Waymo’s robo-rides are rolling into the land of tech dreams, Los Altos, Palo Alto, Mountain View, and a sprinkle of Sunnyvale, because where else would these self-driving wonders debut other than their own birthplace?

Sure, this makes perfect sense. Who wouldn’t want to zip around in a robot-driven car in the hottest tech hub on the planet? You’d think they were placing bets on the most lucrative zip codes (and let’s face it, the Bay Area isn’t short on those). But here’s the kicker: even if you’re just itching to try out this futuristic ride, you can’t just hop in. Nope, only a select group of recent Waymo app users located in the right ZIP codes can summon a Waymo. So if you’re not already in the Waymo-club, sorry about your luck!

In a recent proclamation, Waymo’s chief product officer, Saswat Panigrahi, declared this expansion a “special milestone”. Is it really? Because I can think of a few other milestones, like, I don’t know, making sure the cars don’t endlessly circle the block like a confused dog chasing its tail. Remember the horror stories of Waymo passengers who ended up late to the airport because their car couldn’t figure out parking? Yeah, no thanks.

As the company has gradually extended its reach across the Bay Area, they’ve also had their eyes on a golden prize: getting their robo-cars to the San Francisco International Airport. It’s not just about flashy rides; it’s about securing that sweet transportation market. But hold your horses (or should I say foil-wrapped automobiles?), because they’re still lacking the necessary permits to even think about cruising to the airport or hitting the freeway. Guess we’ll have to patiently wait, or just take the BART, which let’s face it, is a whole other adventure.

In a world where we regularly witness tech companies injecting themselves into every aspect of our lives, it makes you wonder: is a driverless ride a dream come true or just another capitalist ploy? Maybe the true revolution will involve more than just shiny cars and robot service. We could be asking who this tech really serves, the people or the bottom line. Time will tell… once these robo-cars figure out how to get me to the airport on time!