Waymo Vehicle Remotely Stopped by Company After Teens Drink and Shoot Water Beads Inside
Quick Look
- Two 15-year-olds were detained by San Mateo police after engaging in underage drinking and shooting water beads from a Waymo self-driving vehicle.
- The company remotely pulled the car over into a parking lot and alerted authorities.
AI-generated summary
Why It Matters
Two 15-year-olds were detained after Waymo remotely stopped a self-driving vehicle they were occupying due to their behavior. The incident has raised questions about surveillance and Waymo's intervention methods.
Two 15-year-olds were detained by police after a self-driving Waymo vehicle, which they were reportedly drinking in and shooting water beads from, was remotely forced into a parking lot by the company in Northern California. Officials confirmed that Waymo alerted law enforcement, leading to the intervention.
San Mateo police officers stopped and searched the autonomous vehicle on Monday afternoon after a Waymo representative contacted them, according to department spokesperson Jeanine Luna. Bystander photos shared with a local TV station depicted the teenagers hanging out of the Waymo’s windows. Police determined the teens were consuming alcohol and firing Orbeez, soft, water-absorbent polymer beads, into the streets.
Waymo remotely pulled the vehicle over into a parking lot and informed officers of their action. "The occupants were not locked in and had every ability to exit the vehicle," Luna stated in an email. Officers were able to communicate with a Waymo representative via the vehicle's internal communication system during the stop.
The San Mateo Police Department later posted about the incident on social media, issuing a warning about underage drinking and the dangers associated with water bead guns. The post generated over 150 comments, with some users raising concerns about surveillance and questioning the appropriateness of Waymo delivering the teenagers to the police.
Waymo did not respond to inquiries about how the company was alerted to the teens' behavior or whether the occupants were informed that the car was being pulled over.
An online support page for Waymo states that internal cameras are used to maintain cleanliness, locate lost items, and provide emergency assistance, explicitly noting that facial recognition is not used to identify individuals.
"Our Support team may review video under certain circumstances, including after an issue is brought to our attention," the page explains, adding, "Occasionally, in more urgent circumstances, Support may access live video during a trip."
This incident follows another recent encounter involving a Waymo vehicle last month in San Francisco, where a burglar reportedly used an autonomous car as a getaway vehicle after stealing activewear from a yoga studio.
Open Questions
- How was Waymo alerted to the teens' behavior?
- Were the occupants informed the car was being pulled over?
- What are Waymo's specific protocols for intervening in passenger behavior?
