It became a thing to mess with Waymo's driverless taxis in California, but amusing pranks (like putting a cone on the hood to make it sleep) soon turned to vandalism. The company plans to make an example of some of those caught in the act and has sued them for damages. Wired spotted the filings, which were not publicized by the Google-owned EV company.
This month, the Silicon Valley company filed a pair of lawsuits, neither of which have been previously reported, that demand hundreds of thousands of dollars in damages from two alleged vandals. Waymo attorneys said in court papers that the alleged vandalism, which ruined dozens of tires and a tail end, are a significant threat to the company's reputation. Riding in a vehicle in which the steering wheel swivels on its own can be scary enough. Having to worry about attackers allegedly targeting the rides could undermine Waymo's ride-hailing business before it even gets past its earliest stage.
Some of the behavior is bonkers. Firebombings, even rammings.
In a filing last week in the California Superior Court of San Francisco County, Waymo sued a Tesla Model 3 driver whom it alleges intentionally rear-ended one of its autonomous Jaguar crossovers. According to the suit, the driver, Konstantine Nikka-Sher Piterman, claimed in a post on X that "Waymo just rekt me" before going on to ask Tesla CEO Elon Musk for a job. The other lawsuit from this month, filed in the same court, targets Ronaile Burton, who allegedly slashed the tires of at least 19 Waymo vehicles. San Francisco prosecutors have filed criminal charges against her to which she has pleaded not guilty. A hearing is scheduled for Tuesday.
The numbers in the lawsuit [pdf] are butt-puckering. These things are expensive!
Previously:
• Waymo recalls entire fleet after one hits utility pole
• Arizona: People are violently attacking driverless cars from Google/Alphabet's Waymo
• San Francisco sues the California Public Utilities Commission over its decision to allow the expansion of Waymo autonomous vehicles
• Waymo self-driving car hit bicyclist
