A Waymo driverless car snarled traffic at a popular holiday parade in Los Angeles on Sunday — after it glitched out and stalled on a bridge.
The robotaxi caused a 45-minute traffic jam at the Venice Canals Boat Parade, a lively local tradition where festively decorated vessels float through the man-made waterways.
A Waymo gets stuck on a bridge overlooking the Venice Canals holiday boat parade as attendees look on. LOS ANGELES NOWThe Waymo vehicle apparently panicked and froze on a narrow bridge that crosses the boat parade because it was confused by the crowd of pedestrians gathered to watch the festival, according to a clip shared on social media by a parade-goer.
It backed up traffic for at least a mile, the onlooker said.
The high-tech taxi eventually began to inch across the bridge slowly as the throng of people cheered, the footage shows.
Holiday boat parade onlookers tried to clear a path for the Waymo to be able to make its way across one of the canal bridges. Ryan LightHowever, by the time the befuddled robocar crossed the bridge, the decades-old parade had seen the last of the boats in the parade pass.
Waymo driverless vehicles have been known to stall in scenarios dubbed “AI standoffs” — where cars get confused by each other or unclear situations, leading to temporary gridlocks until remote support or an employee intervenes.
A Waymo robotaxi froze up and caused a mile-long backup for 45 minutes in Venice, CA. Ryan LightAnd that’s not the only mischief the bots-on-wheels stir up. Last week, a mom in LA ordered one of the bots-on-wheels for her daughter, only to find a man hiding in the trunk.
Another woman in San Francisco also gave birth in one of the unmanned cars.
The Post reached out to Waymo but didn’t immediately hear back.
