Overview
- Waymo operators monitored a San Mateo robotaxi and reported two 15‑year‑olds to police after seeing them drink alcohol and fire gel‑bead “Orbeez” projectiles from the vehicle.
- Company staff remotely disabled the car and told the riders it was having trouble so officers could safely move in and remove the teens from a parking lot.
- San Mateo police searched the vehicle with K‑9 assistance, confirmed the projectiles were water‑bead blasters, detained the teens briefly, and released them to their parents while the district attorney reviews possible charges.
- Waymo’s public policy says in‑cabin cameras are on and can be accessed in urgent circumstances to promote safety, and investigators have asked the company for the cabin video from this trip.
- The episode underscores a tradeoff between safety and surveillance by showing how remote monitoring can stop risky behavior but also prompts new scrutiny of privacy rules and how underage riders gain access to robotaxis.