Waymo robotaxi stops ride after teens fire gel beads, police say
San Mateo police said Waymo halted the driverless trip and called officers after two 15-year-olds drank alcohol and shot Orbeez from the car.
By Hana Yoshida · Markets Reporter
2 min read
A Waymo robotaxi in San Mateo stopped a ride and alerted police after two 15-year-olds allegedly fired gel beads from the vehicle while drinking, the San Mateo Police Department said. The incident shows how driverless taxi companies can enforce passenger rules during a trip, including by ending a ride and calling law enforcement.
Police said officers responded after Waymo contacted them and brought the vehicle to a stop. Officers removed both teens from the car and determined they had been shooting Orbeez gel beads while consuming alcohol, according to the department.
The department said the object involved was a SplatRBall-style gel bead shooter that had been painted black. Police characterized the device as a toy, but warned that toy guns, water guns and BB guns can still create danger if bystanders mistake them for real firearms or if projectiles strike people or property at speed.
San Mateo police also pointed to the underage drinking. The department did not describe any charges in its public account, saying only that the teens were detained after officers arrived.
Waymo rules ban alcohol and weapons
Waymo’s rider rules prohibit alcohol and drug use inside its vehicles, even where local law might allow alcohol consumption in some passenger settings, according to the company’s posted policy. The rules also say riders under 18 must be accompanied by an adult.
The same policy bars weapons and says passengers may not throw items from the vehicle. Those provisions would cover much of the conduct police described, including shooting gel beads out of the car.
Waymo also tells riders that it may review in-car video in certain circumstances. In urgent situations, the company says support staff may access live video during a trip, meaning passengers should not assume the cabin is private while the ride is underway.
The San Mateo case is not the first publicly reported instance of a Waymo vehicle leading to police involvement over passenger behavior. A Reddit post cited in coverage of the incident described two men in Los Angeles being reported to police last year for drinking in a Waymo robotaxi.
California law makes the San Mateo allegations more serious because both passengers were minors. Separate from state alcohol rules, Waymo’s own terms make clear that passengers cannot drink in its cars and that minors cannot ride alone.
Police said the driverless vehicle also spared the episode from becoming a drunken-driving case. The department said the teens avoided that issue because they were being driven by an autonomous vehicle, while still describing the overall conduct as dangerous and ill-advised.
This story draws on original reporting from Ars Technica.