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Waymo Driverless Taxi Stalls in Santa Monica Chick-fil-A Drive-Thru, Causing Major Delays

The vehicle became stuck while attempting a multi-point turn, forcing the restaurant to close its drive-thru and prompting intervention from Waymo personnel.

An autonomous Waymo drives along Venice Beach on March 14, 2024, in Los Angeles. The robotaxi company is expanding to cities across the country.
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Overview

  • A Waymo driverless taxi became stuck in a Chick-fil-A drive-thru in Santa Monica on Monday night, causing significant traffic backups and customer delays.
  • The vehicle was unable to complete a multi-point turn due to the tight space and proximity to other cars in the drive-thru lane.
  • Waymo personnel arrived on-site to remove the stalled vehicle, restoring traffic flow and clearing the drive-thru area.
  • Customers reported waiting for extended periods before being informed that the drive-thru had been closed due to the incident.
  • Waymo confirmed the issue and stated it is working on improving its autonomous vehicles' ability to navigate drive-thrus, a capability not yet fully implemented.