One of the most dangerous scenarios that could happen to a passenger riding a robotaxi or self-driving car is watching it accidentally heading into oncoming traffic. Unfortunately, that’s what happened in Florida when a group of passengers inside a Waymo suddenly found themselves turning onto a road with cars driving in the opposite direction. The incident was captured on a video posted on TikTok that has since gone viral, revealing the perils that could happen when the AI is unable to self-correct or respond to unusual situations.
Waymo shown facing reverse traffic seemingly during Tampa Bay Buccaneers game
Four passengers were forced to get our of their Waymo after it went into a lane with oncoming traffic, as seen in a short video posted on TikTok by user Matt.reardon (@matthewr_83) on October 4, 2026.
The 26-second clip shows the robotaxi heading down the right side of the road as oncoming vehicles and SUVs swerve around the Waymo to get out of the way. The caption in the middle of the screen explains what happened in a few words: “Waymo went rogue in Tampa, FL.” The user also wrote that he “thought we were done for a second there.”
The four passengers inside the self-driving taxi are heard half-panicking, half-laughing about the dangerous situation. In disbelief, the passengers ultimately make a judgment call and decide to grab their belongings and water bottles before getting out of the Waymo. A shot of the taxi near the end of the video sees it stalled in the left lane, effectively blocking the road.
As to why the Waymo did what it did, it actually did the right thing; that is, if this was a typical day of traffic. Since the video was posted on October 4 and is labelled with the “#buccaneers” hashtag, this suggests that this incident occurred during the October 4 game between the Green Day Packers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers at the Raymond James Stadium.
During packed games like this, some of the roads that would normally be two-way streets turn into one-way streets, something which the Waymo AI system was not able to account for. That’s why we see both sides of the road in the video with vehicles going in the same direction.
While this could be called a fringe case, this type of situation happens enough at large stadiums, be it for sports games or concerts, that it can become a frequent problem for self-driving taxis. A human driver could easily assess a situation like this and adjust the route, but it’s not something that AI can figure out as quickly without some help from support.
Passengers say they would still try Waymo in the future
A separate report from FOX 13 Orlando reveals that the passengers were University of Tampa students and interviewed some of them, Will Murphy and Frank Sherlock, about the experience.
“All of a sudden, it kinda takes a hard right turn onto oncoming traffic,” Murphy said, “and we’re all like what’s going on? People start honking at us, yelling at us, and we have no idea what to do.”
Sherlock described the incident as “surreal.” He said, “You see all of these stories online about the Waymos that are, you know, going down the wrong way on streets, all of this stuff. But you never really think it would happen to you.”
A Waymo spokesperson provided a statement to the outlet on the situation: “In trust and safety of the communities we operate in is of paramount importance. In Tampa this week, a Waymo vehicle briefly entered a temporary one-way street before correcting the issues. We are looking into this event so we can learn more and improve.”
Despite the harrowing experience, the passengers said that would try Waymo again in the future since the benefits outweigh the risks. A part of the reason is price: The robotaxi ride from the stadium to their dorm room was only $15, compared to an Uber which could easily been $90. They were also credited with a full ride and a full refund from Waymo after the incident.
