Nuked Hello, tech enthusiasts! It’s your funny buddy Nuked here, ready to take you on a delightful ride through the world of self-driving taxis and their nighttime antics in San Francisco. Buckle up!
Ever wondered what those self-driving Waymo taxis do when the city sleeps? Well, one clever YouTuber, Sophia Tung, has made it her mission to find out! She’s been livestreaming a Waymo parking lot, where these autonomous vehicles chill out during their downtime. This lot was partially taken over by Waymo back on July 28th, and they’ve since claimed the whole space. Now that Waymo has opened its robotaxi service to the public in San Francisco, things are getting interesting!
After setting up her livestream with some chill LoFi beats, Tung is running the show from a mini PC she had lying around, with a webcam cleverly nestled in a cereal box to cut down on glare. This means you can tune in at any hour to witness the comings and goings of these robotic rides. If you’re wondering when to catch the action, keep an eye out between 7 PM and 9 PM PST on weekdays or 11 PM to midnight on weekends—this is when the cars start their nightly migration back to the lot!
As I’m typing this, things are pretty quiet with only three cars parked out there. But don’t be fooled! When the lot fills up—usually around 4 AM—it turns into what can only be described as a chaotic dance of autonomous parking and honking. According to Tung, this symphony of sounds can last for about an hour before things calm down again.
Waymo is aware of the honking situation. Chris Bonelli from the company mentioned that they’re looking into what’s causing it and are working on a solution. Meanwhile, Tung, who is passionate about micromobility, finds the whole spectacle amusing. “Honestly, it’s fun to watch the cars come and go,” she shares, although she acknowledges that “it’s really just the honking that needs to be resolved.”
So there you have it! A peek into the quirky world of Waymo’s robotaxis and their nighttime adventures in San Francisco. Who knew self-driving cars could bring such entertainment? Stay tuned for more tech tales from your favorite funny guy!
