Parade-goers in California erupted into bizarre cheers as a confused Waymo robotaxi caused a massive, 45-minute traffic jam on a canal bridge. Videos capturing the hesitant self-driving car, the massive backup it created, and the public’s strangely positive reaction to the whole meltdown quickly spread online, as reported by Daily Dot. It’s certainly a wild scene, but it really highlights the ongoing struggle these autonomous vehicles are having in real-world situations.
This incident happened during the annual Venice Beach Canals Holiday Parade in Venice, California. This popular event features residents decorating their boats in holiday themes, competing for cash prizes. While the parade was underway, a Waymo vehicle entered the area and completely stalled right in front of one of the canal bridges.
Since this was happening on a narrow, one-lane street, drivers operating their own vehicles had absolutely no way to turn around or navigate past the immobilized robotaxi. One local reported that the line of backed-up traffic stretched as far as they could see, effectively trapping everyone trying to move along the parade route.
Waymo faces yet another public humiliation
What’s truly wild is how the public reacted to this frustrating failure. Instead of expressing rage or frustration over the situation, the parade crowds started cheering the Waymo on like it was running a marathon. The traffic jam lasted a full 45 minutes before the robotaxi finally started to inch forward over the bridge.
One social media user captured the moment perfectly, writing that there’s “Nothing like a community coming together to cheer on a Waymo that has been stuck on the bridge for 45 minutes.” You can see attendees hollering encouragement as the car hesitated again. Other people quickly joined the effort. One attendee shouted, “You got this, Waymo,” while an announcer chimed in, “Come on, Waymo, you can do it!” Another woman even started a popular chant, yelling, “Yes, you can!”
The track record for these self-driving cars is already messy. Waymo vehicles have failed to stop for school buses, which is a massive safety hazard for children. They have also been documented driving directly into active police standoff areas. Tragically, these cars have even been responsible for killing pets. In a recent, bizarre incident, one customer ordered a Waymo and discovered a whole man stuck in the trunk.
It’s easy to cheer on a confused robot when you’re bundled up at a festive parade, but when you look at the serious implications of these failures, it’s clear that Waymo has a long, long way to go before its vehicles can truly handle the road without human intervention.
Published: Dec 18, 2025 03:00 pm