A man’s been trapped in a self-driving Waymo taxi in the US, as it went in circles and leading to him raising concerns about the technology.

Mike Johns, a tech enthusiast and supporter of autonomous vehicles, experienced the bizarre situation in Scottsdale, Arizona when the Waymo he was in began spinning repeatedly in a car park.

Unable to exit the vehicle or stop its erratic movement, Mr Johns likened the experience to being “trapped in a teacup ride at Disney World”. The incident, captured on video, has since gone viral.

KCAL news in Los Angeles reports that, throughout the ordeal, Mr Johns attempted to communicate with Waymo’s customer service, but the responses were “unhelpful and impersonal”, leading to mounting frustration. Despite his pleas to stop the car, the issue persisted until customer service eventually regained control of the vehicle and directed it to the airport, where he managed to catch his flight back to Los Angeles.

Reflecting on the experience, Johns criticised the lack of empathy and human connection in the service, calling it emblematic of “today’s digital world” saying “half-baked products are released without adequately addressing consumer needs”.

Watch the news report below:

(File picture – Waymo)