Elizabeth Weise

Yeah, so they are like everywhere here in San Francisco, Phoenix, Austin, LA. The ones that you'll see around are run by Waymo, which is a Google-owned company. They're actually electric Jaguars. They're very nice cars. And then they've got kind of all this wedding cake-esque stuff on top of them that is part of the system that allows them to drive without a driver.

Yeah, so they are like everywhere here in San Francisco, Phoenix, Austin, LA. The ones that you'll see around are run by Waymo, which is a Google-owned company. They're actually electric Jaguars. They're very nice cars. And then they've got kind of all this wedding cake-esque stuff on top of them that is part of the system that allows them to drive without a driver.

So this is the fascinating thing to me and why I actually wrote this story. Because two years ago, I wrote a story about how everybody in San Francisco was freaking out about them. You know, they're driving into crime scenes. They're getting in the way of firefighters. Bicyclists are terrified. They're really dangerous. And it's just the end of civilization as we know it, which it often is here.

So this is the fascinating thing to me and why I actually wrote this story. Because two years ago, I wrote a story about how everybody in San Francisco was freaking out about them. You know, they're driving into crime scenes. They're getting in the way of firefighters. Bicyclists are terrified. They're really dangerous. And it's just the end of civilization as we know it, which it often is here.

And then I was actually out at a bar about a month and a half ago. And I was looking out at the street because we were outside. And I realized that probably every other, every third person who was getting dropped off or picked up at the bar was not coming in an Uber or a Lyft or a taxi. They were coming in a Waymo. And I'm like, whoa, wait a minute. That shifted really fast.

And then I was actually out at a bar about a month and a half ago. And I was looking out at the street because we were outside. And I realized that probably every other, every third person who was getting dropped off or picked up at the bar was not coming in an Uber or a Lyft or a taxi. They were coming in a Waymo. And I'm like, whoa, wait a minute. That shifted really fast.

So then I started doing interviews.

So then I started doing interviews.

The surprising thing to me was women love these things. And it's because they say, you know, I'm fine getting in an Uber or Lyft in the daytime and I'm cool if I'm up with a bunch of friends. But if I have to get in a car late at night with some guy I don't know, you know, I'm not so thrilled about it. And this is true. Pretty much any woman you talk to has got some story about

The surprising thing to me was women love these things. And it's because they say, you know, I'm fine getting in an Uber or Lyft in the daytime and I'm cool if I'm up with a bunch of friends. But if I have to get in a car late at night with some guy I don't know, you know, I'm not so thrilled about it. And this is true. Pretty much any woman you talk to has got some story about

a driver going back to taxi days, but Ubers and Lyfts too. I mean, it's not necessarily that they're harassing you, but they want to talk. They want to hear about your family. Do you have a boyfriend? What do you do for work? Oh, well, I don't think that's a good job for a woman. I mean, and sometimes you just don't want to have to deal with that. And that's what these women said.

a driver going back to taxi days, but Ubers and Lyfts too. I mean, it's not necessarily that they're harassing you, but they want to talk. They want to hear about your family. Do you have a boyfriend? What do you do for work? Oh, well, I don't think that's a good job for a woman. I mean, and sometimes you just don't want to have to deal with that. And that's what these women said.

It's like, it's so restful to get in a car and not have to kind of steal yourself for that interaction.

It's like, it's so restful to get in a car and not have to kind of steal yourself for that interaction.

So they have gotten a lot better. The software that they use has gone through multiple iterations. I think they're up to six now. They're just better drivers than they were. I mean, they were never really dangerous, but they're much smoother now. But the thing that everybody mentioned, men, women, everybody is, you know, one, they're still a little more expensive.

So they have gotten a lot better. The software that they use has gone through multiple iterations. I think they're up to six now. They're just better drivers than they were. I mean, they were never really dangerous, but they're much smoother now. But the thing that everybody mentioned, men, women, everybody is, you know, one, they're still a little more expensive.

They can be a lot more expensive depending on time of day, though. People said, but you don't have to tip because there's no driver. And then there's a lot of them, but there are nowhere near as many of them as there are Lyfts and Ubers or taxis. And so sometimes you have to wait. And so a lot of people said, you know, I'll check both apps on my phone.

They can be a lot more expensive depending on time of day, though. People said, but you don't have to tip because there's no driver. And then there's a lot of them, but there are nowhere near as many of them as there are Lyfts and Ubers or taxis. And so sometimes you have to wait. And so a lot of people said, you know, I'll check both apps on my phone.

And if it's going to be 15 minutes, then I'll find another way home. But if it's going to be the same amount of time and just a little more money, I'll do a Waymo.

And if it's going to be 15 minutes, then I'll find another way home. But if it's going to be the same amount of time and just a little more money, I'll do a Waymo.