Women in San Francisco have reported being harassed and stalked by men while riding in driverless taxis operated by Waymo, a robotic taxi service that began offering fares two years ago. The incidents involve men chasing or blocking the cars, trying to break into vehicles, and vandalizing them.
Two women shared their terrifying experiences on social media. Stephanie, who works in tech, said she was chased by a group of men while traveling home with her sister late at night. She called emergency services but couldn’t get police sent to the moving vehicle.
Amina, a growth engineer from San Francisco, posted a video showing two men blocking her taxi and demanding her phone number. The car remained stationary as the men waited for her response.
Another incident involved a Waymo taxi being vandalized by men in hoodies using permanent marker to scrawl on the bonnet and windows. A mob set one of the taxis alight in an arson attack in February, but no passengers were injured at the time.
Waymo officials have acknowledged the incidents, saying they take them “very seriously” and that support staff are available to help passengers. They claim that harassment attempts are “extremely rare,” but acknowledge that passengers can tell a vehicle to pull over or change its destination using the Waymo app.
Source: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2024/12/22/women-face-harassment-driverless-taxis-men-chase-block