SF Standard – Parents’ hush-hush back-to-school hack: Sending their kids off in a Waymo
Editors note: now we know the real reason for robotaxis: so that parents can illegally (it is not allowed as part of Waymo’s permit) have their kids take them since there is not human driver to enforce the rules! Not only is this not allowed, but it is a great morality lesson for the kids: if you can get away with it, do it!
See original article by Priya Anand at SF Standard
When his daughter logged into his Waymo account for the first time last year, Chris’ life changed forever. His 15-year-old’s first solo robotaxi ride may not have been as momentous as her first steps, but for Chris and his wife, it was “the best thing that’s ever happened.”
“It was instantly awesome,” said the San Francisco resident, who chose to use only his first name to avoid having his Waymo account banned. “We don’t have to worry about her getting home, ever.”
His daughter typically takes the bus to school, and either Chris or his wife takes her home. But the teen now has the option to call a Waymo robotaxi, and her parents have an extra moment to themselves.
Their daughter has a Waymo allowance of three rides a month, with any additional rides coming out of her pocket. Chris estimates she takes about five rides monthly, sometimes to or from theater rehearsals near Civic Center, where he worries about her safety walking to public transportation.
In this, Chris and his family are not alone. Busy parents all over SF have a secret: They’re turning to Waymo robotaxis to take their children to school, pick them up, and ferry them to other destinations — even though solo use by minors is against the robotaxi company’s rules.
One San Francisco venture capitalist said he and his wife have been sending their two middle schoolers off in Waymos two to four times a month for the past year.
“They wouldn’t feel comfortable in an Uber or Lyft, but they feel perfectly comfortable in a Waymo. I feel really safe because I can track it,” the VC said. “It’s just awesome. I love it.”
The robotaxis have cameras inside to record what takes place, and sometimes a Waymo support staffer will dial in to remind riders of the rules. That can lead to awkward moments.
The VC dad said that at least once, a Waymo worker came on the intercom to question his kids. His daughter is fairly tall for her age and was able to defuse the situation.
“They keep an eye on it, which is why I’m also cautious. I don’t want [Waymo] to cut me off” from using the service, he said, quickly adding, “I don’t put them in the car alone that often.”
Still, he doesn’t regret using Waymo extralegally. “Am I willing to skirt the rules because I love it so much? Yeah,” he said.
Chris echoed the point about safety, citing the visibility the Waymo app provides to parents and the advantage of a robot chauffeur versus a stranger driving his child.
“We see absolutely everything on the app,” he said. “There’s no driver to attack her. There’s no human interaction to create a disturbance.”
Waymo is considering a program that would allow teenagers to hail robotaxis without a parent, The Standard reported last week. This year, the company gauged user interest in subscriptions for “Waymo Teen,” with plans ranging from $150 to $250 per month for eight, 12, or 16 rides. Parents could receive pickup and drop-off notifications and have the option of human safety checks.
After The Standard published a story about the program, Redditors rejoiced. “For families with kids, it can be a near full-time job moving them around because of how unwalkable our cities are,” one user wrote. “I personally would spend 4-6 hours per day driving and picking my [family] up when they were between the ages of 8 and 16. I still spend 2 hours per day even now that I’m down to just one that can’t drive.”
Last year, Uber launched a ride program for 13- to 17-year-olds. It said children must have consent from their legal guardians, who receive notifications for ride requests, pickups, and dropoffs. Uber said only highly rated drivers would be paired with children.
Most SF parents The Standard spoke to said they are waiting until their children are teenagers before sending them on solo self-driving trips. But there are some robotaxi superfans who want the option extended to younger children.
Ashwin Lalendran, a 15-year veteran of the autonomous vehicle industry, said if the company were to launch a kid-focused ride offering, he would sign up in a heartbeat. He and his wife even considered bringing their newborn home from UCSF hospital in a Waymo but were stymied by the challenge of fitting the whole family into one vehicle.
“When do we get a minivan version of this?” Lalendran said. “That’s how much we trust it.”
“Our parents spent hours and hours during the week shuttling kids back and forth,” Lalendran added. “It truly does feel like we’re living in the future of San Francisco, and I’m so glad my kids get to experience it as the future is getting built.”
See original article by Priya Anand at SF Standard
