A Waymo robotaxi caused a traffic jam at a Chick-fil-A in Santa Monica, California, this week after getting stuck in the fast food restaurant’s drive-thru lane. Waymo confirmed the incident, which was first reported by local broadcast station KTLA 5, to TechCrunch via email.
Waymo told TechCrunch that there weren’t any passengers in the robotaxi. The Waymo robotaxi had dropped off a passenger in the parking lot of the Chick-fil-A. However, the robotaxi was unable to complete a multi-point turn due to the proximity of the drive-thru lane and multiple other cars in the tight space, according to the company.
There were no injuries in this case — just inconveniences for those waiting to order food.
There have been periodic problems — often highlighted by videos shared on social media — with Waymo robotaxis impeding traffic or otherwise causing disturbances. In the past year, a Waymo has gotten stuck in a roundabout loop. Another stalled in front of former Vice President Kamala Harris’ motorcade in San Francisco. And a parking lot full of Waymos honked for up to an hour during the early morning hours.
Waymo operates a commercial robotaxi service in San Francisco, Phoenix, and Los Angeles. The company also has a robotaxi service in Austin through a partnership with Uber.
