Woman discovers man trapped in trunk of Waymo robotaxi: 'This shit won't let me out!'

Waymo Robotaxi's Trunk Holds Startling Surprise: Woman Discovers Man Inside

In a series of increasingly bizarre incidents plaguing autonomous vehicle services, Waymo, Google's self-driving car subsidiary, has once again found itself at the center of a peculiar and unsettling event. Following a widely reported instance of a woman giving birth in a Waymo in San Francisco en route to the hospital and the autonomous fleet's entanglement with Vice President Kamala Harris's motorcade, a new, far less welcome situation has emerged in Los Angeles.

A Disturbing Discovery in the Trunk

The latest episode unfolded when a woman summoned a Waymo for her daughter. Upon opening the vehicle's trunk to place belongings, she was met with the astonishing sight of a complete stranger. The woman's shock was palpable, captured in a video that rapidly went viral on TikTok, where she exclaimed, "What the hell is in the trunk?!" The man's response, equally unnerving, was a desperate plea: "This shit won't let me out!" accompanied by the sound of his fists striking the seatback. He further elaborated, "They put me in here. People. People." This cryptic utterance only deepened the mystery and concern surrounding the incident.

The unexpected passenger's declaration, "This shit won't let me out!" painted a grim picture of his predicament, suggesting a feeling of entrapment within the vehicle's cargo space.

In a subsequent video, the woman is seen interacting with a Waymo representative after law enforcement officers had removed the man from the vehicle and detained him on the sidewalk. The implications of such an event in a sophisticated autonomous taxi are profound, raising questions about security protocols and the fundamental differences between human-driven and AI-operated transport. After all, it's highly unlikely a human driver would overlook an unexpected occupant in their trunk.

Waymo Responds to the Unacceptable Incident

Waymo has not disputed the incident, acknowledging the severity of the situation. A company spokesperson stated to the New York Post, "We strive to ensure the safety of our passengers and build trust within the communities we serve. This experience is unacceptable, and we are already implementing changes to address the root causes." The response from the Waymo community on Reddit mirrored the broader public's bewilderment. Initially, some suspected the video was a fabrication, but the company's confirmation led to expressions of shame and outrage directed at the man's behavior.

Unpacking the 'How' and 'Why'

A significant portion of the discussion revolved around the logistics of how the man managed to get into the modified Jaguar I-Pace used by Waymo. The prevailing theory suggests he must have entered from the passenger cabin, as an external entry would have been easily detectable by the vehicle's numerous cameras. Some users pointed out that the trunk's emergency release mechanism, a large seat-folding button, should have provided an easy escape, making the man's claim of being unable to exit rather peculiar. Speculation also veered into the realm of unusual motivations, with some suggesting a "weird fetish" might have been involved. The consensus among the community is a clear call for Waymo to enhance its safety features, perhaps by incorporating trunk sensors or additional emergency releases, especially considering the company's prior encounters with public scrutiny over other operational hiccups.

A Pattern of Unsettling Events

This trunk discovery is the latest in a string of unusual events involving Waymo. The autonomous taxi previously drove through a police operation in downtown Los Angeles. Waymo currently operates in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Phoenix, Atlanta, and Austin, with further expansion plans suggesting these types of incidents could become more frequent. As for the woman who filmed the viral video, Waymo offered compensation in the form of a credit for future rides. Despite these unsettling episodes, Waymo continues to maintain that its autonomous vehicles are statistically safer on the roads than human drivers, a claim supported by independent research.