[ButlerianJihad]

One time I was settling into a long Waymo ride (about 15 miles through traffic) and it was rolling down a wide urban street where a white English-speaking guy like me is distinctly a minority.

And I was playing Pat Benatar's "Hit Me with Your Best Shot" with the windows wide open, and waving at other cars, and singing along at the top of my lungs, and eventually, Waymo Support rings in, and the guy goes, "just checking in! Is everything alright there?" and I go "er... yeah" and he goes "OK! thank you bye!"

So I decided maybe there had been an external complaint, and I should perhaps keep the windows up, and the music down a few notches from now on. Especially as a minority in such a neighborhood like that one.

[Schiendelman]

Ha! I don't think there was an external complaint. I suspect that was the mic/cameras IN the car alerting support because you were loud and they wanted to make sure you were okay. :)

[nojvek]

If you’re screaming for help vs singing on top of your lungs, it’s a minor difference. Worth a check.

[ButlerianJihad]

Actually, Waymo explicitly notes that their mics are never activated until Support is on the line (and this is a very noticeable event) even though the video cameras are always monitoring. I mean, the way I was singing, they could probably guess at the audio!

So there is no way that Support heard or listened to the music or singing in-car. In fact, their own material says "mics are off... so sing your heart out!"

So I feel like it was some pedestrian who was perhaps racist or just offended that a Waymo passenger would be enjoying himself so much with Pat Benatar blasting, and just called-in a complaint. It seems the most prosaic explanation. I couldn't explain why Support would proactively just call in "for no reason" without anyone actually complaining about my particular vehicle.

[Schiendelman]

I said mic/camera because I wasn't sure - I confirmed it's based on excess movement on the camera.

[ButlerianJihad]

But one look at the video would confirm that I was 100% safe and in very good spirits. Why would they interrupt to inquire, if I was just having a good time alone? That makes no sense at all. It’s just a commercial taxi service. Surely there are dozens of customers every night who have a fun time on the way home from nightclubs and bars. There is no need for Support to waste resources by calling in and asking if they are ok.

The only other time that Support has called in to the car is when there was a hailstorm, and I hesitated to start the ride. Of course a passenger causing a delay in service is pretty good justification for calling in.

[Schiendelman]

"100% safe and in very good spirits" could also mean extremely intoxicated. :) I think what they did was the right call.