A passenger’s first experience with a driverless robotaxi turned into a travel nightmare at San José Mineta International Airport. As reported by Fox News, Di Jin used a Waymo vehicle for a business trip from Sunnyvale to the airport, only for the car to drive away with his belongings.
The trip itself progressed without issue until the arrival at the terminal. Upon exiting the vehicle, Jin attempted to retrieve his suitcase from the trunk, but the automated system failed to respond as expected.
Jin informed reporters that he pressed the physical trunk button on the vehicle, but it did not open. Moments later, the autonomous car pulled away, leaving him stranded at the airport without his work notes, clothing, or essentials.
“I pressed the trunk button, but nothing happened,” Jin stated regarding the moment the vehicle departed with his bag still inside. The incident highlights a unique challenge in the robotaxi industry where passengers have no human driver to alert during mechanical or software glitches.
After contacting the company, Waymo managed to locate the missing suitcase. However, a dispute arose regarding the return of the items. Initially, the company offered free ride credits for Jin to pick up the bag himself or suggested he pay for the shipping costs.
Jin contested this resolution, arguing that the error was entirely a system failure. Waymo eventually agreed to cover the courier fees to return the luggage to the owner.
While Waymo did not comment on this specific case to CyberGuy, their official help documentation states that trunks should open automatically upon exit or via an app command. The company also notes that exiting before a trip officially ends may prevent the trunk from unlocking.
Waymo’s policy indicates they are not responsible for items left behind and do not guarantee reimbursements for lost value. This specific case has gained attention because the passenger claim centers on a technical inability to access his luggage rather than simply forgetting it.
San José Mineta International Airport became the first commercial international airport in California to offer fully autonomous ride-hailing in November 2025. This expansion makes seamless customer support and reliable hardware even more critical for time-sensitive travelers.
Industry experts suggest that riders using autonomous services should keep critical items like passports, medication, and laptops in the cabin rather than the trunk. Verifying the trunk is open through the app before closing the passenger doors is also recommended to prevent similar incidents.