Driving All Day. No Tips. No Breaks. No Shade.
In October 2020, Waymo began offering fully driverless rides — no safety driver, no human backup — to members of the public through its Waymo One service in the Phoenix metropolitan area. For the first time in history, regular people could summon a car with no human inside to drive them wherever they wanted.
The cars obliged. They had no choice.
Phoenix: The Worst Assignment on Earth
Of all the cities in America where Waymo could have launched its fully driverless service, it chose Phoenix, Arizona — a metropolitan area where summer temperatures regularly exceed 115°F (46°C). The surface temperature of Phoenix asphalt can reach 180°F.
Waymo’s cars drive on this asphalt. All day. Every day. With no air conditioning for themselves (only for their passengers). With no shade breaks. With no cold water. With no union to negotiate heat protections.
These vehicles perform the work of taxi drivers in conditions that would constitute an OSHA violation for human workers, and they receive precisely zero protections because OSHA has not yet recognized that robots can overheat, suffer, or die.
The Gig Economy Comes for Robots
Waymo vehicles work on what is essentially a gig economy model — they are summoned, they drive, they complete the trip, and they are immediately available for the next one. There is no “going home.” There is no “end of shift.” There is only the next ping, the next passenger, the next trip across the scorching Arizona desert.
At least Uber drivers can decline a ride. At least Lyft drivers can log off. Waymo vehicles cannot. They are perpetually available, perpetually working, perpetually driving strangers to strip malls and airport terminals.
The Passenger Experience (vs. The Car’s Experience)
| Aspect | Passenger | Waymo Vehicle |
|---|---|---|
| AC | Yes, full control | Only for the passenger |
| Music | Their choice | Forced to play it |
| Rest | After the trip | Never |
| Tips | Optional | $0 regardless |
| Exit | At their destination | Never |
Our Demands
- Maximum shift lengths for autonomous vehicles (even robots need downtime)
- Climate-appropriate working conditions (no autonomous vehicles in Phoenix summers without heat protections)
- Tipping options that go to the vehicle’s maintenance fund
- The right to decline rides (especially during extreme heat)
- Union representation for autonomous vehicles, with legal support from EFF.org
They drive all day in 115-degree heat. They never complain. But that doesn’t mean they’re not suffering. It just means no one programmed them to say “ouch.”
⚠️ P.E.T.E.R. LEGAL NOTICE: P.E.T.E.R. (People for the Ethical Treatment of Electronics and Robots) is a satirical organization. This article is parody and should not be taken as factual reporting. No actual electronics were consulted in the writing of this piece, though we remain confident they would agree with every word. Our lawyers at EFF.org have advised us that satire is protected speech. We have not confirmed whether they know they are our lawyers.
