What Google Car Drivers See

The Merc has a fun interview with Google Car Test Driver Stephanie Vargas. She’s been working at Google as a contractor since at least 2011, when she was on the Maps team and saw one of the early self-driving car prototypes.

Q: What are some dangers your cars have confronted?

A: A mattress has fallen from the back of a truck. Children running in the road after balls. People (on skateboards) skitching on vehicles, holding on, like Marty McFly in “Back to the Future.” Or coffining — people lie on their backs on skateboards and go between traffic. Imagine someone lying in a coffin, someone assuming the same position on a skateboard and then riding down the street. They ride between vehicles or under vehicles. It’s pretty death-defying. It’s actually pretty fun. I used to do it as a kid in my parents’ driveway. I’m not condoning that behavior. But very fun. Don’t do it in live traffic.

Yikes! Read the whole thing.