{"id":120747,"date":"2023-11-23T13:58:59","date_gmt":"2023-11-23T13:58:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogcamlodipine.com\/?p=120747"},"modified":"2023-11-23T13:58:59","modified_gmt":"2023-11-23T13:58:59","slug":"fascinating-footage-of-travellers-first-robo-taxi-ride","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogcamlodipine.com\/travel\/fascinating-footage-of-travellers-first-robo-taxi-ride\/","title":{"rendered":"Fascinating footage of traveller&apos;s first robo-taxi ride"},"content":{"rendered":"<h1>My first-ever ride in a robo-taxi: JO KESSEL hails a driverless Jaguar cab in San Francisco&#8230; filming an experience that leaves her heart in her mouth. So would YOU get in one?<\/h1>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Her video of the experience shows her hailing the taxi via a mobile app\u00a0<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>The clip shows the robo-cab navigating intersections and avoiding pedestrians\u00a0<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>READ MORE:\u00a0The world&#8217;s safest and most dangerous countries in 2023\u00a0<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span>Travel writer Jo Kessel buckles up next to an empty driver\u2019s seat for the ride of her life \u2013 in a robo-taxi. Her video of the experience, in San Francisco, shows her hailing the taxi via a mobile app (similar to Uber) and the Jaguar car arriving five minutes later\u2026 minus a driver! The video shows the robo-taxi navigating roundabouts and four-way intersections, avoiding pedestrians, rumbling down steep hills &#8211; and the weirdness of saying thank you at the end of the ride\u2026 to nobody.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Once upon a time, self-driving cars were the stuff of science fiction, but now they\u2019re a reality.<\/p>\n<p>It took 15 years and more than 20million miles of test drives to get there, but back in August the Google-owned autonomous taxi company Waymo One was finally allowed to provide its service to the paying public in San Francisco. And despite being a terrible backseat driver \u2013 and not much of a robot fan either \u2013 I couldn\u2019t wait to try it out and film the whole experience.<\/p>\n<p>The video starts with me clicking the \u2018request button\u2019 on the Waymo app. Nerves and excitement take hold as I\u2019m alerted that the car is on its way and will arrive in five minutes. At first I can see my ride approaching on the screen, but soon enough it\u2019s visible on the horizon, inching closer with a flashing light whirring atop its roof and twirling sensors next to its front and rear lights.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/1s\/2023\/11\/23\/13\/78157227-12783875-image-a-27_1700745741716.jpg\" height=\"476\" width=\"634\"><\/p>\n<p>Travel writer Jo Kessel buckles up next to an empty driver\u2019s seat for the ride of her life \u2013 in a robo-taxi<\/p>\n<p>It looks like a spacecraft on wheels, but it\u2019s actually an all-electric customised white Jaguar I-Pace \u2013 one of 250 in Waymo\u2019s San Francisco fleet.<\/p>\n<p>The car pulls over in a safe spot \u2013 and I have to open the doors with the app.<\/p>\n<p>Before I know it I\u2019m sitting next to the empty driver seat, heart in my mouth and buckling up. The journey only begins once the passenger taps the \u2018Start Ride\u2019 button on the dashboard and with trepidation I do exactly that.<\/p>\n<p>The car &#8211; or rather its dashboard \u2013 speaks as we set off, explaining ground rules called \u2018riding tips\u2019. It says: \u2018We\u2019ll do all the driving. Please don\u2019t touch the steering wheel or pedals during your ride.\u2019<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/1s\/2023\/11\/23\/13\/78156321-12783875-image-a-29_1700745836603.jpg\" height=\"382\" width=\"634\"><\/p>\n<p>Jo&#8217;s video of the experience, in San Francisco, shows her hailing the taxi via a mobile app (similar to Uber ) and the Jaguar car (above) arriving five minutes later\u2026 minus a driver, of course<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/1s\/2023\/11\/23\/13\/78156467-12783875-image-a-37_1700746100338.jpg\" height=\"417\" width=\"634\"><\/p>\n<p>To start the ride, Jo&#8217;s video shows &#8211; the passenger must press the &#8216;start&#8217; button on the dashboard<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/1s\/2023\/11\/23\/13\/78156323-12783875-image-a-33_1700745912623.jpg\" height=\"242\" width=\"306\"><\/p>\n<p>Jo is nervous as the cab sets off<\/p>\n<p>It is simultaneously exciting and nerve-wracking being the passenger in an autonomous vehicle. Watching the steering wheel spin without anyone sitting behind it is extraordinarily surreal, especially when the car does its first left-turn manoeuvre.<\/p>\n<p>Soon afterwards the Waymo reaches an intersection that doesn\u2019t have traffic lights. How will it cope? It hesitates a little, creeping forward once it\u2019s satisfied the coast is clear.<\/p>\n<p>San Francisco is a notoriously hilly city and at times my journey resembles a roller-coaster ride with lots of ups and downs and steep gradients to navigate. There are fears. Will the car brake? How sharply will it brake? What if someone jaywalks?<\/p>\n<p>It turns out the car drives pretty smoothly \u2013 smoother than most human drivers \u2013 and reliably stops at red lights.<\/p>\n<p>And because Waymo cars are programmed not to exceed the speed limit (mine averages around 20mph) it always feels steady and safe. As for its brakes, while the car does have foot pedals, they\u2019re purely cosmetic and never actually move. They definitely work, however, and are particularly impressive on steep inclines. Whereas most human hill starts involve the car rolling back a little, my Waymo car doesn\u2019t, not even a smidgeon.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/1s\/2023\/11\/23\/13\/78156459-12783875-Jo_writes_It_turns_out_the_car_drives_pretty_smoothly_smoother_t-a-39_1700746237362.jpg\" height=\"443\" width=\"633\"><\/p>\n<p>Jo writes: &#8216;It turns out the car drives pretty smoothly \u2013 smoother than most human drivers \u2013 and reliably stops at red lights&#8217;<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/1s\/2023\/11\/23\/13\/78156463-12783875-image-a-40_1700746245251.jpg\" height=\"476\" width=\"634\"><\/p>\n<p>&#8216;Can it go down hills?&#8217; Jo asks on the video. &#8216;Yes it can&#8217; is the answer<\/p>\n<p>A music montage towards the end of the film shows how our route follows another Waymo as well as a very cute dog. It also demonstrates the self-driving vehicle\u2019s capabilities as it circles a roundabout and then changes lanes to steer clear of a double-parked car. It\u2019s the reaction from pedestrians, however, which is most amusing. They turn, stare and double-take, as if the car is an A-list celebrity.<\/p>\n<p>By the end of the ride I\u2019ve desensitised to the fact that I\u2019m in a robot car and wish I could do it all over again.<\/p>\n<p>So I do.<\/p>\n<p>I book one a day later when I don\u2019t want to walk home in the dark by myself. Does that ride feel different to my daytime one?<\/p>\n<p>Actually, yes!<\/p>\n<p>Women can feel vulnerable alone in a taxi with a male driver. Being in the driverless Waymo feels much safer, something I hadn\u2019t considered prior to riding.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/1s\/2023\/11\/23\/13\/78156457-12783875-image-a-42_1700746339254.jpg\" height=\"359\" width=\"634\"><\/p>\n<p>&#8216;By the end of the ride I\u2019ve desensitised to the fact that I\u2019m in a robot car and wish I could do it all over again,&#8217; writes Jo. &#8216;So I do.&#8217; Pictured above is another Waymo car that Jo&#8217;s cab tails for a brief time<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/1s\/2023\/11\/23\/13\/78156465-12783875-image-a-44_1700746353174.jpg\" height=\"548\" width=\"634\"><\/p>\n<p>&#8216;Women can feel vulnerable alone in a taxi with a male driver,&#8217; writes Jo. &#8216;Being in the driverless Waymo feels much safer, something I hadn\u2019t considered prior to riding&#8217;<\/p>\n<p>Better still is the fare &#8211; $24 (\u00a319) for a roundtrip 40-minute journey. And for no extra cost I\u2019m allowed to get out halfway and call another cab when I\u2019m ready to restart the ride. My night-time journey comes in cheaper at $10 (\u00a38). And gratuities aren\u2019t expected &#8211; you\u2019re not even given the chance to tip. This already feels reasonably priced, but Waymo promises fares will come down as they scale up.<\/p>\n<p>It is strange having nobody to thank at the end of the ride \u2013 my \u2018thank you\u2019 to the car as I get out rather falls on deaf ears.<\/p>\n<p>But I\u2019d definitely like to ride with Waymo again. Their driverless taxis are also available in Phoenix, Arizona, and will soon be coming to Los Angeles as well as Austin, Texas. Fancy a futuristic \u2018no hands\u2019 car ride? Best sign-up now. It\u2019s so popular that there\u2019s currently a six-month waiting list!<\/p>\n<p>Sign up here to join the waiting list &#8211; waymo.com\/waitlist.<\/p>\n<p><span>For more videos from Jo, visit her YouTube channel, Go With Jo. <\/span><span>www.youtube.com\/@gowithjo1<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Source: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dailymail.co.uk\/travel\/article-12783875\/My-ride-robo-taxi-JO-KESSEL-hails-driverless-Jaguar-cab-San-Francisco-filming-experience-leaves-heart-mouth-one.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Read Full Article<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>My first-ever ride in a robo-taxi: JO KESSEL hails a driverless Jaguar cab in San Francisco&#8230; filming an experience that leaves her heart in her mouth. So would YOU get in one? Her video of the experience shows her hailing&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v21.8 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Fascinating footage of traveller&amp;apos;s first robo-taxi ride - blogcamlodipine.com<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/blogcamlodipine.com\/travel\/fascinating-footage-of-travellers-first-robo-taxi-ride\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Fascinating footage of traveller&amp;apos;s first robo-taxi ride - blogcamlodipine.com\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"My first-ever ride in a robo-taxi: JO KESSEL hails a driverless Jaguar cab in San Francisco&#8230; filming an experience that leaves her heart in her mouth. 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