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This article is part of\u00a0<\/i>Upstream,<\/i><\/a>\u00a0The Daily Wire\u2019s new home for culture and lifestyle. Real human insight and human stories \u2014 from our featured writers to you.<\/i><\/p>\n ***<\/i><\/p>\n After establishing its self-driving reputation in cities such as Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Phoenix, Waymo officially launched in <\/span>Nashville on Tuesday<\/span><\/a>. Despite a ride invite waitlist that\u2019s \u201c<\/span>tens of thousands<\/span><\/a>\u201d of people long, I was lucky enough to snag an exclusive ride-along with Waymo spokesperson Mark Lewis in downtown Music City.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Did I imagine myself dying alone in a fiery crash? Yes. But after a stellar spin around town, I do declare that autonomous car life is finer than frog hair, y\u2019all. (Hoping that sounded slightly Southern.) You might even call it a \u201c<\/span>quiet luxury<\/span><\/a>\u201d if you were Meghan Markle trying to sell scented candles.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWe know for a new rider that this can sometimes be an anxious experience,\u201d Lewis reassured me as we buckled up to the soothing sounds of Waymo entrance music. \u201cWe really want to get you in the right mindset \u2026 We\u2019re gonna take care of you,\u201d I screamed as we began our 5 mph journey to the nearest stop sign like I was on a roller coaster. Mostly because it was terrifyingly cool.<\/span><\/p>\n Waymo launched in Nashville! pic.twitter.com\/2kLsJPBF4F<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Lauren Bair (@LaurenBairDW) April 9, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n If you\u2019re already a fan of Uber or Lyft, you\u2019re familiar with the ol\u2019 download the app, call a ride, rate, and tip routine. While I have fond memories of not being able to find an Uber that was allegedly \u201cwaiting\u201d for me, listening to a driver\u2019s tear-jerking overshare, or being at the mercy of someone\u2019s recreational cannabis<\/a> habit, Waymo delivers an elevated experience. Just get in the car, and let AI do all the work.<\/p>\n You can be the hero of your own driverless journey by customizing the legroom, temperature, and music via the app or the touchscreen inside the car. Go for party energy with up to four riders, or enjoy peaceful me-time until you reach your destination. Imagine it less like a horse-drawn carriage racing through Frontier Town USA and more like a high-end day spa on wheels. You won\u2019t even feel the road.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Along with offering possibly the most comfortable ride in the industry, Waymo puts safety first. And each car is outfitted with the kind of tech that makes the flying cars<\/a> of \u201cThe Jetsons\u201d<\/span> feel adorably low-budget. The car arrives locked and opens only for you.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThese peculiar things sticking out, and spinning things,\u201d Lewis told me, help the Waymo Driver gauge \u201cwhere it is and where to go.\u201d Comparing Waymo sensors to human eyes and ears, he added, \u201cWith a Waymo, we have 29 \u2018eyes.\u2019\u201d That includes six radars, four <\/span>LiDARs<\/span><\/a> (the rotating lasers that construct an extraordinarily detailed 3D world for Waymo, day and night), and four audio sensors listening for emergency sirens.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Waymo maps every inch of the city, from traffic cones to speed bumps. My car gracefully avoided a jaywalker who jumped out in front of us, as well as several dog walkers and a homeless man pushing a grocery cart into the street. It cautiously entered traffic almost as if it were really looking both ways, like a person. Probably because it sees in every direction all at once.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Waymo wants to be \u201c<\/span>the world\u2019s most trusted driver<\/span><\/a>,\u201d and I\u2019ll gladly preach the gospel. Boasting a <\/span>92% reduction<\/span><\/a> in overall crashes compared to human drivers, the fully autonomous <\/span>Waymo Driver<\/span><\/a>, as it\u2019s called, has clocked more hours on the road than a human ever could. \u201cIt\u2019s the most experienced driver around,\u201d Lewis told me. \u201cThe Waymo Driver drives more than seven lifetimes of a human driver in a week.\u201d All in, it\u2019s analyzed 170 million miles of autonomous driving, and counting.<\/span><\/p>\n Yes, there are <\/span>stories<\/span><\/a> floating around about Waymo cars zigzagging through streets, missing stop signs, and <\/span>causing traffic jams<\/span><\/a>, along with a few reported violations of regional <\/span>school bus<\/span><\/a> laws. Since Google first started testing its <\/span>self-driving car in 2009<\/span><\/a>, Waymo vehicles have been involved in two <\/span>fatal collisions<\/span><\/a> caused by drivers of other cars. While distracted human driving results in a fatality <\/span>every 2.5 hours<\/span><\/a>, the Waymo Driver has yet to be responsible for any deaths. Maybe it has one up on the rest of us when it comes to navigating without texting or opening up a bag of chips for the road. Waymo is \u201c13 times safer than a human driver when it comes to serious accidents or worse,\u201d Lewis says.<\/span><\/p>\n Beyond its spotless record, Waymo aims to help users thrive, providing a resource for those in need of reliable transportation. \u201cPeople with disabilities, people with service animals that may need more time to board,\u201d utilize partnerships that Waymo forms in each city, Lewis noted. In Nashville, the company partners with the National Federation of The Blind and AgeWell to offer \u201ca vehicle that is dependable, that shows up exactly when it says, that will wait and be patient with you \u2026 It\u2019s really powerful that we can serve those communities.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n It\u2019s also a super great option for bachelorettes who partied too hard on Broadway. (There\u2019s even an easy-to-find \u201cpull over\u201d button in case any skinny margs might be coming back up.) Woo!\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n I also enjoyed not having to enter the shame spiral involved in choosing the gender of my driver, or weighing whether I should care about offsetting my carbon footprint enough to pay more for it, like other ride-shares. Waymo\u2019s <\/span>all-electric fleet<\/span><\/a> leaves zero emissions on the street. And if you have a question, you can press the support button to talk with a human on the other end.<\/span><\/p>\n Your chariot \u2014 a sleek <\/span>Jaguar I-PACE<\/span><\/a> SUV \u2014 awaits. And new vehicles are slated to join the lineup (like the Waymo Ojai that looks like a minivan and offers more leg room, and the Hyundai Ioniq).\u00a0<\/span>While Waymo\u2019s rates used to be significantly higher than those of Uber or Lyft,\u00a0recent numbers<\/a> show a difference of just a few bucks, as Waymo prices drop and other rideshares rise.<\/span>\u00a0I\u2019d gladly pay an extra $2 to eliminate an awkward conversation about my driver\u2019s male modeling side-hustle on the way to the airport. Make that $20.<\/span><\/p>\n I was daydreaming about Waymo long after I watched it drive off into the sunset to pick up its next guest. Waymo might stand for \u201c<\/span>a new way forward in mobility<\/span><\/a>,\u201d but if I still had my Trapper Keeper from high school, I would be scribbling \u201cLauren + Waymo\u201d with bubble hearts on the cover. Further solidifying my crush, I got my official Waymo invite the next day. \u201cWhere to, Lauren?\u201d it asked, prompting me to set the soundtrack for my next Nashville adventure. (Swoon!)\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Still hesitant to jump into a car with \u201cno driver\u201d? I promise the journey\u2019s just as fun as the destination. Now that Waymo\u2019s in Nashville, and almost certainly coming to <\/span>a city near you<\/span><\/a>, all you have to do is download the app and enjoy the ride. <\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n