104-Year-Old WWII Veteran Takes First Waymo Ride, Calls It Boring: “Didn’t Have Any Near Crashes” The experience of riding in a car with no one behind the wheel can be thrilling for most people, especially those from an older generation who first encountered the concept in Hollywood movies. One such person is 104-year-old World War II veteran Karl Schmitt from Houston, Texas, who grew up in an era when Ford Model Ts could still be seen on the roads. A video of his first ride in a Waymo robotaxi was posted on YouTube by ONSCENE TV, in which he humorously remarked that the drive was "in some ways, boring," noting that he didn't have any near crashes. Schmitt was actually thrilled to ride in an autonomous vehicle, saying "he was born too early" and that robotaxis are the future. He also noted that these cars could be a great way to keep drunk drivers off the road. When asked about some of his life experiences, Schmitt said: "Well, the most shattering, of course, I'm a veteran of World War Two infantry, and I fought in six campaigns, I was wounded twice, so I'm a survivor too." Schmitt then went on to describe his first experience riding in a robotaxi, which he took with other passengers, saying: "It was smooth. In some ways, it was boring (laughs). There was no excitement; we didn't have any near crashes, nobody threatened us. We had a conversation the whole time, and during much of it, I simply forgot where we were, just like normally, in an automobile. "My impression is, my response is, I was just born too early. I'm never going to own one of these babies. And the time, I believe this is the way we're going to go. And as I