Poppy & The City, Annotated

Cruise just released a video called Poppy & The City, which is a real ode to both autonomous vehicles and the city of San Francisco, Cruise’s home.

There are so many Easter eggs in this video. I wasn’t involved the production of the video, so I had so much fun watching and picking things out.

[0:02] Since I joined Cruise during the pandemic, I haven’t actually visited the various Cruise garages. This looks like maybe the Cruise facility at 1201 Bryant Street, San Francisco?

[0:05] Poppy The AV has its own social media!

[0:08] Cruise’s fleet is all-electric!

[0:15] Self-driver In training!

[0:30] The Willie Mays Statue in front of Oracle Park!

[0:36] Skateboards are tricky! They’re not quite pedestrians, and they’re not quite bicycles.

[0:45] Traffic signs are tricky, especially ones that indicate different rules at different times of day.

[0:48] Temporary construction zones are the trickiest!

[0:52] There really are surfers in San Francisco!

[0:55] Alcatraz!

[1:07] City Hall!

[1:09] Pride!

[1:12] Cable car tracks!

[1:13] Ocean Beach!

[1:31] The Financial District!

[1:35] The pandemic 😦 Or maybe just a regular weekend in the Financial District.

[1:37] Definitely the pandemic.

[1:39] The pandemic has exacerbated an already acute crisis of homelessness in San Francisco, as it has in many cities.

[1:41] Last fall, the California wildfires turned the sky orange.

[1:46] Cruise has delivered hundreds of thousands of meals and groceries to San Francisco residents during the pandemic.

[1:51] Mission Dolores Park!

[1:51] Is that a cameo of Cruise co-founder Kyle Vogt running through the Pandhandle?

[1:54] Crissy Field!

[1:58] Willie Mays In Real Life!

[2:17] Jack Johnson, “We’re Going To Be Friends”

[2:21] The Future!

[2:25] Sunset over Twin Peaks 🌇