument absurd, but I’m sure that there are people out there who may be concerned.
Other Drivers Overwhelmingly Back the San Mateo Police
People who responded to the San Mateo police Facebook post seemed relieved that the police could take the 15-year-olds into custody without major incident. The San Mateo police post has been shared more than 500,000 times.
Luis P. commented “Maybe people should get more educated, there is no privacy expected while in public areas. Not too hard to understand.”
Kein R. responded to the post saying, “Please put them on jail or others will do it too and this is going to to get worse.”
Angela B complimented police on ending the situation peacefully. “Those boys got lucky honestly. Could have been horrific. Hopefully lesson learned.”
One woman complained that police overreacted to which San Mateo police responded. “This is part of a high-risk traffic stop based on reports of a gun being fired from the vehicle. Guns drawn on kids is a wholly inaccurate way to describe what's happening here. We did not know they were minors until after the fact and determined there was no merit to a "real" gun.”
Another driver named Marque scolded the woman who complained. “Stop protecting and coddling kids so much. The kids were DRINKING ALCOHOL (UNDERAGE DRINKING) and had weapons. Funny how people like you pick and choose what laws/rules we have to follow.”
Waymo’s Response
Waymo released copies of its internal policy which says interior cameras are used by support teams to assist with customer service and in some cases are monitored for safety.
"Occasionally, in more urgent circumstances, Support may access live video during a trip," the policy statement reads.
"We may share certain data with law enforcement as needed to comply with legal requirements, enforcement agreements and protect the safety of you and others,' it states.
Waymo says on its website that its vehicles are equipped with more than two dozen cameras. “As many as 29 cameras in its autonomous cars provide an all-around view and are designed with high dynamic range and thermal stability, to see in both daylight and low-light conditions, and tackle more complex environments."
Waymo reports that it expects its robotaxis to drive more than 220 million miles in 2026. There are multiple signs inside and outside the vehicles that cameras are continually recording.
What is your reaction to Waymo contacting police in this situation?
Image from San Mateo Police
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