Riding With Mr. Spiffy Via WAYMO All Over The Phoenix Area

From July of 2017 til July of 2019 I found myself in Arizona multiple times. Twice via driving, multiple times via flying.

During each of those Arizona visits, whilst driving around in the Phoenix metro area, I would see WAYMO self-driving test cars on the road, being tested. 

When a WAYMO car would pull up next to me at a stoplight I could see there was no driver, but there was someone in the passenger seat.

This seemed a tad unsettling to me. 

And now, a couple days ago, on Facebook, via the DFW entity known as Dapper John, aka Mr. Spiffy, I learned WAYMO is now active. Mr. Spiffy used WAYMO to transport himself all around the Phoenix area, including the airport.

I have driven into the Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport multiple times. Doing so is a tad stressful, particularly at rush hour.

I remember a particularly stressful drive to the Phoenix airport, with mom in the passenger seat, next to me, and Linda Lou in the backseat, being delivered to the airport. I nearly had a wreck moving over a couple lanes to get to the airport exit.

Mr. Spiffy seemed quite pleased with how well WAYMO worked, basically a driver-less UBER.

And now, this morning, I read WAYMO is coming to Austin. 

Soon, I am sure WAYMO will be here in Wichita Falls...

Driving Miss Daisy With Phoenix Area Self Driving Waymo

I do not remember if it was way back on my June and August of 2017 visits to the Phoenix area that I started seeing Waymo self driving cars being tested.

What I do know is during this current visit I have been seeing way more Waymos than previously seen on previous visits.

This last Sunday of the 2018 version of October, which is also the day before heading east towards Texas, I lost count of the number of Waymo encounters.

The Waymo you see in the photo documentation pulled up next to us whilst I was heading north on Arizona Avenue Or was it Alma School Road? With the Waymo pulling in to the left turn lane to turn onto Chandler Boulevard. Or was it Pecos?

Last night, after dark, we were heading south on Dobson when we were stopped by a red light at the intersection with Ocotillo, when a Waymo showed up making a turn from Ocotillo on to Dobson.

During the day it is not easy to see inside the Waymo. At night one could easily see the monitoring "driver" driving with his hands off the wheel as Waymo did the driving.

The driver being driven hands free of the wheel looks sort of weird. Miss Daisy does not approve of the concept of self driving cars. I would think she would embrace the idea.

I know today's episode of driving Miss Daisy had me wishing self driving cars were currently the norm. Just stick Miss Daisy in the car and tell it to take her on a drive. A long long drive.