Robotaxi haters in San Francisco disable AVs with traffic cones

Photo credit: Roberto Baldwin

A decentralized group of safe roads activists in San Francisco have realized they can disable Cruise and Waymo robotic taxis by placing a traffic cone on a vehicle’s hood, and they are encouraging others to do the same.

The “Week of Cone,” as the group dubs the now-viral prank on Twitter and TikTok, is a form of protest against the proliferation of robotaxi services across the city, and seems to be gaining traction among residents who are fed up with the die Vehicles fail and block traffic. The protest comes ahead of a hearing where Waymo and Cruise are likely to expand their robotaxi services in San Francisco.

The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) is expected to approve the expansion of Cruise and Waymo’s autonomous passenger services in San Francisco on July 13. The agency doesn’t give companies permission to operate their AVs on public roads – that’s the Ministry of the Motor Vehicle domain. However, it does give companies the power to charge passengers a fare for this service, which is an essential part of sustainably scaling robotaxi and autonomous delivery operations.

In May, the CPUC released draft resolutions approving the expansion, despite growing opposition from city officials and residents. Opponents summoned the array of AVs that have disrupted traffic, public transit and emergency services, urging the CPUC to tread carefully, set up workshops, collect more data, authorize the use of robotaxi downtown and during rush hours ban and limit the expansion of fleet size.

Screenshot from @safestreetrebel’s TikTok video showing how to disable an AV device with a traffic cone. Image source: @safestreetrebel / Screenshot

Other opponents such as the San Francisco Taxi Workers Alliance and the Alliance for Independent Workers have protested the proliferation of robotic taxis, which they say would eliminate the need for taxi and ride-hail drivers.

The Safe Street Rebel cone campaign is an attempt to raise awareness and invite even more disgruntled San Franciscans to submit public comments to the CPUC ahead of next week’s hearing.

“These companies promise their cars will reduce traffic and collisions, but instead block buses, emergency vehicles and everyday traffic,” the video reads posted on social media. “They even killed a human and a dog. And they work with the police to record anyone at any time without their consent. Most importantly, they need roads designed for cars, not people or public transit. They only exist to keep for-profit car companies dominating and make it difficult for mass transit to stay afloat.”

While the above statement is a bit of an exaggeration, there is a grain of truth in it. Cruise and Waymo vehicles did indeed stop in the middle of the street, blocking emergency vehicles, public transit and general traffic. Recently, a Waymo car hit and killed a dog, but it seems the accident was inevitable. In 2018, a self-driving Uber vehicle was involved in an accident in Arizona, killing a pedestrian. So far, however, there have been no deaths from AV vehicles in San Francisco. And yes, police have hired Cruise and Waymo for footage to help solve a handful of crimes, but there’s no evidence the companies are working with law enforcement to constantly film everyone.

Still, the group expresses a common concern regarding the rollout of autonomous vehicles on public roads: the lack of input from ordinary people who have to deal with the vehicles on the ground. Congressional efforts to regulate self-driving cars have lagged behind for several years, with most regulation coming from state transportation and motor vehicle agencies.

“I see some tech brothers wringing their hands in horror: ‘Won’t someone be thinking about the AVs?!'” tweeted David Zipper, visiting scholar at Harvard Kennedy School’s Taubman Center for State and Local Government, in response to the cone challenge. “Couldn’t disagree anymore. California regulators are forcing San Francisco residents to become guinea pigs for emerging AV technology. Active protest is a reasonable response.”

Or in other words:

“No way. We don’t agree with that,” Safe Street Rebel said.

The group invites others to follow their example and immobilize the vehicles by “gently” placing cones on the hood of a driverless – ie empty – car. Some people apparently are submit submissions, but it’s unclear how many people sent pictures to Safe Street Rebel. The group did not respond to TechCrunch’s request for comment.

Cruise also didn’t respond to TechCrunch in time to comment, but Waymo called the viral hack a form of vandalism.

“Not only is this understanding of how AV equipment works, it constitutes vandalism and encourages unsafe and disrespectful behavior on our streets,” the company said in a statement. “We will notify law enforcement of any unwanted or unsafe interference by our vehicles on public roads.”

Again with the exaggeration. Vandalism is intentional damage to a person’s property, such as slashing tires or breaking windows. Waymo probably won’t have any luck charging someone with vandalism for putting a cone on the hood of their vehicles.

Despite the guerrilla protests, the cone trick is unlikely to affect the CPUC’s decision. There is enough support from other stakeholders—including elected officials, accessibility advocates, technology industry groups, and business and economic development organizations—for the CPUC to sweep dissenting opinions under the rug. And according to the agenda for the upcoming hearing, it looks like the agency is poised to approve the program approval.

“Cruise’s planned service is not expected to result in any significant safety risks,” it said in an agenda item. The same feeling is repeated with Waymo.