Watch Angry Resident Smash Up Self-Driving Taxi With Hammer
San Francisco has become ground zero for autonomous vehicle testing in recent years. The city is the first in the nation to host experiments with robotaxis operated by General Motors' Cruise and Google's Waymo, offering driverless experiences for passengers, albeit often at the expense of pedestrians and other drivers.
In the latest incident of pedestrians fighting back, one SF local took it upon themself to deal with a wayward Cruise car on their own. Video circulating on social media shows the vehicle stalled at a street corner, which has happened more than once in recent months. Someone wearing a mask began smashing the car's cameras, windshield, windows, and sensors with a hammer while onlookers questioned if they should call 911.
Someone seen destroying a RoboTaxi in San Francisco this weekend.
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What do you think, hero or villain?
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By the time police arrived on the scene, the hammer-wielding culprit was gone, and they found the Cruise car vandalized.
“Officers spoke with a witness, who said that they heard a scream and looked out their window to see the suspect standing in front of the autonomous vehicle," police said in a statement, per the San Francisco Chronicle. "The suspect then began vandalizing the vehicle. The suspect fled the scene prior to officers arriving on scene." The vandal remains at large as the police conduct their "active and open investigation."
Cruise, meanwhile, is speaking out about the incident involving one of their cars. "We are deeply troubled by the behavior displayed by the individual," a spokesperson said. "While there was no one in the vehicle at the time, our priority is to operate safely under all conditions.”
It's the latest instance of self-driving cars causing havoc in the startup-heavy city. In August, 10 Cruise robotaxis stopped in the street and were unable to move due to wireless connectivity issues after a nearby music festival. That same week, a Cruise car drove itself into a patch of wet cement on a sidewalk. After those events, California regulators demanded Cruise cut its self-driving car fleet in half following collisions involving a pedestrian and a fire truck.
Anti-autonomous driving activists have taken to protesting by blocking in cars using traffic cones. Jane Natoli, a local who spotted the recently vandalized Cruise car, said the hammer approach is just a step up from the cones. "Obviously this will also do the trick,” she told the Chronicle. "But it’s much more aggressive and violent."
Next time you're walking in SF, just double check before crossing the street.