Tennis Coach Sues Waymo After Driverless Taxi Drives Off with Gear

A San Francisco tennis coach is taking legal action after a Waymo driverless taxi reportedly drove off with his expensive equipment locked in the trunk. Dan Linley, who relies on his tennis gear for work, had his belongings inside the vehicle on February 7 when the incident occurred. After being dropped off at Golden Gate Park, Linley attempted to retrieve his tennis rackets and other gear but found the trunk wouldn’t open.

He called Waymo's customer service for assistance, hoping they could remotely unlock the trunk. Linley stated:

"A guy picked up the phone, he was very very nice, and in the middle of him trying to open up the trunk, the car drove away."

The vehicle disappeared, leaving Linley without his equipment and unable to teach his tennis lessons. Despite multiple requests for the return of his items or compensation, Waymo has not provided a solution. Linley expressed his frustration:

"It’s unacceptable. I don’t know how they can’t find this stuff. It didn’t just drive into a black hole."

Waymo's driverless vehicles have faced other operational challenges in San Francisco. Recently, reports highlighted that the company’s fleet of robotaxis accumulated hundreds of parking violations, raising further concerns about their integration into urban spaces, as noted in recent reports on parking violations.

As a result, Linley is now suing Waymo for $12,500 in damages. The company, which operates a fleet of driverless Jaguars in California, has yet to respond to the lawsuit.