## Safe Street Rebel Puts Construction Cones on San Francisco Robotaxis to Protest AVs
A group called Safe Street Rebel has been placing construction cones on top of robotaxis in San Francisco as a form of protest against self-driving vehicles. This action immobilizes the cars until a human removes the cones or reboots their systems. The group started this protest ahead of a controversial vote by the California Public Utilities Commission to expand commercial self-driving service in the city. The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency, as well as city police and fire department officials, opposed this decision, citing concerns about interference with emergency responders and traffic issues.
Both Waymo and Cruise, the two companies operating robotaxis in San Francisco, have not disclosed how many times their cars have been targeted with cones. However, since the vote, the frequency of these incidents has significantly decreased. Safe Street Rebel plans to continue their battle against self-driving vehicles, especially as the municipal transit agency seeks a reconsideration of the decision. The group believes that the expansion of self-driving cars in the city is not in the best interest of the community.
Some members of Safe Street Rebel work in the tech industry themselves and have reservations about the widespread adoption of self-driving technology. They view themselves as modern-day Luddites, a group of English textile workers who opposed the use of machinery during the early industrial revolution. The Luddites did not reject technology entirely but wanted to ensure that it benefited everyone in society, not just the elite.
Cruise maintains that their robotaxis are safe and provide reliable transportation services. They argue that intentionally obstructing their vehicles hinders their efforts and causes traffic congestion. Safe Street Rebel is not the only group taking matters into their own hands to address transportation issues. In Detroit, parents installed speed humps to protect children from speeding motorists, while in Los Angeles, an advocacy group painted crosswalks in intersections lacking them. In New York, a group called the Tyre Extinguishers deflated SUV tires as a protest against traffic safety and climate concerns.
Safe Street Rebel believes that San Francisco should prioritize increased use of public transit, biking, and walking instead of relying on self-driving vehicles. They argue that automated drivers do not solve climate and congestion issues and may introduce new risks into the traffic environment. Furthermore, they believe that the presence of technology companies in the city is displacing long-term residents and causing frustration.
In summary, Safe Street Rebel is using construction cones as a symbolic protest against self-driving vehicles in San Francisco. They believe that these vehicles do not address important community concerns and are taking action to make their voices heard.
