According to Waymo, a routine software update has fixed the problem that caused his car to drive in circles. This is not the first time a Waymo taxi has confused passengers and bystanders. CNN reported that in June 2024, Waymo recalled 672 cars to make them less likely to drive into poles after a car hit a pole in May.

Waymo, which is owned by Google’s parent company Alphabet, told Gizmodo the rider wasn’t charged for his trip and has attempted to contact Johns but they haven’t connected yet. Waymo also emphasizes the circling lasted about five minutes. Johns told ABC15 Arizona that he was frustrated by the experience and “It’s like people are the experiment.”

The man was concerned he'd miss his flight out of Los Angeles as Waymo's customer support took some time to sort things out

Waymo said the incident led Mike Johns to be delayed by just over five minutes on the way to Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport.

Last month, a Waymo rider was left reeling after his self-driving rideshare drove in circles on its way to the Phoenix airport.

A passenger in a Waymo robot car was left feeling dizzy after his self-driving rideshare drove in multiple circles on its way to Phoenix airport in the US state of Arizona, Road & Track magazine reports.

A Los Angeles tech entrepreneur, Mike Johns, found himself trapped in a self-driving taxi from Waymo as it circled a parking lot in Phoenix, Arizona, on December 9. Johns was on his way to Sky Harbor International Airport when the autonomous vehicle began driving in loops,