Posted on 05/15/2026 11:34:52 AM PDT by DFG
ATLANTA — Waymo’s self-driving cars can be seen all over Atlanta streets, giving rideshare trips through Uber.
But what happens when they’re empty?
In one northwest Atlanta neighborhood, the residents say dozens of Waymo cars end up circling their cul-de-sac.
“It’s almost every little cul-de-sac in our area, so I think it’s a problem,” one neighbor, on Battleview Drive, told Gehlbach.
On a dead end street, Waymo after Waymo after Waymo drive on, usually early in the morning.
“I think yesterday morning, we had 50 cars that came through between 6 and 7,” a neighbor told Channel 2 Action News.
Residents on Battleview Drive said they started seeing the autonomous, driverless cars about two months ago, but the groups and large numbers of Waymos just circling in and out only started the last couple of weeks.
The neighbors shared videos of the cars with Channel 2 Action News.
When one resident put a Step2Kid sign up in the street, it blocked all of the Waymos from entering the cul-de-sac, but how that played out was a surprise for those living there.
“We had, at one point, eight Waymos that were stuck trying to figure out how to turn around,” the neighbor said.
The Waymos are empty and not picking up anyone, and parents are worried, saying it’s not just excessive, but dangerous.
“We’re families, we have small animals and pets, got kids getting on the bus in the morning and it just doesn’t feel safe to have that traffic,” one neighbor said.
The residents said they’d reached out ot Waymo and have not gotten a response, so they also contacted their city council member, representatives and the Georgia Department of Transportation.
The neighbors said they don’t know what to do.
“We would like to just see them stay on main traffic roads,” one neighbor said. “I don’t think there’s any reason for them to be on small residential cul-de-sacs if they’re not picking up somebody.”
Channel 2 Action News only saw one Waymo circling the area around mid-morning, and someone was in the driver’s seat.
Waymo responded to Gehlbach with the following statement:
“At Waymo, we are committed to being good neighbors. We take community feedback seriously and have already addressed this routing behavior. With over 500,000 weekly trips across the country, our service is proven to significantly reduce traffic injuries and improve road safety. We value our relationship with Atlanta residents and remain focused on providing a seamless, respectful, and safe experience for riders and residents alike.”
I worked with a great executive from Studebaker Worthington. He called those "bedbug letters." He explained that hotels long ago had standard boilerplate letters they sent to customer complaining about bedbugs in the hotel. "Have the girl sent 'em the bedbug letter."
Run up to one and open a door - instant lockdown.
**They should have parking lots where they can sit and not burn gas.**
They can park in the garages of private homes that will no longer need a vehicle due to Waymo availability on a wide scale. Those that don’t rent to the company will convert their garages into extra bedrooms. There will be no need for street parking as Waymo will free up money spent on gas, insurance, DUI’s, highway patrol-you name it. No need to pay the driver so they’ll be cheaper.
Angry driver on sidelines: “Now we know why they have heavy bullet proof glass.”
Like the college band marchers endlessly marching in place against the brick wall in Animal House.
Early testing probes from Skynet!
(Empty Waymos invade Atlanta neighborhood, circle cul-de-sac for hours with no passengers)
You’re in a Johnny Cab
Or not
Ar 2:14 a.m. it becomes self-aware
(Early testing probes from Skynet!)
They were probably looking for Sarah Connor
After all, you’re not what you thought you were at all
You’re just a natural fact
Another cul-de-sac
On nature’s hard unfeeling trail
Now all those dreams of old
Will be stories left untold
Cut off in your prime
Extinct until the end of time
You know you’re on the way out
It’s just a matter of time
You thought you’d rule the world forever
Long live the king and don’t spare the loser
-Genesis
Supposedly Waymo was contacted and didn’t respond.
Blocking with something in the road works. Use the push on, push off air fittings that shops use to inflate or deflate tires. Pull the valve stems.
Leave. Waymo will remove them.
That is a bit creepy.
Do they taxes for road and street repair?
Put a basketball goal (without the hoop) out in the street since it is a a Cul de Sac and drive away the cars the use Waymo road than they need to.
Can you just flag down an empty Waymo?
Not that I would.
What other vehicles could parts from those cars be used with. Asking for a friend.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/287169888263?_skw=waymo&itmmeta=01KRPQH32PXQK53VNJDGM32KM6&hash=item42dca8c007:g:SdQAAeSwl8lporxI&itmprp=enc%3AAQALAAAA4LB2JXbe%2Bh2pdWBqbR2c2DuJTdOK4ZJmKOqqqx%2BrngR%2F3ptTP%2BaNPU2NZ%2BUShq6yvN%2BJVqP3Kh4DJUsBwQn8mzVVwxaQxphi3Zdc9TkLe93nNjzEIsL280yh6T3W5x4bMcu8oE%2FKnxO9uY4SwY9SUF0l40peOANLiDLqmYDQVieaErR9dxR35AmnyIQXexVuSeGdzPXri94zydJDSszLYPt2DbyiqprjLKGUbbq5N0zQTuhWhk35wR7Ep%2Fe8gyusSMNPmyH6DiVxkTfuilbLfStibNuppJBDoKLvgrZ8TXvo%7Ctkp%3ABFBMwLHE18Vn
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I'm using Uber next week and could use one of these so as not to have to deal with the likely muzzie driver who will probably have a problem with me bringing my dog along.
Yeah, I often drive through and around SF, and there are lots of Waymos, with passengers in back. Today while driving in the SF Sunset district near the Pacific Ocean, I saw Tesla Robotaxis driving around, the new models in gold color. Difference is that Waymos are pre-programmed to a specific mapped area, while Tesla Robotaxis can handle driving anywhere without pre-programming. Tesla Robotaxis will appear in your MA town long before Waymos.
The dream sequence was something else
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