TikTokker shares her creepy ‘driverless Uber’ experience. Here’s how it works step
UPDATE: Sep. 20, 2023, 3:21 p.m. PDT This article has been corrected to reflect that while the TikTok user refers to the car as a "driverless Uber" there are currently no such vehicles on the road from Uber.
We’ve heard whispers about rideshare companies' ambitious, futuristic plans to roll out driverless rides for years now, but the concept seemed to be so outlandish, many figured it would never gain widespread adoption. Do we really want autonomous vehicles – with absolutely no one manning them – out here in these streets?
As it turns out, some people don’t mind.
One woman, a TikTokker with the moniker @brittanylindsay_, shared her first-time experience with a driverless car (she erroneously calls it an Uber, but it is a Waymo vehicle) on TikTok, and in between her hilarious quips, and amid her rollercoaster of emotions (i.e., fear, curiosity, and excitement), we had the opportunity to get a sneak peek of how it all works.
How to hop into a driverless ride
It's unclear where, exactly the TikTokker hailed her driverless ride, or what service she used. According to TechCrunch, Uber announced in late May that Waymo’s self-driving cars will be available in its app. An Uber representative told Mashable "we have not yet launched any driverless rides."
According to the TikToker’s experience, here are the steps to hopping aboard a driverless ride.
Fire up the relevant app and enter your pickup and drop-off locations.
If driverless rides are available in your area, a "self driving" option should appear, allowing you to request an autonomous car. If you’re brave enough, go ahead and book it.
Your driverless ride should meet you at your pick up location. According to the TikTok video, you’ll be prompted to unlock the car within the relevant app.
When you get in, you’ll see an interactive tablet that says, "Start the ride." When you’re ready to go, go ahead and tap on it.
The doors will lock and the self-driving car will drive you to your location. On the dashboard, you’ll get updates on your estimated time of arrival.
"This is the future," @brittanylindsay_ said. However, she added that she would only take a "driverless Uber," as she calls it, if she had plenty of time to spare. "It literally goes the speed limit," she said, appearing to be frustrated by the car’s snail-like pace.
A quick background on Uber’s move to self-driving cars
As mentioned, users in the Metro Phoenix area can summon Waymo self-driving cars in the app. It’s also testing its services in Austin and Los Angeles.
What tickles us about Uber’s partnership with Waymo is that they’re former legal adversaries. Long story short, Uber reportedly saw Waymo as a threat. After all, it’s a subsidiary of Alphabet (parent company of Google), and it’s a leading company in the robotaxi industry. As such, in 2015, Uber launched its own autonomous car division to compete against Waymo. Two years later, Waymo sued Uber for allegedly stealing trade secrets. (Uber hired Anthony Levandowski, a cofounder of Waymo, who spilled a little too much tea about Google’s self-driving arm.) The two companies eventually settled their legal battle in 2018, and this year, Uber announced that it’s teaming up with Waymo.
It’s a partnership that’s mutually beneficial for both parties. Waymo can take advantage of Uber’s massive user base and Uber can deliver cutting edge services to its customers. There is, however, a larger discussion of how this emerging technology may threaten the jobs of millions of Uber and Lyft drivers, but that’s another article for another day.
TopicsSelf-Driving Cars
(责任编辑:新闻中心)
-
Apple Watch bands: 5 favorites to consider as Apple Watch 10 looms
It's almost new Apple Watch season, which means it's potentially almost time for you to pick out whi ...[详细] -
二三月份的节后黄金销售期已过,五月的旺季迟迟未到,四月,注定了是车市的传统淡季。降价促销?没有噱头;购车送礼?没吸引力。究竟如何让淡季不淡,刺激消费者的购买欲?车商们耍出了新花样——汽车“特别版”。私 ...[详细]
-
2013年4月20日,雅安市芦山县发生7级地震,灾情严峻,救灾工作刻不容缓,灾区灾后重建任务艰巨。雅安市红十字会向全市发出募捐呼吁:伸出您的援手,献出您的爱心,捐出您的善款,帮助灾区同胞渡过难关,重 ...[详细]
-
雅安日报讯“4S店销售人员跟我说,上好牌后才能来装潢,还说贴膜也必须上好牌后贴的。这是为什么呢?”日前,车主陈华侨致电本报咨询购车中遇到的问题。为此,记者专门走访了我市公安局交警支队车辆管理所进行了核 ...[详细]
-
采购商+48,英德红茶在泉城济南蹭蹭涨粉_南方+_南方plus8月26日,2024山东济南国际秋季茶产业博览会在舜耕国际会展中心落下帷幕。四天11家来自广东清远的茶企参与现场展销推介,展区内总人流量超 ...[详细]
-
雅安日报讯昨(14)日,我市召开学习型党组织建设座谈会,总结去年工作,通报今年工作要点。会议要求,全市各级党员干部要进一步抓好学习型党组织建设工作,推动全市上下形成重视学习、善于学习的浓厚风气,共同加 ...[详细]
-
即日起开展“十大专项行动”解决雅安创建省级文明城市和管理中的短板
总体目标一个月的时间,使测评内容基本达到A级标准,坚决杜绝0分指标出现。再用5—8个月时间,巩固提升创建成果,满怀信心迎接7-8月份省文明委的考核验收。5月,我市将迎来创建第三届四川省文明城市的暗访测 ...[详细] -
粤港澳大湾区(广州)乡村振兴产业协作基地——绿色循环种养产业集群正式揭牌
粤港澳大湾区(广州)乡村振兴产业协作基地——绿色循环种养产业集群正式揭牌_南方+_南方plus1月25日,粤港澳大湾区(广州)乡村振兴产业协作基地--绿色循环种养产业集群揭牌仪式在广州市黄埔区大田山餐 ...[详细] -
Gastro Obscura's Guide to Where to Eat in Nashville
Every month, thousands of bachelorette parties don their TEAM BRIDE sashes and descend on Nashville. ...[详细] -
300只鸡熬出1碗靓汤?我们摸底了清城年货“显眼包”| 广东年货大摸底清远篇⑥_南方+_南方plus“真系正,来多碗!”在广州海心沙,清远市晁谷农业发展有限公司业务经理崔明益被里三层外三层的游客市民们 ...[详细]