In a world where technology is constantly evolving, it seems even our autonomous vehicles are getting in on the action of keeping the peace. Recently, a Waymo self-driving car decided to take on a new role: babysitter. Yes, you heard that right! A group of misbehaving teenagers found themselves delivered straight to the San Mateo police, courtesy of a Waymo vehicle. If you thought your teenage antics were bad, just wait until you hear this story.
The 15-year-olds allegedly were drinking alcohol and shooting water beads from a toy gun as they rode in the driverless car Monday, the police’s social media post said. Waymo stopped the car in a parking lot and notified the police, who detained the teens.
Imagine the scene: a Waymo car, cruising along the streets of San Mateo, with a group of rambunctious teens inside. Maybe they were blasting music, maybe they were getting into some classic teenage shenanigans, or perhaps they were just being a little too loud for the car’s sensors to handle. Whatever the case, it seems the car decided it had had enough of their antics and took matters into its own hands—or wheels, rather.
Now, you might be wondering, how exactly does a car decide to play the role of a vigilante? Well, it turns out that Waymo vehicles are equipped with a myriad of sensors and cameras, allowing them to monitor their surroundings and, presumably, the behavior of their passengers. So, when those teens crossed the line from fun-loving youngsters to full-blown troublemakers, the car must have made the executive decision to reroute itself to the nearest police station. Talk about taking ‘drive yourself to the police station’ to a whole new level!
Of course, this raises some interesting questions. Are we now living in a world where our cars can report us? Is this the beginning of a new age of vehicular snitching? Imagine being a parent and getting a call from the police that your teen has been dropped off by a self-driving car. “Uh, officer, can you tell me what they did?” “Well, ma’am, it seems they were playing music a tad too loud.”
The idea of a car taking it upon itself to deliver misbehaving passengers to the authorities might sound like something out of a sci-fi movie, but here we are. Waymo’s latest endeavor might just be the ultimate way to keep our streets safe or at least keep our teenagers in check. After all, nothing says ‘you’ve been naughty’ quite like being escorted by a car that has zero tolerance for rowdy behavior.
As amusing as this situation is, it does highlight the growing role of technology in our lives. With self-driving cars becoming more prevalent, it raises the question of how much control we’re willing to relinquish to these machines. Are we ready for a future where our cars might be more responsible than we are?
In any case, kudos to Waymo for finding a way to keep our streets a little safer, one misbehaving teen at a time. Just imagine the possibilities: next time you’re running late for work, your car might just decide to take you on a detour to make sure you’re not breaking any traffic laws along the way. Now that’s a ride we can all get behind, right?
So, if you’re a teenager in San Mateo, maybe think twice before you start acting like a fool in a Waymo car. Because you never know when your ride might decide it’s had enough and take you straight to the police station. And trust me, you don’t want to explain that to your parents!
Inspired by: “Waymo car delivers misbehaving teen passengers to San Mateo police” (r/technology)