‘Waymo does’: Police troll parents after self-driving car reports misbehaving teens

A Waymo robotaxi in California became part of a police response after two teenagers allegedly used the self-driving vehicle while drinking alcohol and shooting water guns filled with Orbeez from its windows. According to the San Mateo Police Department, the autonomous taxi contacted authorities, pulled into a parking lot and remained there until officers arrived to detain the two 15-year-olds.

The San Mateo Police Department shared details of the incident in a Facebook post, along with a video showing multiple officers approaching the stopped Waymo vehicle. The department wrote, “Parents do you know where your teens are? Waymo does!”

Police said officers removed both teenagers from the vehicle and determined they had been using toy guns to shoot Orbeez, small water-absorbing beads, through the robotaxi’s windows. The department also warned about the risks of carrying imitation firearms in public: “Toy guns, water guns, and BB guns all pose real dangers, especially to an untrained eye. The simple handling of them can cause fear in [passersby].”

The exact sequence of events that led the vehicle to notify authorities has not been disclosed, and Waymo had not responded to media requests for comment at the time reports were published.