> They may want to rethink their reward structure a bit to avoid paying out to people like me.
Maybe, but who is Waymo to decide whether your trip was gratuitous? Perhaps you had brief business in Embarcadero and chose the particular mix of modalities for one reason or another (timing; or had to carry something heavy one way but not the other etc).
Indeed. Most people travelling around by taxi or public transport could be considered gratuitous anyway. You're probably not carrying a load of tools to do any work. You're more likely going to a bullshit job, going to meet friends, going to a concert or buying shit you don't need etc.
???
You have a really dim view of humanity </3
People need to get from point A to point B. Traveling to meet up with friends is in no way gratuitous.
Did you bother to read the context I was replying to?
The point is if you start getting into what's gratuitous and what isn't then suddenly everything becomes gratuitous.