A London diary entry on trying London’s first driverless taxi trial, the specific loneliness of a car with nobody driving it, and what it actually feels like handing over control to an empty front seat
Waymo’s self-driving Jaguar I-Pace vehicles have started appearing on London roads as part of an extensive trial across twenty boroughs, and I finally managed to book one this week, then spent the entire journey talking to myself out loud like a complete fool because there was, genuinely, nobody else in the car to talk to.
Why Booking This Ride Felt Like A Genuinely Big Deal Despite Being Just A Short Trip Across Town
I’ve read about driverless taxis for years in a purely abstract, someday sort of way, and actually watching the empty driver’s seat pull away from the kerb with me inside made the whole concept suddenly, viscerally real in a way no amount of reading had prepared me for.
What The Actual Experience Of Being Driven By Nobody Felt Like
Smoother than I expected, if I’m honest, and considerably less unnerving once the first five minutes had passed, though I never quite lost the small, persistent urge to glance at the empty seat as though someone invisible might be sitting there after all.
Why I Ended Up Narrating My Own Journey Out Loud Like A Genuine Weirdo
There was no driver to make the usual small talk with, no natural conversational outlet for the running commentary I apparently produce on every single car journey, and so it simply spilled out anyway, aimed at nobody, which I only became properly self-conscious about once I noticed a pedestrian at a red light giving me a slightly concerned look.
How This Trial Fits Into The Bigger Picture Of London’s Changing Transport Landscape
Alongside a Chinese AI company reportedly planning its own driverless trials in collaboration with major ride-hailing platforms, it’s becoming genuinely clear that this is heading toward something considerably bigger than a novelty pilot scheme, and my slightly absurd solo car conversation might be one of the last moments of its kind before this becomes properly, boringly normal.
Whether I’d Actually Book Another Driverless Ride Now I’ve Tried It Once
Yes, definitely, though I am going to make a genuine effort to keep the out-loud narration to myself next time, for the sake of any pedestrians unlucky enough to catch me mid-journey.
