Arranging passenger pickups for autonomous vehicles

A method for arranging a pickup between a driverless vehicle and a passenger, the method comprising:

• receiving, by one or more processors, dispatch instructions dispatching the vehicle to a predetermined pickup area in order to pick up the passenger;
• maneuvering, by the one or more processors, the vehicle towards the predetermined pickup area to pick up the passenger;
• while maneuvering the vehicle towards the predetermined pickup area to pick up the passenger, determining that the passenger has taken a particular action
• while maneuvering the vehicle towards the predetermined pickup area to pick up the passenger, receiving, via a network, location information from a passenger's client computing device identifying the location of the client computing device determined at the client computing device;
• using the determination that the passenger has taken the particular action and the location information to determine that the passenger is interested in identifying a new pickup area which allows the passenger to safely enter the vehicle at a location outside of the predetermined pickup area and prior to the one or more processors having maneuvered the vehicle to the predetermined pickup area;
• and
• maneuvering the vehicle, by the one or more processors, in response to the determination that the passenger has taken the particular action, to the new pickup area in order to attempt to pick up the passenger.