I feel safer in a Waymo than an Uber. Am I wrong? Tell us here. | Opinion

One of the first times I rode in a Waymo, we got stuck in an accident.

To be clear: It wasn’t our accident. A vehicle collision had taken over a major intersection in the middle of our route. It was one of those crashes that blocked traffic just enough to be an inconvenience, to require a quick-thinking, crafty driver – a human, if you would – to figure out a workaround.

Waymo, as you may know, is an autonomous rideshare company. No one is in the driver’s seat. (And don’t even think about touching the steering wheel.)

I sat there, helpless, as drivers around us maneuvered into our lane, figuring out long before our artificially intelligent pilot that to make a right-hand turn, you now had to go through a gas station parking lot. Simple! Smart! 

Not for Waymo.

Waymo is coming to a city near you. Would you ride in one?

Fortunately, after a series of increasingly embarrassing and jerky start-stops, tiny turns and “rerouting … rerouting …” confusion, the little white car finally figured it out.

That was years ago, right around the time these robotaxis became ubiquitous in Phoenix. Since then, I’ve experienced a series of mishaps from the ridiculous (like most American drivers, they struggle with roundabouts) to the dangerous (literally being dropped on the side of the road – a major thoroughfare during rush hour). I’ve witnessed Waymo blockades like the recent one in downtown Nashville. I’ve even encountered an errant pair of underwear on the floor of the backseat. (Before you get any ideas, you aren’t really alone in those cars, you’re watched throughout the entire experience.) And I still haven't forgiven the company for killing Kit Kat, a beloved bodega cat in San Francisco.

Despite all of Waymo’s flaws – the worst of which have, rightfully, gone viral – I find myself opening the Waymo app far more than Uber or Lyft. The vast majority of the rides I've taken have been exactly what I want: clean, quiet, safe and affordable.

As a person who abhors AI’s infiltration into other aspects of my life, it seems odd that I would prefer a driverless car over a human-controlled one. I never thought I'd feel comfortable in an autonomous car. Yet, perhaps ironically, I'm less concerned about my safety as a human woman in a driverless car than I am in one with a person behind the wheel.

Waymo is now operating in cities across the country, including San Francisco, Atlanta, Miami and Dallas. With expected expansions into Baltimore, Detroit, Las Vegas and San Diego, it’s likely coming to a city near you soon. As part of our Opinion Forum, I want to know: Will you buckle up in the backseat? Or is this one thing AI should stay far away from?

• Have you ever taken a Waymo? Would you?
• Do you think self-driving cars are more or less safe? How do you think autonomous vehicles might change the auto industry?
• Do you feel safer in a Waymo than an Uber?
• Do you think we’ll start to see similar AI technology show up in other mundane tasks? Would you use an AI assistant in your home to fold laundry or do dishes? To watch your kids?
• Do you use AI to help you work?

Tell us using the form below, send us an email to [email protected] with the subject line “Forum Waymo,” or leave us a voicemail at (202) 655-3923. We (real people, not AI) may reach out to you about your response. We'll publish a collection of your answers in an upcoming column.

Janessa Hilliard is the director of audience for USA TODAY Opinion and Opinion at USA TODAY Co.