It seems to be a law of the universe is that whatever the mode of transportation, inebriated people will absolutely find a way to trash it.
I imagine it’s extra easy to go nuts in a taxi that doesn’t have a human driver – no one to yell at you or give you the judgmental eyebrow in the rearview mirror.
Waymo, though, will sue you if you make a mess. Fair warning.
They have so far sued two alleged vandals in California courts, and are seeking thousands of dollars in compensation for damages.
One of the accused vandals was Konstantine Nikka-Sher Piterman, who was driving a Tesla Model 3 that rear-ended a Waymo robotaxi on purpose.
Waymo says that Piterman went through a stop sign on March 19th and hit the electric Jaguar SUV before smashing it a second time.
He also threatened a Waymo representative that showed up to investigate the crash.
Piterman maintains that the Waymo is the vehicle that caused the crash.
The other lawsuit involves 36-year-old Ronaile Burton, who allegedly slashed the tires on at least 19 Waymo robotaxis.
Some were occupied at the time of the vandalism.
The company is asking for $88k in compensation – which seems like a lot for tires, but I’m no expert.
Waymo filed a restraining order against Burton that was denied.
They maintain they need help from the courts to ensure their passengers are safe in their cars.
These lawsuits seem intended to send a message to others that you can’t just mess with their cars because there’s no driver to dissuade you.
If you do, they’ll see you in court – and they’ll have the dashcam footage to back up their case.
If you thought that was interesting, you might like to read about a quantum computer simulation that has “reversed time” and physics may never be the same.