San Jose passenger claims a Waymo drove off with his luggage at the airport

NBC Bay Area reports that a passenger named Di Jin claims a Waymo driverless taxi drove away from San Jose Airport with his luggage still in the trunk after the trunk failed to open when he pressed the release button, leaving him to travel to San Diego without his belongings. The article includes Jin's firsthand account, documented communication from Waymo customer service showing the company's refusal to cover return shipping costs, and Waymo's standard liability disclaimer found on their lost-and-found policy page. The reporting demonstrates solid journalistic rigor: the named reporter (Alyssa Goard) includes direct quotes from the affected passenger, context about Waymo's policy terms, and a note that Waymo was contacted but has not yet provided a statement—a standard practice that avoids one-sided coverage. The independent search results show this is part of a broader pattern of operational issues with Waymo services (including a recent extended shutdown in San Antonio and traffic stops in Miami), suggesting recurring reliability and customer service challenges, though none directly corroborate this specific luggage incident. Watch for Waymo's formal response to NBC Bay Area's inquiry and whether this case prompts policy changes regarding automatic trunk operation or liability for equipment failures during dropoff.