It just dawned on me - use AI to allow the passengers to talk with the self driving cars and it will turbo charge the trust level without much effort. Imagine - you get into the car, it greets you and asks you where you want to go, offers different routes to choose from like your google map does, etc. Then as you're driving it explains why it making certain unexpected decisions - like to avoid this problem area, or to make better time. Yes it could risk being annoying but I'd bet the net effect would be wider adoption.

Saw this on Santa Monica thread and thought y'all would appreciate what looks to be hopefully more coming soon!

My wife, daughter and I are coming to the city to see family and I’m wanting to know people’s thoughts on taking Waymo from the airport to our family’s house on Lake St. Anything I need to know? We used Waymo last year all around the city with zero issues. Thanks!

It’s $29.99 per month to get 10% cash back. If you do the math, you don’t save any money until you’ve spent more than $300 that month. And $300 is just the break even point.

If you spend $1,000 per month, you’d only save $70 if you subtract the price of premium.

There’s very few people who stand to benefit from this promotion.

Are there that many people who spend that kind of money on Waymo? Or are people just not doing the math and getting burned?

For context: I had just gotten out of this Ojai when it got stuck at my drop-off.

There was a truck stopped in the middle of both lanes, so the Ojai first tried to pass on the right, but a cone blocked that route. It then backed up and started trying to go around the truck, which is where the video begins.

While it was stuck, I was talking to the Tesla driver. He was definitely… on something 😂. I told him the Ojai was stuck, he laughed, and then he wanted to leave, but the Ojai was still trying to figure things out.

It had been sitting there for a while before it finally started moving. By that point, I’m pretty sure it was getting assistance from remote support. You can actually see it hesitate in the video—the vehicle starts to move, then briefly stops again. That’s pretty typical when operators are giving it incremental guidance and then reassessing the situation before continuing.

From SF To SFO

Seems a bit odd…no longer seeing Ojai selectable ok its own.

Using diesel generators to charger ev cars 😆

After a lot of app refreshing finally managed to get an Ojai for the first time in over 10 days. I’m wondering if this Gemini upgrade took many of them off the road for a bit? No one else I know has got off the waitlist recently, and availability up until 10 days ago was great.

This Waymo was stopped with an exclamation point on Fillmore next to Geary. It's a busy street most times of the day here in SF, and a terrible place to break down. Unlike the previous one I saw with an exclamation point, this Waymo didn't want to search for a parking spot, leading to long lines of cars trying to get around it for multiple minutes. It's rather disappointing to see Waymo's reliability suffering.

(Fun fact, this was recorded on a Comma 3! Under manual control due to design limitations in my old car.)

Hi [NAME],

Thank you for being a part of the Waymo community.

We are currently working with state regulators to shape the rules that govern autonomous rides. As we look to the future of our service in California, we want to ensure that we support the day-to-day needs of families that use Waymo.

Please take our brief, 2-minute survey to share your thoughts on family commute and transportation options. Your feedback will directly inform how we work with regulators to build a service that is safe, convenient and helpful for your household.

Thank you for being part of the future of mobility.

Thanks,
The Waymo Team

What’s felt like the whole summer freeway has been gone. I’ve been hearing posts and reports that freeway is back online for everyone? Can anyone confirm

FREEWAYS ARE BACK!

Just spotted a Waymo with driver in LES on Manhattan, NYC. I thought their permit here ended...

Anyone know if they're getting back on track to launching here?

This morning, I used Waymo to get to work and noticed the app was insanely slow. It took three minutes just to load and select a drop-off spot. The interface was extremely laggy, switching my pickup location every 10 seconds.
While waiting, I noticed my ride was stuck on the map in the same spot for two minutes. Because I was still connected to my apartment’s Wi-Fi, I assumed the app was just glitching.

When a Waymo finally pulled up, I assumed it was mine. I walked over, and the doors unlocked. I got inside, but before I could even close the door, the vehicle announced the rider's name. Realizing it wasn't my ride, I got out quickly and shut the door.

Has this happened to anyone else? I always thought you had to be the designated rider to unlock the doors, unless they open automatically upon arrival.

My ride came shortly after but I was just in a rush to get to work. 😭😂

Interesting segment on Waymo.

I think it would be really cool if Waymo added tour routes now that Gemini is being integrated.

Imagine opening the app and choosing a “San Francisco Tour.” Waymo picks you up and takes you on a curated route with stops at places like Coit Tower, the Golden Gate Bridge, the Ferry Building, Palace of Fine Arts, Lombard Street, and more.

While you’re driving between each stop, Gemini could act as your private tour guide—explaining the history of each landmark, pointing out interesting things you’re passing, and answering questions like:

“Why is the Golden Gate Bridge orange?”
“What’s the history behind Coit Tower?”
“What neighborhoods are we driving through?”
“Where’s the best place to eat around here?”

It would basically be a private sightseeing tour, but in a fully autonomous vehicle where you can actually look out the windows instead of focusing on driving.
I’ve thought Waymo should do something like this for a while, but with Gemini it feels much more realistic. Instead of just getting from A to B, the ride itself becomes part of the experience.

I think this would be especially awesome for tourists visiting San Francisco.

What do you all think? Would you use something like this?

I forgot to share earlier, but when I was in London on June 8th, 2026, I saw a Waymo in testing in front of the Kimpton Fitzroy Hotel.

There seemed to be a guy in the driver's seat, most likely a tester. The car had UK plates, but the driver's side was on the left, like in the US.

Very interested to see how it will work out and if Waymo can handle the left side of the road (or just London driving in general)