Episode Overview

Title: Are Waymos Driving More Like Humans?
Podcast: The Journal.
Date: January 19, 2026
Hosts: Jessica Mendoza, Ryan Knutson
Main Theme:
This mini episode dives into whether Waymo’s self-driving cars are becoming less “robotic” and more “human” — specifically, whether their recent software updates have made them more assertive and adaptable on San Francisco streets. Through first-hand accounts, interviews, and a chat with a Waymo executive, the conversation explores the evolving nature of autonomous vehicle behavior and what that means for human drivers and city life.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Observing San Francisco’s Waymos Up Close

• Katie Bindley’s Experience:

  • As a local reporter, Katie has spent extensive time observing Waymo robotaxis around her San Francisco apartment (00:17).
  • Shares quirky stories, including one where a passenger-less Waymo blared TLC’s “Creep” on a foggy night (00:43).

  “And I pulled up at a stoplight next to a Waymo...all the windows were down and they were blaring the song Creep.”
  — Katie Bindley (00:43)

• Public Fascination:

  • Waymo cars have become an object of fascination, especially for Katie’s 7-year-old nephew who now refuses regular taxis after his first Waymo ride (04:16).

2. The Reputation: Slow, Over-Cautious — “Way Slow”

• Common Complaints:
  • In their early iterations, Waymo cars were frustratingly cautious, notorious for slow driving and hesitancy at stop signs and around obstacles (05:20).

    “They were so careful and slow and you’d be like, come on Waymo, I’m in a hurry.”
    — Katie Bindley (04:37)

  • Examples include extended stops and reluctance to maneuver around delivery or ride-hailing vehicles (04:55).

3. A Change in Personality: “Waymo Gone Way Bold”

• Recent Incidents:

  • Katie recounts a striking four-way stop encounter: the Waymo, typically deferential, asserted itself and went through first (01:49).

    “We both pull up and the Waymo was just like, my turn, I’m going. And all of us kind of gasped...”
    — Katie Bindley (01:49)

• Multiple Eyewitnesses:

  • Other locals, like Sophia Yen, report observing “aggressive” taxi-driver-like behavior, including lane-switching in cramped tunnels and quicker movement through crosswalks (05:49, 06:04).

    “I would say it’s driving more like a taxi driver. An aggressive, you know, New York taxi driver.”
    — Sophia Yen (05:49)

  • Residents notice the emergence of the “California stop”—rolling rather than stopping completely at stop signs (06:41).

    “Some people claim they’ve seen Waymos do it too. Waymo says its cars are designed to come to a full stop.”
    — Jessica Mendoza (07:07)

4. Is This Deliberate? Waymo Responds

• Direct Interview with Waymo Executive:

  • Katie speaks with Chris Ludwick, a senior director at Waymo (07:27).

    “Yeah, we have been trying to make the cars more confidently assertive, as he put it, for a while now. It’s the strategy.”
    — Katie Bindley recounting Chris Ludwick (07:46)

• Why The Change?

  • Updates are intentional and tied to scalability and safety — passivity disrupts city traffic (08:02).

    “When the Waymos are too passive, it becomes disruptive to the rest of traffic. So, you know, there’s reasons to make them more confident.”
    — Katie Bindley (08:02)

• Not Rogue AI:

  • Rule updates are systemic, not individual cars “learning bad habits” (08:27).

5. Safety and Enforcement Challenges

• Company’s Track Record:

  • Waymo claims over 100 million driverless miles and 91% fewer serious crashes than human drivers (08:36).

• Instances of Misbehavior:

  • Rare but notable missteps, like illegal U-turns—a Waymo was pulled over by police (09:11).

    “The windows rolled down. And yes, there was no human in the front. But an operator did come on the speaker and profusely apologize.”
    — Katie Bindley (09:34)

• The Ticketing Problem:

  • Current legal limits: police can’t ticket a driverless car yet, but this is changing (09:34).

6. The Growing Pains of Robot Cars

• A Maturing Technology:
  • The episode closes with musings on the evolution of robotaxis as they “grow up” and adapt to real city environments (10:19).

    “I think they’re growing up, you know, they’re maturing.”
    — Katie Bindley (10:23)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On tech optimism:

  “I do feel lucky because I think it’s been fascinating to observe them, to observe how humans feel about them, how we interact with them.”
  — Katie Bindley (01:20)

• Public shift in Waymo’s Driving:

  “Waymo is tweaking the cars to be more assertive. Like the company is changing Waymo’s behavior.”
  — Jessica Mendoza (07:55)

• Safety statistics:

  “Waymo’s reported that compared with human drivers, it’s had 91% fewer crashes involving a serious injury or worse.”
  — Jessica Mendoza (08:36)

• Law enforcement awkwardness:

  “How do you ticket a car with no driver?...They can’t write them tickets yet. That is coming.”
  — Katie Bindley (09:25, 09:34)

• Coming into their own:

  “Our baby robot cars are coming into their own.”
  — Katie Bindley (10:30)

Important Timestamps

• 00:43 – Katie’s story about the Waymo blaring TLC’s “Creep”
• 01:49 – Assertive four-way stop encounter with Waymo
• 04:16 – Katie’s nephew becomes a Waymo superfan
• 05:20 – Complaints about cautious, overly slow Waymos
• 05:49 – Sophia Yen describes aggressive, taxi-like Waymo moves
• 06:41 – Discussion of “California stops” and traffic norms
• 07:46 – Chris Ludwick confirms deliberate updates for assertiveness
• 08:36 – Waymo’s safety record cited
• 09:11 – Story of police pulling over a solo Waymo
• 10:23 – Discussion about robot cars maturing

Tone & Language

Conversational, inquisitive, and lightly humorous, with hosts and guests sharing a mix of personal anecdotes and serious inquiry. The blend of skepticism, amusement, and optimism threads throughout, capturing the wonder and weirdness of living with self-driving cars that are starting to “drive like us.”

Summary

This mini-episode of The Journal examines the evolving driving style of Waymo’s self-driving cars in San Francisco. Initially cautious to a fault, Waymos are now—by design—becoming more assertive and “human-like” on city streets. Through first-hand observations, public feedback, and official comment from Waymo, the hosts unpack what it means when robotaxis start executing aggressive lane changes, tentative “California stops,” and, occasionally, maneuvers worthy of a traffic ticket. As Waymo continues updating its software to blend sociability, safety, and driver etiquette, the city’s human and robotic drivers are learning to adjust to one another—sometimes with a gasp, sometimes with a laugh.