Why I Ride with Waymo: Dalibor

Editor’s note: Dalibor is a new SF transplant, hailing from Pennsylvania. He lives and works in the Outer Richmond and so far has been loving using Waymo as a replacement for his personal vehicle. We caught up with him to hear more about his thoughts on the service and how it’s fitting into his new life in San Francisco.

Dalibor - thanks for taking the time to chat with us. Mind starting out with a little background on yourself?

Yes, I’m Dalibor, and I’m 23 years old. I’ve been living in San Francisco for just over a year now in Outer Richmond, and so far, it’s been great. I currently work as a barista and am an aspiring graphic designer.

As a relatively new resident of the city, what have your transportation habits looked like?

I love driving and doing road trips, so I drove here to San Francisco from Pennsylvania with my car. When I first moved here, I didn’t know the city, so I usually just drove out of habit. But since I’ve been here, I’ve learned to have a more urban lifestyle where my first choice isn’t taking a car. It’s actually the last thing I want to do with traffic and the inconvenience of parking, so I’m getting more comfortable with taking buses, walking, or taking a bike.

And now Waymo One! What made you get involved with the service, and how has it been so far?

My roommate sent me an article about how you were starting the testing program. I signed up thinking it was a cool opportunity; I’m pretty tech-forward and find it fascinating. I got into the program a few months later and am now a Tester!

Most of the time I use it for work. Before, I would drive 10 minutes to work. Now, for the most part, Waymo has replaced my car when it comes to commuting, which has been a godsend because it’s super convenient, I don’t need to find parking, and I don’t need to pay for gas (plus it’s an EV!). It’s also really cool being a beta tester.

I also use the service for getting groceries and meeting up with friends. Basically, anytime I would want to drive somewhere, I take Waymo instead.

 We love to hear that. What is some of your biggest feedback?

Overall, it’s been amazing. Every time I get in the car it’s such an awesome feeling knowing I’m part of this program and knowing that the car is literally driving itself. There are some hiccups, but I know that’s the point of this program, to give feedback and work those things out.

One thing I’ve thought about to enhance the user experience would be to add more information in the app about why the car is choosing a specific pullover or dropoff location or certain route in real-time. I think that would help add more clarity and transparency for users and provide more insight into the Waymo Driver’s decisions.

To close out, any especially memorable or interesting rides you’ve had?

It’s hard because the rides at this point just blend in. The 10th ride is the same as the 60th. But one memorable ride was my first one. I took Waymo to the Welcome Center at the Golden Gate Bridge because I thought what better first ride than to go through the Presidio and see the cliffs and the bridge. That was incredible and will probably be with me for the rest of my life.