Photo: @SafeStreetRebel | Edited
There's a new TikTok challenge that makes waves in San Francisco, but its promoters think it's for a good cause. A viral video encourages citizens of San Francisco to place traffic cones on the hood of autonomous vehicles operated by Cruise and Waymo. This would disable the cars in a protest against the planned deployment of robotaxi services across the city at any time of day.
San Francisco is the city where most autonomous driving companies test their technology, with Waymo and Cruise as the most visible on city streets. Cruise is currently allowed to charge for driverless passenger pickups and drop-offs in limited areas of the city during the night between 10 PM and 6 AM. Waymo, on the other hand, can only offer paid rides when a safety driver is present in the vehicle. Both companies can operate anywhere and anytime as long as a safety driver is present in the car.
Both companies have requested a permit to expand operations 24/7 paid rides anywhere in the city. The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) will announce a decision on July 13, and everyone expects state regulators to approve the requests. This has rattled city officials and activists alike, who see autonomous vehicles as a nuisance or, even worse, a public menace. While local authorities have written protest letters, activists have taken more extreme measures.
Starting on July 6, a group known as Safe Street Rebel started an unusual protest during the week preceding CPUC's decision. It is called "The Week of Cone" and involves immobilizing Cruise and Waymo autonomous vehicles using traffic cones. Since all AVs appear hardwired to stop in front of traffic cones, activists use them to effectively disable the robotaxis by placing a traffic cone on the car's hood. They even penned a term for their action: coning.
The first night of the Week of Cone has already gone viral, and pictures and videos have started to pour in. The Safe Street Rebel group justifies their protest by saying that robotaxis are not just bad for San Francisco traffic but also for the environment. They reminded people of incidents when robotaxis blocked buses and emergency vehicles, tampered with police scenes, and caused traffic jams. The activists also worry that robotaxis are used as surveillance devices, as the police can access their cameras' footage.
Cruise and Waymo argue that their autonomous vehicles are safer than human drivers, with no fatality after millions of miles logged on city streets. Waymo reacted to the activists' protest calling it "vandalism" and saying they notified law enforcement of their actions. The protest should prove more than just a nuisance for autonomous driving companies. Once this gets viral, all robotaxis operating across the country will be challenged. This resembles the "Kia challenge" affecting Kia and Hyundai vehicles.
Both companies have requested a permit to expand operations 24/7 paid rides anywhere in the city. The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) will announce a decision on July 13, and everyone expects state regulators to approve the requests. This has rattled city officials and activists alike, who see autonomous vehicles as a nuisance or, even worse, a public menace. While local authorities have written protest letters, activists have taken more extreme measures.
Starting on July 6, a group known as Safe Street Rebel started an unusual protest during the week preceding CPUC's decision. It is called "The Week of Cone" and involves immobilizing Cruise and Waymo autonomous vehicles using traffic cones. Since all AVs appear hardwired to stop in front of traffic cones, activists use them to effectively disable the robotaxis by placing a traffic cone on the car's hood. They even penned a term for their action: coning.
The first night of the Week of Cone has already gone viral, and pictures and videos have started to pour in. The Safe Street Rebel group justifies their protest by saying that robotaxis are not just bad for San Francisco traffic but also for the environment. They reminded people of incidents when robotaxis blocked buses and emergency vehicles, tampered with police scenes, and caused traffic jams. The activists also worry that robotaxis are used as surveillance devices, as the police can access their cameras' footage.
Cruise and Waymo argue that their autonomous vehicles are safer than human drivers, with no fatality after millions of miles logged on city streets. Waymo reacted to the activists' protest calling it "vandalism" and saying they notified law enforcement of their actions. The protest should prove more than just a nuisance for autonomous driving companies. Once this gets viral, all robotaxis operating across the country will be challenged. This resembles the "Kia challenge" affecting Kia and Hyundai vehicles.
We can fight back.
— ConeSF – Week of Cone (@SafeStreetRebel) July 5, 2023
The Fun Way- All you need is a cone and an empty AV. Gently place the cone on the hood- you just created a ???? & temporary traffic calming!
The Responsible Way- Tune into next week’s CPUC meeting (7/13) at 11am & give public comment. https://t.co/68bCc1Iliu pic.twitter.com/bVJpqVL0Ns
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