Self-driving car and police officer have funny standoff
Published on May 02, 2023 at 2:34 PM (UTC+4)
by Adam Gray
Last updated on May 04, 2023 at 6:35 AM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Kate Bain
A video of a self-driving car in a standoff with a police officer is doing the rounds on TikTok.
In the video, which has amassed more than 15 million views, the police officer can be seen attempting to guide the driverless Waymo to the side of the road.
Confused as to what to do, the passenger can be heard telling the officer that there’s no one behind the wheel, while also laughing.
READ MORE! Watch this YouTuber turn his trash can into a record-breaking speed demon
“Sir, we cannot move,” TikTok user @johnnyromano3 can be heard saying in the video.
“We’re sorry. This car won’t let us move. We’re not driving.”
The incident is said to have happened on April 16 as a parade was taking place in Phoenix, Arizona.
Having already encountered the parade and a police officer, Romano tried to take a detour around the block.
But that detour placed him at the front of the parade and head-on with another police officer.
The self-driving car briefly paused when the police officer called for it to move out of the way for another oncoming vehicle.
According to Waymo, the vehicle pulled to the side and then performed a multi-point turn and successfully maneuvered out of the blocked lane 90 seconds after the transaction with the police officer.
The mobility company first launched its autonomous vehicle service in downtown Phoenix in 2018.
People can use the app to summon a self-driving car and have it drop them off at a destination within the city.
As you can imagine, people have been running to the comments section to throw their two cents in on the incident.
While many are questioning why there wasn’t someone sat in the driver’s seat, lots have seen the comedy value in the standoff.
One user wrote, “What’s the name of self-driving taxi. Wanna try.”
Another commented, “It’s that Rick and Morty episode.”
“Checkmate,” another user commented.
DISCOVER SBX CARS: The global premium car auction platform powered by Supercar Blondie
Adam Gray is an experienced freelance motoring journalist and content creator based in the United Kingdom. Using his media accreditation with manufacturers’ press offices, Adam test drives the latest cars and attends new vehicle press launches, producing written reviews and news pieces for a variety of lifestyle and business publications. Here at Supercar Blondie, Adam applies his journalistic skills penning social-first content around current news and trends. When he’s not behind the wheel of the latest car or writing up another viral story, Adam can be found at his local rink playing ice hockey or at the Riverside Stadium supporting his beloved Middlesbrough FC.
