Bullying comes in many forms: playground taunts, workplace aggression, social media rumor-mongering. Now, add a new one to the list: taking advantage of defenseless robotaxis.
Cutting a Waymo off at a stop sign? No big deal. Standing in front of your friend’s cyber-cab to block it from driving away? It’s just a laugh. Sticking a traffic cone on the hood, forcing the robot into a frozen panic? Hilarious. But there’s been a rise of serious antisocial behavior against robotaxis that is more dangerous and frightening for passengers.
In July, police began a manhunt after a suspect was filmed blocking a Waymo vehicle and shouting at it. The suspect later attacked a disabled man, causing him to fall and fracture his skull. In September, videos from a tagging spree against three Waymos went viral on social media. Days after the spree, a tech worker’s solo SoMa ride was interrupted by cat-calling creeps who blocked the robotaxi in an attempt to get her phone number. What raises the fear factor more during these incidents is that the Waymo often stops dead, leaving you captive inside until the aggressors leave.
How is Waymo trying to beat bullies? Kindness, acceptance, inclusion, and company guidance to call 911 have their uses. So do lawsuits.
A Waymo spokesperson on Wednesday confirmed the latest incident of a confronted vehicle and uncomfortable riders. In a TikTok posted Monday, a group of passengers said they were “jumped” by a gang who spray-painted the robotaxi’s windows Saturday around 7:30 p.m. on Mission Street between 21st and 22nd.
“We connected with the rider to ensure their well-being and promptly alerted local authorities who are investigating,” the spokesperson said in an email to The Standard, saying such events are “exceedingly rare” out of hundreds of thousands of monthly trips and adding that company representatives “work with law enforcement if they occur.”
The spokesperson said Waymo was checking to see if police reports were filed on the recent incidents. The San Francisco Police Department could not confirm by publication time if reports had been filed.
Lawsuits filed this summer against two Bay Area residents accused of damaging robotaxis show that Waymo isn’t scared of a legal battle. After all, parent company Alphabet has some of the deepest pockets around.
In a complaint filed July 1, Waymo accused San Francisco resident Ronaile Burton of slashing tires on 19 of its vehicles from June 24 to June 26, causing nearly $22,000 in damage. The suit alleges Burton “intentionally and unlawfully slashed, punctured and damaged” tires, at times when the robotaxis contained passengers.
The second lawsuit, filed July 16, claims Oakland resident and former Republican congressional candidate Konstantine Nikka-Sher Piterman intentionally struck a Waymo vehicle twice with his Tesla on March 19. That crash caused $46,000 in damages, the suit claims. Waymo also accuses Piterman of defamation for posting false statements about the collision.
Both lawsuits, filed in Superior Court, seek compensatory and punitive damages. Burton’s next appearance is scheduled for Oct. 21, while Piterman’s is slated for Dec. 18.