A man recently had a uniquely 21st century experience. The Waymo he was riding in got pulled over. Then he got to find out what happens when a self-driving taxi gets pulled over.
TikTok creator Joe Setaro (@joe_setaro) recently posted a video of the experience. In the video, which has over 3 million views, Setaro is sitting in a Waymo with police lights flashing behind the vehicle.
“Tell me how it’s possible that I got pulled over in a Waymo,” Setaro writes in the on-screen text.
While he sits there, Waymo support and the police officer discuss why the vehicle was pulled over. It seems like the vehicle was potentially stopping in traffic.
“Someone has to be out to get me because this wasn’t on my bingo card,” Setaro adds in the caption.
In the comments section of the video, viewers reacted to Setaro’s experience and the idea of a self-driving vehicle being pulled over.
“Is the cop speaking to customer service???” asked one amused viewer.
“How did the car know to pull over?” asked a second person.
“Who even gets the ticket?” a third person wondered.
Another person said, “Imagine showing this to someone in the 1800s.”
Who Even Gets The Ticket When A Self-Driving Taxi Gets Pulled Over?
In a follow-up video, Setaro explains that he was sitting in the Waymo at around 9:30 p.m. when a police vehicle pulled into the next lane with its lights on. Setaro says that the Waymo appeared to recognize that the lights were on and prepared to stop for what it perceived (correctly) to be an emergency vehicle with its lights on.
“The Waymo stops to let it pass … the cop passes [and] this happens about three times before the cop finally goes to pull me over,” Setaro says. “Cop pulls me over on the side of the road. He gets out of the car, the Waymo drives off. I was dying laughing. I thought I was going to be charged with a chase or something, and then I end up hitting the support button to make sure it does pull over.”
The police officer again approached the vehicle and proceeded to have a discussion with a support agent from Waymo.
Setaro also says he attempted to explain to the officer that it kept stopping because his lights were on and the Waymo appeared to have been programmed to let him pass.
“Him and the support lady go back and forth, she’s saying the same thing I did,” Setaro says. “He just keeps saying how it’s a safety issue and they need to fix this and basically puts in a complaint to the Waymo customer support.”
According to Setaro, the officer registered his complaint with Waymo and then sent him on his way without a ticket. In conclusion, he says, “Waymo is my favorite mode of transportation. I will continue to keep taking them. And I did end up getting refunded for the ride, so thank you.”
Who Is Responsible For Traffic Violations In A Waymo?
State and local governments are still working out how to regulate self-driving vehicles like Waymo.
In California, a law goes into effect in July that is intended to hold operators responsible for traffic violations by self-driving vehicles—though penalties are still being worked out.
Other municipalities seem to be treating Waymo essentially like any other driver. A Reddit user posted a video of a Waymo receiving a parking citation. “It drove off with the ticket on the windshield,” they wrote.
Motor1 contacted Setaro via TikTok comment and direct message for comment. We also contacted Waymo via press email for comment. We'll update this if either respond.
@joe_setaro Someone has to be out to get me because this wasn’t on my bingo card #fyp #waymo #pulledover #selfdrivingcar #foryoupage ♬ Horror Movie Sounds 2 (Ambient Halloween Music) - Jimmy C's Horror Tracks
