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The people of San Francisco haven’t always been kind to Waymo’s growing fleet of driverless taxis. The autonomous vehicles, which provide tens of thousands of rides each week, have been torched, stomped on, and verbally berated in recent months. Now Waymo is striking back—in the courts.
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.
Waymo, which falls under the umbrella of Google parent Alphabet, operates a ride-hailing service in San Francisco, Phoenix, and Los Angeles that is comparable to Uber and Lyft except with sensors and software controlling the driving. While its cars haven’t contributed to any known deadly crashes, US regulators continue to probe their sometimes erratic driving. Waymo spokesperson Sandy Karp says the company always prioritizes safety and that the lawsuits reflect that strategy. She declined further comment for this story.
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.
Burton’s public defender, Adam Birka-White, says in a statement that Burton “is someone in need of help and not jail” and that prosecutors continue “to prioritize punishing poor people at the behest of corporations, in this case involving a tech company that is under federal investigation for creating dangerous conditions on our streets.”
An attorney for Burton in the civil case hasn’t been named in court records, and Burton is currently in jail and couldn’t be reached for comment. Piterman didn’t respond to a voicemail, a LinkedIn message, and emails seeking comment. He hasn’t responded in court to the accusations.
Based on available records from courts in San Francisco and Phoenix, it appears that Waymo hasn’t previously filed similar lawsuits.
In the Tesla case, Piterman “unlawfully, maliciously, and intentionally” sped his car past a stop sign and into a Waymo car in San Francisco on March 19, according to the company’s suit. When the Waymo tried to pull over, Piterman allegedly drove the Tesla into the Waymo car again. He then allegedly entered the Waymo and later threatened a Waymo representative who responded to the scene in person. San Francisco police found Piterman at fault for speeding, according to the lawsuit. Police spokesperson Paulina Henderson says no citations were issued and no injuries were reported. Henderson says the case remains open and tips are welcome.
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Last month, Waymo demanded Piterman reimburse Waymo $45,795 for the repairs and lost time. The company also ordered Piterman to immediately delete his X post, which by July 8 had drawn 352 views, according to the lawsuit. After Piterman allegedly failed to respond by a July 1 deadline, Waymo sued.
WIRED couldn’t locate the X post cited in the lawsuit. The lawsuit quotes it as saying, “lol @elonmusk this @Waymo just rekt me. I was driving, it was empty. I think I’m ok. Leg hurts a tiny bit but head is fine. My car is rekt. Can I pls work 4 u.”
However, WIRED found an X post uploaded the date of the accident from an account purporting to belong to Piterman: “these waymos are ruining everything. i'm fortunately fine minor concussion but forreal? a bitchass waymo hit me? slammed the brakes? brake checked me in an intersection? nuts @Waymo @Tesla i don't want a settlement but you two figure out whos at fault, me or the waymo which was EMPTY!! Lol.”
A video posted by the same account that day showed damage to the front of a Tesla matching the description in the lawsuit. In addition to the original reimbursement demand, Waymo is seeking about $137,000 in punitive damages from Piterman.
Meanwhile, Burton is accused of intentionally slashing the tires of 19 Waymo vehicles—including some that were occupied by passengers at the time—in San Francisco over the course of three days late last month. Waymo is seeking $21,898.76 to compensate for towing and new tires, plus no less than $66,000 in punitive damages and other costs. The cars’ cameras captured the alleged slashings.
Last week a judge in the case denied, without specifying a reason, Waymo’s request for a temporary restraining order barring Burton from nearing its vehicles. But Waymo’s request came before she was jailed. The company had contended that she could attack riders, and that without a restraining order, “Waymo will be perceived as a ride-hailing service provider that cannot protect its passengers.”
In the Piterman lawsuit, Waymo’s attorneys wrote that “due to being the first autonomous ride-hailing service, plaintiff is particularly sensitive to reputational critiques relating to safety.” They accused Piterman of defamation with his purported “rekt” post on X, arguing that it “falsely conveys that plaintiff’s vehicles are not safe and that they cause accidents resulting in injuries.”
According to police, San Francisco prosecutors also have charged a 14-year-old boy with setting fire to a Waymo in February. Waymo apparently hasn’t brought a lawsuit against him. But given the two cases the company has brought, anyone contemplating vandalizing a robotaxi should consider themselves on notice.
Update 8/2/2024: Added details from revised lawsuit against Piterman and comment from San Francisco police stating there were no citations nor injuries at the scene. Waymo's original lawsuit against Piterman stated that police cited him for the incident. After publication of this article and questions from WIRED, Waymo revised its lawsuit to remove the reference to a citation.
