Atlanta Riders are so desperate to try Waymo, they are reportedly canceled rides with human drivers – Jalopnik

While Tesla plays with “robotaxis” who still need a human driver, Waymo has had real robotaxis for years. Not everyone has always loved them, but they have been successful enough that they are extensive to various other cities outside of California and Arizona. Thanks to a new partnership with Uber you can now get a waymo in Atlanta, but because you have to go through the Uber app, you cannot order it immediately. That has led a lot of Atlantans, desperate to try a robotaxi for itself, simply cancel all the journeys with human drivers until they get a waymo, Business Insider reports.

In other cities where Waymo works, you can simply use the Waymo app to book a ride, so it may sound strange to hear that people in Atlanta cannot do the same. But no. In Atlanta you have to book your waymo via Uber. And although you can tell Uber that you prefer a waymo, that does not guarantee that you actually get one. Apparently, even with that option selected, it can take a lot of canceled rides before you also get one.

When Business Insider spoke with Nate Galesic in Atlanta, he said that on average he should cancel 20 people driven by people before he can get a waymo. According to Galesic, however, that is part of the pleasure and says: “The fact that it is so challenging to get a game of it.”

As Galesic Business Insider said, he is an assistant director in TV and film, and after a long day on the set it is nice not to have to drive or treat a human driver. Apparently it does not hurt that he can also nod away without judgment and says: “I have always dreamed about the day on which I could just faint on my way to and from work.”

Galesic is not the only resident of Atlanta who has told Business Insider that they are doing their best to find a waymo. Andrew Nerney has only made about five trips with Waymo compared to Galesic’s 35, but he is apparently sufficiently dedicated that he is willing to do something almost unheard of in Georgia. That’s because he lives technically outside the Waymo zone, so after canceling all human drivers to get a robotaxi, he then has to walk two blocks to be picked up.

A Uber spokesperson said that Business Insider Waymo currently has “dozens of vehicles” in the Atlanta area, but that figure will “grow hundreds in the coming years.” That would make it theoretically easier for residents to match Robotaxis, but it is still a small number for a city with around 500,000 inhabitants and a population of a metro area of more than 6 million. If you want to increase your chances of getting a Waymo now, Business Insider does offer some advice:

Riders can maximize their chances to be coupled with a Waymo car by avoiding travel where freeway runs, outside the demanding times such as nights and on the weekend, and ensure that their pick-up and drop-off points are located within the current 65-four-four kilometer-mile-service area, the spokesman said. With an option in the Uber Settings menu, users can indicate that they prefer journeys on a waymo.