Waymo Premier
Subscription offering and perceived value
- Premier is seen as an “Amazon Prime for Waymo”: $29.99/month for priority pickups, ~10% cashback, early access in new cities, and a few free cancellations.
- Many argue it offers little tangible value unless you already spend ≳$300/month on rides or are expensing travel.
- Some think the pricing is too low for a truly premium tier and that Waymo could have sold a much more expensive, high-end plan with bundled rides.
- “Early access in new cities” is viewed as a niche perk (business travelers, influencers) or even “evil” when locals can’t yet sign up.
Cost vs alternatives (cars, transit, Uber/Lyft)
- Long back-and-forth on monthly car ownership cost: some estimate $800–$1,200+ in big cities (loan/lease, parking, insurance, fuel, maintenance, tickets); others claim a few hundred with old used cars and DIY maintenance.
- Some argue a robust Waymo subscription could realistically replace car ownership in certain cities; others say that’s only viable in dense, wealthy urban cores.
- Public transit users point out that a monthly pass (e.g., BART/Muni) can be far cheaper than regular Waymo/Uber use, but much slower and less convenient.
- Waymo is reported as significantly more expensive than Uber at times (especially with surge), though some users have found it cheaper once tipping is factored in.
Safety, harassment, and “privacy”
- A major pro-Waymo theme: avoiding uncomfortable or dangerous human-driver encounters, especially for women and LGBTQ+ riders who report frequent harassment in taxis/rideshares.
- Others say they value spontaneous conversations with drivers and worry about tech-driven social isolation.
- The marketing claim of “privacy” draws criticism given the heavy in-car and external camera coverage; defenders say “privacy” here clearly means no unwanted human interaction.
- Some highlight use cases for people who can’t or don’t drive (disability, anxiety, lack of license), though others mock the idea of growing up carless in car-centric places.
Coverage, reliability, and technical issues
- Adoption is constrained by limited service areas, airport gaps, highway restrictions, and construction-related “can’t get to that spot” errors.
- Reported issues include: long pickup times in some areas, bizarre detours to avoid certain roads, and service pauses framed in-app as “all cars busy.”
- Several incidents are cited where Waymos blocked emergency services, drove into floodwaters, or got stuck in construction or opposing traffic lanes. Critics see these as serious safety risks; defenders counter that human drivers routinely do worse.
Social, class, and “enshittification” concerns
- Some see Premier as another example of subscription creep and “K-shaped” inequality: paying extra just to keep decent service while the base tier degrades.
- Commenters connect this to broader US patterns: premium lanes, loyalty tiers, and “elevated experiences” that repackage priority access as status.
- Debate over whether avoiding public transit is primarily a safety/convenience choice or also a class marker; experiences differ sharply by city.