5 violations that will end your self-driving car ride — or even land you in jail

Just in case it wasn’t clear, the cabin of a self-driving car is technically a public space, and any crimes committed inside can lead to a trip straight to jail. Two juveniles learned this lesson the hard way when a Waymo discovered they had a ghost gun with them inside the car, thereby violating one of Waymo’s terms of service.The incident occurred in San Francisco, where two minors — one boy and one girl — hailed a ride from Waymo, the self-driving car company that belongs to Alphabet, parent company of Google. While they were inside the car, Waymo seemingly detected the weapon and pulled the vehicle over for a terms-of-service violation.Most people aren’t aware of Waymo’s full list of rules that could end a ride on the spot.At this point, officers arrived on the scene, found an AR-style rifle, and arrested the passengers. While it is illegal for a minor to possess a gun in California, details are scant on how Waymo actually identified the firearm to initiate the stop.The story serves as a reminder that, just like buses, subways, and even conventional taxicabs, the inside of a self-driving car is also a public space. Whether it’s Waymo by Alphabet, Zoox by Amazon, or the upcoming Robotaxi and CyberCab by Tesla, all of these “autonomous vehicle” brands are monitored by real people with remote access. They can provide support as needed, respond to alerts that occur inside or outside the cabin, and, in some cases, even take control of the vehicle.This capability is meant to assess potential problems with the car and keep riders safe. It’s also a mechanism to spy on riders and pass down judgment if something violates the company’s rules or breaks the law.RELATED: Who makes the Waymos flooding American streets? China. David Paul Morris/Bloomberg/Getty ImagesAlthough the minors in this story should have known that it was illegal to carry a weapon in their state, most regular people probably aren’t aware of Waymo’s full list of rules that could end a ride on the spot. Granted, that doesn’t mean all of these will land you in jail per se, but they could certainly keep you from getting to your destination one way or another.Weapon possession is a big no-no with Waymo. The rules don’t specify which weapons are covered, but you can expect that guns, knives, and other items that could be deemed dangerous will alert the overseer of the vehicle.Minors aren’t allowed in the vehicle unsupervised by an adult 18 years old or older in most cities and states. This raises the question why the two minors were even able to book the Waymo and hop inside in the first place. According to Waymo’s own terms, this should not have been possible.If you want to bring a pet with you on the ride, don’t even bother. Unless it’s a service dog, leave your furry friend at home, because people have allergies. Yes, that’s literally the reason.If you smoke or vape, lighting up in the car results in compounding cleaning fees for every incident, with possible account bans. Don’t even bother.The last warning on the list is a catch-all that says Waymo doesn’t even need a reason to end your ride. The rules state, “We reserve the right, without notice and in our sole discretion, to suspend or terminate your right to use the Services at any time, temporarily or permanently, including if we believe you have violated these Terms.”And these are just Waymo. Every self-driving car service has its own quirks. For instance, Zoox won’t drive an inch down the road unless your seatbelt is buckled, confirmed both by sensors in the belts and in-vehicle cameras that watch your every move. As for Tesla, unaccompanied minors and non-service pets are also banned.The big takeaway here is that self-driving cars are highly public, highly visible, and highly monitored vessels provided by tech giants that will do anything they can to protect the billions of dollars invested in their services. If you sit inside, you will be monitored, and if you do something wrong, there will be consequences.For some, this intense scrutiny is enough to drive them away from self-driving services. Would you ever get into one of these cars, or would you steer clear?Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!