A disturbing incident recently took place in San Francisco involving a driverless taxi, two individuals, and a frightened passenger. The victim, identified as Amina, shared a video on social media showing two men blocking the path of her Waymo car, refusing to move and demanding her contact information.
In the video, Amina can be heard yelling at the men to stop and go, while they continue to grin and harass her. The situation left her feeling trapped as the car was unable to proceed. Amina mentioned that one of the men stood in front of the car for a minute before she started recording, and then another man joined him.
As the tense situation unfolded, Amina decided to call Waymo’s in-car support service for assistance. To her dismay, a random individual carrying a blow torch also approached the scene, adding to her fear of being surrounded by more men. Thankfully, the situation did not escalate further.
Waymo, the company behind the self-driving taxis, issued an apology to Amina on social media. They explained that incidents like this are rare considering the high volume of trips they handle on a weekly basis in cities like San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Phoenix.
Unfortunately, this is not the first time Waymo taxis have been involved in troubling incidents. In a separate incident in February, a homeless man attacked a couple’s Waymo car, attempting to interfere with its sensors. This action could have potentially left the passengers vulnerable and at the mercy of the attacker. The victims expressed their distress at being unable to take any physical action to protect themselves in such a situation.
Following the incident, Waymo advised passengers to remain inside the vehicle if faced with a similar situation involving an aggressive pedestrian. Amina, on the other hand, expressed her appreciation for Waymo’s prompt response and assistance in resolving the issue. She acknowledged the support she received from the Waymo team and indicated that she may still use their services in the future, albeit with caution when traveling alone.
The safety and security of passengers using driverless taxis are paramount, and incidents like these highlight the importance of companies like Waymo taking proactive measures to ensure the well-being of their customers.
