A Waymo passenger recorded herself happily discovering her autonomous taxi allowed her to stream her own music collection. Which helped to keep her occupied during a ride that took longer than she originally anticipated.
TikTok user Madi Marotta (@madimarotta) documented her Waymo voyage in a recent viral clip.
She begins her video by stating: “One thing we didn’t have in Nashville and then I moved to Austin was these [expletive] Waymos. And let me tell you this is like an annoying person’s dream. I can do whatever I want in here. I can like…I’m gonna play Taylor Swift,” she says, commenting on the freedom she’s afforded while riding in one of the Waymo vehicles alone.
Following this, her clip cuts to her interacting with the Waymo’s rear-set infotainment system.
“Waymo didn’t know you had tastes like this,” she says, before howling off-camera and flipping her recording device’s orientation around. While the car didn’t put on a Taylor Swift song in her clip, Marotta seems to have found another famous, female pop star’s music to stream.
Waymo Karaoke Session
A touchscreen interface outfitted to the back of the Waymo reveals artwork for Chappel Roan’s “The Subway” which delighted the autonomous driving passenger. As the Missouri-based singer’s music echoes throughout the Waymo’s cabin, Marotta continues to speak into the camera about her time in the driverless taxi.
While she has a fun time inside of the vehicle, she did offer up a singular criticism, which pertains to the car’s travel speed. “Anyways this is actually awesome. I just wish the Waymo wouldn’t go so slow.”
Her delight quickly subsides as she begins to survey her surroundings, however. “Where the [expletive] are we? Like what’s happening? Like on Maps it said my destination was about like 10 minutes away. It’s making a 20-minute trip here, like all throughout [expletive] Austin right now. I’m like all right cool, great, this is awesome,” she says into the camera, before screaming along with the lyrics to “The Subway.”
Afterward, Marotta states, “this feels very wrong. I don’t even know, I don’t know anything,” before bringing the camera closer to her face and shouting into the lens again. Her video ends with her yelling the lyrics to the song.
How To Play Music In A Waymo
According to this Google support page, passengers can connect their Spotify accounts to the Waymo’s stereo system. Folks just need to access the Waymo application through their smartphone. Next, they head to “Account” and then tap “Music.” Upon doing so, they then hit the “Spotify” option where they’ll be prompted to connect their Spotify app and play their favorite tunes.
Additionally, folks can access their Spotify account from the Waymo’s infotainment system screen. All they have to do is access Spotify from this touch display, where a QR code will pop up. Then, they can scan the code, which will prompt instructions on how to grant Spotify access to your Spotify account with the Waymo’s in-car sound system. Google says that this access can be revoked from Waymo at a later time through the Waymo application’s account settings.
Furthermore, Google indicates that riders can also access the Waymo’s iHeartRadio application on the built-in touchscreen located in the vehicle. All folks need to do is locate iHeartRadio on the Waymo display and browse the various playlists, genres, stations, and artists.
Waymo Taking the Long Way
Motor1’s initial impression of Waymo rides was a conflicting one, as it felt much too easy to relinquish control to a driverless vehicle. Others took issue with the routing options offered by the autonomous rideshare service, much like Marotta did. This forum poster lamented how their travel time in a Waymo was much longer than a Google Maps search anticipated. Similar to Marotta’s experience, the Waymo user said the “route selected was going through a bunch of hills and side streets. [One] that would take twice as long as the most direct route (via Google Maps) and there’s nothing [they] could do to change that once the ride started.”
In a separate post on the same online discussion forum, someone else stated that they noticed Waymo’s don’t travel on freeways or roads with high speed limits. Instead, the driverless cars opt for city streets.
Phased Waymo Roll Outs
In a January 2024 blog post, Waymo wrote that it takes an incremental approach to expanding route options for its vehicles. While it stated that its testing putting Waymos on freeways in the Phoenix area, that it prioritizes safety, which is accomplished by mapping out and getting acclimated to local cities on a local street level first.
Google addressed these longer route times in this support FAQ, but states that these longer route times can be attributed to changes in road conditions, too. Furthermore, the tech giant also references territory zone blockades, indicating that their cars are only meant to serve specific areas. Hopping on a long-distance highway could send a Waymo outside of this zone, which could be another reason as to why riders are experiencing longer travel times compared to getting behind the wheel and driving themselves somewhere.
Motor1 has reached out to Waymo and Madi via email for further comment.
