MINNEAPOLIS, Minnesota — On a sunlit afternoon that felt more like a blockbuster comedy than a tech demo, two lifelong friends in their eighties took their very first ride in a self-driving car and delivered reactions that melted hearts across the internet. What started as a test of autonomous technology quickly became one of the most delightfully relatable moments of the year.
Veteran Kenny and his buddy Jerry, both in their eighties, were more curious than cautious as they waited on the curb for a sleek white Waymo vehicle to roll up. The were expecting an Uber. When it arrived, Kenny examined the car from the odd sensor on top to the front fascia, and confidently declared it to be a “Jaguar.” “Oh my goodness, you got a Jaguar?” he asked, proving that even seasoned car lovers can know luxury when they see it.
Where’s the Guy?
But the real magic happened once the door opened and the duo entered and realized there was no driver behind the wheel. Eyes widened. Mouths hung open. Jerry, who is deaf, signed frantically, “Where’s Jenny?” while Kenny called out, “Wha? Where is the guy?” Confirmations that this was no ordinary ride were met with equal parts joy and complete bewilderment. “The guy,” of course, is the driver — except there was none.
An automated voice gently welcomed the group and announced their destination as the Xanadu Coffee Company. Kenny immediately turned to Amanda, who had invited them along, and asked with mock panic whether she trusted this “thing” to get them there. “Amanda, do you trust this?” he asked excitedly as both men buckled up.
Then, just when everyone thought they might actually drive off into the future, Kenny shouted with glee as the steering wheel began to turn all on its own.
“How in the…?!” he exclaimed, while Jerry leaned forward to search for the invisible driver on the driver’s seat, grabbing the spots the driver’s shoulder, chest, and torso would’ve been. At one point, Kenny even wondered aloud if the police might stop them, as if city law enforcement would disapprove of their outlandish silent chauffeur.
So… Who Did You Actually Call?
Then came what’s probably the funniest part of the video:
“Who called it?” Kenny asked. Meaning, who hailed the ride.
“I called it.”
“You called it?”
“I did”
Pause.
“You called who?”
Jerry laughs and answers; “the car.”
Their confusion quickly turned into admiration. The robot-chauffeured Jaguar not only obeyed traffic signals but actually made turns with meticulous precision. “We’re turning,” Kenny observes. The experience was like seeing a color television after a lifetime of tiny black and white screens.
“He did a … the car did a better job than if someone was driving,” he concluded, almost forgetting yet again that it was a driverless car. “I’ll never forget this,” he says with arms raised as if he were seeing fireworks for the first time.
Customer Questions, a Thank-You, and a Grand Exit
Halfway through the trip Kenny started asking questions that only a true adventurer would think of. Are these things on sale? Do they go out of gas? Who pays the cops if this silent car does something unlawful? And of course, “Do you know how much these things cost?” followed by a request to take a photo of the passing semi-truck driver staring at them in amazement.
When the car finally arrived at their coffee stop, Kenny waved at the seat where the nonexistent driver would have been and offered a heartfelt thanks to its artificial intelligence. “Well thank you very much. You did an excellent job,” he said with sincerity that beams through every clip shared online.
Afterwards, watching the Waymo drive off on its own got another classic Kenny reaction. “He’s gone!” he shouted with absolute glee, like the curtain had closed on a play yet left the audience roaring for an encore. Waymo could never have asked for a better advertisement. Or endorsement.
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The video quickly went viral with fans on social media loving every second. One commenter confessed that at thirty-four they had basically the same reaction as Kenny and Jerry would, another noted that Kenny had physically touched the driver’s seat just to make sure there was no invisible human in the front.
Apparently, no matter the age, human curiosity and humor are timeless. Modern inventions may astound us but life is always better when shared with friends who laugh as hard as you do.