Why Did a San Francisco Epic Crowd Light Waymo’s Driverless Vehicle on Fire?

Fireworks are vibrant, colorful displays of light and sound that may significantly enhance the thrill of a celebration. Fireworks are an easy way to make things more celebratory. It doesn’t matter whether it’s New Year’s Eve, the Fourth of July, or a birthday. Some countries have tight regulations regarding fireworks usage, while others allow for more casual use. All these are to avoid incidences like the Waymo vehicle fire.

San Francisco residents took advantage of their easy access to fireworks and set fire to Waymo’s driverless vehicle. This brief article will go over the events during the Lunar New Year celebrations in Chinatown. Read on!

The Waymo Vehicle Fire Events That Occurred During the Lunar New Year

On Saturday, around 9 p.m., a crowd attacked and started a Waymo vehicle fire. They began by smashing out the window and spray painting it with graffiti. There were a lot of witnesses and videos posted on social media. Someone threw fireworks inside and ignited the explosives, causing the high-tech car to catch fire.

A Waymo spokeswoman stated that the company’s fully autonomous vehicle was coming to pick up passengers. She also said it was “navigating on Jackson Street” when a crowd surrounded and trashed it.

Several witnesses said the Lunar New Year celebrations and fireworks puzzled the Waymo’s navigation system. The driverless automobile “got stuck immediately in front,” according to witness Anirudh Koul.

Another witness claimed that the crowd became irritated with the car because it was in the heart of Chinatown’s festivities. She told KRON, “You could feel the frustration when people were just trying to celebrate.”

Numerous people recorded the Waymo vehicle fire incident using their phones and cameras. They applauded and posed for pictures in front of the damaged vehicle. At that moment, there were no passengers inside the car. Firefighters eventually put out the extremely costly fire, and no casualties were reported.

Why Did a San Francisco Crowd Cause the Waymo Vehicle Fire?

Self-driving cars are now a regular sight on San Francisco’s narrow, sloping streets. However, long-standing conflicts exist between the city’s citizens and the vehicles. Nevertheless, autonomous cars have not often caught fire.

According to the Verge, a Waymo car hit a bike last week in the Potrero Hill neighborhood. This caused just minor injuries. The cyclists fled the area independently, and the Waymo passenger was unharmed.

According to a recent story by The Post, autonomous cars have repeatedly interfered with first responders in San Francisco. This resulted from the Waymo vehicle fire, including driving into areas marked off by caution tape. There was also an incidence of running into a fire truck responding to an emergency.

The California Department of Motor Vehicles halted Cruise operations, a Waymo competitor. This happened after one of its robotaxis ran over and dragged a pedestrian some 20 feet last year. To review its procedures and regain the public’s faith, the business announced a few days later that it would halt all autonomous operations within the nation.

While Cruise was not operating in San Francisco, Waymo continued to provide trips throughout the city. Waymo, which started as a covert project under Google over a decade ago, was unaffected by the DMV’s proceedings against Cruise.

It’s likely that the crowd became frustrated with the self-driving car or thought it was interfering with their festivities. Given that nobody else was in the car, they must have even done the Waymo vehicle fire for fun. 

The Consequences and Legal Actions of the Waymo Vehicle Fire

Mayor London Breed said the crowd’s antics might have endangered lives. “It was a dangerous and destructive act of vandalism. Chinatown is one of the densest neighborhoods in San Francisco, and any fire could explode and spread among tightly-packed buildings to endanger lives, homes, and businesses,” Breed wrote.

In San Francisco, autonomous vehicles have a history of “bricking,” or halting, during events. At least six driverless Cruise vehicles bricked in the middle of the road during the Outside Lands music festival held in the summer of last year. 

A representative for Cruise Lines stated at the time that Outside Lands was to blame for the cars’ “wireless connectivity issues” when they came to a stop. A San Francisco Police Department spokesman declined to comment on Monday morning when asked if anyone has been identified or taken into custody regarding the Chinatown Waymo fire. 

On Monday, Mayor Breed pointed out her support for autonomous vehicles. She claimed that technological innovations “that are changing the world” originated in San Francisco. Breed called the Waymo fire on Lunar New Year’s Day an “isolated incident.”

Lessons to Take Away From This Event

“Saturday was a beautiful day in San Francisco. During the first day of the Lunar New Year, our Chinatown community was packed with thousands of people in the streets, and celebrations were everywhere. We are not defined by a small, isolated incident by a reckless few,” the mayor wrote. 

A warning regarding potential criminal penalties for offenders was posted on the X page of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of California. 

According to a letter from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, “whoever maliciously damages or destroys… using fire or explosive… any building, vehicle, or other real or personal property used in interstate or foreign commerce… shall be imprisoned for not less than 5 years and not more than 20 years.”

They also put out a call number for anyone with information on the Waymo vehicle fire that occurred during the Lunar New Year.

The legal ramifications of vandalism are pretty serious. A five-year prison sentence is certainly no joke. Setting fire to a vehicle is considered a serious crime, and the government is making it clear that those kinds of behavior won’t be tolerated. 

Conclusion

The Waymo vehicle fire incident, in essence, highlights the complex relationship between public safety and technology. The primary cause of the incident is still unknown. However, the serious legal actions that will follow serve as a warning of the possible risks and consequences of breaching the law. 

It should serve as a warning to anyone considering engaging in similar acts. Citizens should obey the law and respect public safety.