FOX 11 Los Angeles anchor Phil Shuman introduced a story that sounds like something from a prank video, except it happened in real life and raised immediate safety questions.
Shuman said an L.A. woman ordered a driverless Waymo expecting it to be empty, but instead found a man inside the vehicle, triggering what he called a “frightening discovery” and a fresh debate about driverless taxis.
FOX 11 reporter Matthew Seedorff, speaking live, told viewers to imagine ordering a robo-taxi that is “supposed to be empty,” and then realizing a stranger is in the back. In the video Seedorff aired, the woman can be heard confronting the man with a blunt question that quickly went viral: “Why are you in the trunk?”
The encounter, as Seedorff described it, happened near MacArthur Park. It ended with police arriving, but Seedorff reported that officers made no arrests because, in their view, “technically, no crime was committed,” which only added to the confusion.
Progressive political commentator Dr. Rashad Richey, discussing the same incident on Indisputable with guest Elliott Morgan, argued the video is now fueling broader criticism of Waymo and its safety standards.
Richey presented it as another entry in a growing list of problems tied to self-driving cars, with this one being unusual because the issue wasn’t the driving – it was what was already inside the vehicle.
What FOX 11 Says Happened Near MacArthur Park
Seedorff’s reporting focused on the basics first: an L.A. woman ordered a self-driving Waymo and found a stranger in the trunk area of the vehicle. In the clip shown on FOX 11, the man’s explanation didn’t clear anything up, because he claimed “they” put him in there, without saying who “they” were.
Seedorff said that statement only made the situation feel stranger, not safer. If a passenger discovers a person inside a vehicle and the person can’t give a clear reason for being there, it immediately shifts from “bizarre” to “what else don’t we know?”
Seedorff said police responded to the scene near MacArthur Park and confirmed no arrests were made, because officers said no crime had been committed. That detail became a major focus in the report, because many viewers will hear “man in a trunk” and assume the law has to treat it as a crime.
Seedorff interviewed Los Angeles resident Ollie Shirvani, who reacted with disbelief at the idea that there was “no crime.”
Shirvani’s questions were the same questions most people had after seeing the video: why was he in the trunk, who put him there, and how did he get into that space in the first place?
Seedorff also reported that, as of his segment, police had not explained how the man got into the trunk or why he was there. That missing piece matters because it’s the difference between a safety glitch and a serious security breakdown.
Waymo Safety Questions, And The String Of Recent Incidents
Seedorff tied the trunk incident to other recent Waymo stories that have made people uneasy. He said that “just last week” another Waymo in Los Angeles drove through an active police standoff, with officers’ guns drawn and a suspect on the ground, while the driverless car continued moving with a passenger inside.
That kind of clip gets shared for shock value, but Seedorff’s point was practical: driverless vehicles operate in the real world, not a lab, and when something unusual happens in front of them – like a police standoff – the public expects safe, predictable behavior.
Seedorff also referenced a larger national issue involving Waymo vehicles. He reported that more than 3,000 Waymo vehicles were under recall due to a software problem that allowed cars to pass school buses with stop signs out, a detail that makes people think less about convenience and more about risk.
Shirvani, speaking to Seedorff, returned to the simple question at the center of the trunk story: how can a company control a vehicle well enough to drive itself, but not control who ends up inside it? Seedorff essentially said that’s what “we’re all wondering,” because it gets to the heart of trust.
Seedorff also interviewed riders who said the incident changed their habits. Erica Bell told him she hopes Waymo figures it out so “women especially” can feel safe, and Camden Campos said it now makes him double-check when he opens a Waymo to make sure nobody is “in the trunk or anywhere else in the vehicle.”
Even if this turns out to be a rare event, it’s the kind of story that can spread faster than any official explanation, and it can change behavior instantly. People don’t need a long technical report to lose confidence; they just need one scary clip that feels personal.
Indisputable’s Take: Convenience Isn’t The Same As Safety
On Indisputable, Dr. Rashad Richey framed the case as part of a broader pattern of concerns with Waymo, saying the show had already covered “rising issues” with self-driving cars.
Richey also referenced the idea of coordination between Waymo and the LAPD, describing an ongoing need to manage problems when they happen in real time.
Richey laid out a key detail he found ironic: in his telling, a mother ordered a Waymo because she wanted her child to be safe, and she didn’t trust other ride-share options the same way. Then, the “safe” option delivered a strange man curled up inside the vehicle, which flips the entire safety promise on its head.
Richey replayed the confrontation and focused on the man’s vague explanation. The man claimed “the people” put him there, which prompted Richey to press the obvious question: who are “the people,” and how is a customer supposed to evaluate risk when the story doesn’t make sense?
Richey said the situation ended with LAPD involvement and the man being removed, and he described the woman staying on the phone with a Waymo representative who promised to provide a credit for a new ride.
He also noted that viewers were shocked the robo-taxi did not have a system to detect a person hiding inside, which feels like a basic feature people would assume exists.
Elliott Morgan, reacting to the clip, said there’s “a litany” of things he doesn’t like about Waymo, including the idea that automation can take jobs from people during a time when many are struggling. Morgan also said this specific situation is not something he expected to worry about, but once he saw it, it “makes total sense,” because humans will always find odd ways to interact with new systems.
Morgan called the incident “funny” in a dark way, but also “insane,” because the whole promise of an automated ride is privacy and control. He asked the practical question that sums up the new anxiety: are people now going to check the trunk every time before getting in?
Richey pushed the critique further with a sharp line: if a company wants the public to trust its vehicles to navigate the roads, it should also be able to “navigate what’s inside” the trunk. That’s not a technical statement, but it captures the basic trust problem in plain language.
Waymo’s Response, And What Riders Will Want Next
Seedorff reported that Waymo called the trunk incident “unacceptable” and promised immediate updates and changes to prevent it from happening again. He said Waymo’s message was meant to reassure riders, but the questions remain because the public still doesn’t know how the man got into the vehicle in the first place.
Richey also discussed a Waymo statement during his segment, emphasizing that the company said its support team assisted the customer and ensured she was okay.
In the statement Richey read, Waymo said it is committed to rider safety and earning trust in the communities where it operates, while admitting the experience was unacceptable and that changes were being implemented.
From a common-sense perspective, this is where a lot of riders will land: credits are fine, but they’re not the point. A credit replaces a ride, not peace of mind, and the worry is not just about one odd incident – it’s about what the incident suggests could happen again.
It’s also worth saying out loud that self-driving cars are not just cars anymore; they are products, platforms, and promises all rolled into one. When that promise is “this will be safer and more controlled than a regular ride,” a single viral clip can do real damage, especially when police show up and the public hears, “no crime committed.”
Seedorff’s reporting, along with Richey and Morgan’s commentary, points to the same practical demand: people want clearer safeguards they can understand without being engineers.
If Waymo wants riders to trust the system, the public will expect more than statements and recalls – they will expect obvious, visible steps that prevent strangers from being inside a vehicle that was ordered to be empty.
Gary’s love for adventure and preparedness stems from his background as a former Army medic. Having served in remote locations around the world, he knows the importance of being ready for any situation, whether in the wilderness or urban environments. Gary’s practical medical expertise blends with his passion for outdoor survival, making him an expert in both emergency medical care and rugged, off-the-grid living. He writes to equip readers with the skills needed to stay safe and resilient in any scenario.
