In a terrifying incident in California, a mother who goes by Luckythurman on TikTok was shocked to discover a man concealed in the trunk of a driverless Waymo taxi she had called for her daughter. The Los Angeles woman shared a video on TikTok on December 9 showing the man peering over the back seats of the autonomous vehicle.
The video, with the caption “I ordered a Waymo for my daughter and a random was in the trunk,” has ignited significant online backlash. Critics argue that this incident highlights the dangers and lack of safety of autonomous vehicles, particularly for women, labeling them as dangerous, scary, and unsafe.
The concerned mother said she posted the video to raise awareness, stressing that many people do not check the trunk before entering a ride.
The footage showed the white Waymo parked with the passenger door ajar. The woman can be seen holding her phone towards the car and demanding an explanation: “Why the f*** are you in the trunk?”
The man was discovered crammed behind the back seat of the car, his face pressed against the headrest. He quickly waved his hand, exclaiming, “I’m trying to figure this out. This s*** won’t let me out.”
The man repeatedly struck the back seat as the worried mother pressed him for an answer, asking, “Why are you in it?”
“They just put me in here,” he replied, prompting her to ask, “who put you in?” Stuttering, he replied, “The people.”
He continued to talk incoherently as the woman retreated from the vehicle.
After the initial incident, a second video showed the man interacting with Los Angeles police officers. Simultaneously, one of the woman’s daughters communicated with a Waymo representative via the car.
The representative offered a credit, saying, “We don’t want you to experience this again, let me provide you with the credit. You should be able to use it right away,” after the daughter mentioned ordering a replacement.
The mother continued recording the Waymo, expressing her shock by noting, “that’s crazy.”
Waymo spokesperson Julia Ilina later told the Daily Mail, “We’re committed to keeping our riders safe and earning the trust of the communities where we operate. This experience was unacceptable, and we are actively implementing changes to address this.”
She added that the man in the trunk entered of his own accord after a previous rider left the trunk open at their drop-off.
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“After arriving at the next rider’s pickup, he was removed by law enforcement,” Ilina added. “Our Rider Support team assisted the rider during the event and they shared that they were OK; we’ve reached out to them after as well.”
The company’s spokesperson affirmed their dedication to ensuring a safe and inclusive experience for everyone.
Ilina pointed out that Waymo already has measures in place for such occurrences and is actively implementing further improvements to these protocols.
The incident has, however, sparked widespread outrage among online critics, who were appalled by the situation and directed their anger at the ride-sharing company.
Adding to the event’s shocking nature, the LAPD officers did not arrest the man, as they determined no crime had occurred, according to a report by Fox 11.
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