Passenger’s First Ride in a Driverless Taxi Goes Viral After It Took a Scary Turn Mid-Intersection

Driverless cars, once the realm of science fiction, are becoming increasingly ubiquitous on American roads. Waymo now operates in 10 cities, while Uber just announced its collaboration with Amazon’s Zoox to debut robotaxis on its ride app, kicking off in Los Angeles and Los Vegas in mid-2027, according to USA Today. The concept of driverless vehicles has received mixed reactions from potential passengers and consumers. After all, not being in control—especially on the the road—can be a scary experience.

A Group of Passengers Experienced a Chilling Stop Mid-Intersection in an Autonomous Taxi

@jojojojojosie

@Waymo so this was not good 0/10 almost ???? AND the seats were sticky when we got in #waymo #fyp #driverlesscar #autonomousvehicle #phoenix To use this video in a commercial player or in broadcasts, please contact licensing@storyful.com

♬ original sound - Jojojojojo

One Arizona woman, Josephine Cristine Kaufman, recently experienced one of many of our worst fears: being a passenger in a driverless taxi that took a chilling turn in the middle of an intersection. Kaufman documented her passenger experience with her friends on TikTok (which was also shared by Storyful Viral on YouTube). This was Kaufman’s very “first Waymo trip experience,” according to her clip. Waymo is currently available in Atlanta, Georgia; Austin, Texas; Dallas, Texas; Houston, Texas; Los Angeles, California; Miami, Florida; Orlando, Florida; Phoenix, Arizona; San Antonio, Texas; and San Francisco Bay Area, California.

In Kaufman's video, you can see the autonomous vehicle trying to make a left turn across several oncoming lanes of traffic.

“This is actually really scary,” one of the passengers says in the video as the car begins to inch up. The passengers start to panic—and rightfully so.

The vehicle then comes to a stop in the center of the busy intersection before it starts to move again to make the turn.

TikTokers Were Quick to React to Kaufman’s Video

Kaufman wrote in the caption of the video, “So this was not good 0/10,” noting that her friend group had “almost” been put in harm’s way.

She later posted an update in the comments, noting that “Waymo did reach out to me and give me a refund.”

According to Kaufman, the email screenshot reads, “Hello Josie, Thanks for the feedback regarding your recent ride with Waymo. This is not the type of experience that we’d like to provide to our riders, and we are looking into the matter. In addition, we’ve refunded your ride, and you’ll see the charge removed from your credit statement in a day or two.”

In a statement issued to multiple news outlets, the company said the following: "The trust and safety of our riders and the community are paramount to us. While our technology is designed to prioritize safe road interactions, we also recognize the importance of ensuring our vehicles’ actions are comfortable and meet rider expectations. We continually balance assertiveness with progress, incorporating feedback to refine our driving behavior and improve the overall experience.”

TikTokers were quick to comment, with one user writing, “That’s it? Just a refund. Omg,” while another commented, “And they wanna start putting these on the highway?” 

One user wrote, “I turn now, good luck everybody else! -Waymo,” and another, “The other drivers seeing no one in the driver seat to be mad at,” paired with a confused cat meme.

Kaufman’s post has received more than 196K likes, over 9,700 saves, 46.3K shares, and 4,200 comments—and counting.

Waymo Safety Record

While Waymos have been involved in accidents, they are most often the fault of the other driver, and the company is quick to tout its overall safety record. On its website, the company touts that it has seen a 90 percent reduction in serious injuries or crashes compared to a human driver, 82 percent fewer airbag deployments, and 92 percent fewer pedestrian crashes with injuries. Still, some incidents have caused regulators to raise concerns about driverless vehicles' safety protocols.