My blogging buddy, Neville, threw down the gauntlet for our next adventure, proclaiming, “Nothing is set in concrete at this point, we haven’t decided on an itinerary, nor people we should spend time with, or even how we are going to travel, we are opening these important matters up for discussion.”

Now, when it comes to transport, the options are endless. Neville’s tossed out Greyhound and Amtrak as serious contenders for transportation consideration, while I’ve been championing hitchhiking. But hold onto your Stetsons, folks, because I’ve just embarked on a wild ride aboard Waymo One. Yep, buckle up for the driverless wonder option!

Waymo One, according to their spiel, is the future of getting around – fully autonomous rides at your fingertips, 24/7. Picture this: no human in the driver’s seat, just you and the road. Intriguing, right?

The name “Waymo” triggered some quirky childhood memories for me – think “Mr. Peabody and Sherman” and their ‘Way-Back’ machine from the old cartoon. Coincidence? Maybe, but Waymo One has that time-travel vibe going on.

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Now, before you start picturing rogue robots and ” Open the pod bay doors please, HAL” scenarios, let me assure you, my encounter with the ‘Waymo Machine’ was a breeze. I summoned a ride via their nifty app, got a slick ETA, and boom, a sleek Jaguar I-PACE rolled up. Clean, comfy, and Neville would be pleased – it’s a Jaguar!

Inside, it was smooth sailing. The car handled itself like a dream, even dodging debris and navigating construction zones like a pro. Impressive stuff!

My trip travelling aboard the ‘Waymo Machine’ was uneventful. My fears that I might ‘never return’ were baseless fantasy.

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But here’s the kicker – while Waymo got me from A to B safely, it didn’t exactly engage in riveting conversation about American politics. One of Neville’s wishes is for our trip to include ‘a journey of meetings, conversations, anecdotes, tales and discovery’. The Waymo Machine is more of a silent partner type. I’ve had better conversations with Neville’s Cockatoo “Monty”. Maybe they’ll add an AI chatterbox in the future – who knows?

Overall, my Waymo adventure was a fascinating glimpse into the future of travel – safe, efficient, but maybe a tad too quiet for the chatty types. So, Neville, as we plot our next move, let’s keep an eye on this driverless dream. Who knows where it’ll take us next?

1 Hitch-Hiking Thumb up for the Waymo Machine. For a quick ride to the airport, the experience is without fault. But for any type of extended trip, Neville and I will have to keep searching.

Cheers, nca

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For Transportation Options, I came up with the following rating scale. All factors are on a scale of 1 (bad) – 10 (Fantastic).

Cost Factor: 4 – A short 24 km trip was £12. Putting that in perspective, a trip from Kingman to Barstow would run us around £166. That is, assuming we could con a Waymo to take us that far.

American Experience Factor: 4 – There is not a whole lot of Americana on the Waymo Machine. I’m giving a few points because of the tech. There was no music selection for Blues, American Folk, or Bluegrass. There was some light jazz you could choose.

Social Interaction Factor: 1

Efficiency/Safety: 8

UK Traveler Abroad Factor: 4 – It was a Jaguar, after all.

Earth Friendliness Factor: 8 – All electric Jaguar.

Overall Rating: 29 – As this is the first rated transportation option, we established a relatively low bar. Waymo may be a good option for a quick ride, but not a serious contender for our primary transportation.