San Francisco: Waymo passenger attacked for paying a self-driving car
What's the story
A recent incident in San Francisco has raised concerns over the safety of autonomous vehicles. Doug Fulop, a tech industry worker, was returning from a night out when his self-driving Waymo was attacked by an angry man. The attacker punched the car's windows and threatened to kill Fulop and his passengers for giving money to a robot.
Passenger's perspective
Passenger's perspective during the attack
Fulop described the experience as helpless, highlighting the vulnerability of passengers in such situations. He said, "If he had kept hammering on one window instead of alternating, I'm sure he would have eventually broken through." The attacker did not appear to be on drugs or otherwise impaired, but seemed overtaken by extreme anger at the self-driving car.
Company stance
Waymo's response to the incident
Waymo, the company behind the self-driving car, told Fulop and his passengers that it wouldn't manually drive away if a person was standing nearby. The company also assured them that they would be safe with locked doors. However, this policy left Fulop feeling unsafe as the attacker tried opening their locked doors and threatened to kill them.
Incident details
Bystanders cheering for attacker, police report
The attack lasted for about six minutes, during which bystanders started cheering for the attacker. This distraction allowed the car to escape once he moved away. San Francisco police officers arrived shortly after and a police report corroborated Fulop's account of the incident. Waymo's spokesperson Katherine Barna acknowledged that their support team was on call with the riders throughout this unfortunate but rare occurrence.
Technology concerns
Growing trend of hostility toward autonomous cars
The presence of autonomous cars in San Francisco has drawn mixed reactions from the public, including protests against these vehicles. This has created an unexpected risk for self-driving car passengers, being trapped inside during an anti-robot tirade. In 2024, a man tried to cover the sensors of a stopped self-driving car with passengers inside, effectively disabling it. Another incident showed three women screaming as vandals spray-painted their autonomous taxi.
Business growth
Waymo's expansion and safety claims
Waymo often highlights its safety compared to human drivers, claiming a 90% reduction in "serious injury or worse crashes" for its cars. The company has grown from a sci-fi novelty to a successful business, tripling its annual trips to 15 million last year. It plans to expand into 20 cities this year. However, incidents like Fulop's attack raise questions about public trust and safety measures in place for passengers.