In June, the immigration raids targeting Latino communities spurred significant protests across Los Angeles, with a burning, graffiti-covered Waymo becoming an emblem of dissent.
Vivid images and videos flooded social media, showcasing driverless vehicles adorned with messages such as “FUCK ICE” and “ANIMO RAZA!!!” as they were set ablaze on Los Angeles Street.
This fiery act of rebellion morphed the Waymo into a symbol of resistance—a dramatic statement against technology overlords, artificial intelligence, and an expanding police surveillance state.
For many protesting demonstrators and anti-capitalists, Waymo, an Alphabet subsidiary, epitomizes the relentless automation of labor, displacing workers in favor of profit.
Vandalizing driverless cars appears to many as a “victimless” crime.
With no human driver present, the risks to lives and livelihoods seem minimized, targeting merely the faceless tech magnates who possess vast resources yet seemingly bear little risk.
However, the lack of accountability with autonomous vehicles raises concerns.
If a Waymo neglects a stop sign or misbehaves in traffic, there is no driver on hand to take responsibility—only an algorithm designed to function without human oversight.
Indeed, issues with self-driving technology have already emerged.
Last year, a passenger found himself trapped in a malfunctioning Waymo, circling a parking lot repeatedly with no resolution.
In April, footage on social media showed police attending to a Waymo that was navigating in reverse on a crowded street.
The situation escalated in May when Waymo issued a recall for 1,200 of its 1,500 robotaxis, prompted by numerous collisions with obstacles that were, according to reports, “clearly visible.”
Frustration amongst Santa Monica residents grew to the extent that some have begun obstructing access to a local Waymo charging station, physically blocking the vehicles using cones and other obstacles.
But the question remains—what protocol is in place when a self-driving car is stopped by law enforcement in Los Angeles?
As demonstrated in an incident reported by a TikTok user, a Waymo was pulled over by the Beverly Hills Police Department (BHPD) for allegedly making an illegal left turn.
Although the entire event was not captured on video, BHPD Sergeant Rodney Solorzano confirmed an officer’s involvement, stating that they would contact a Waymo representative to address the technical concerns.
It’s likely, however, that such a driverless car won’t be issued a citation for a moving violation since California laws currently mandate that traffic citations be given to human drivers only.
“Personally, I’ve never given a Waymo a ticket,” noted Solorzano.
In a legal sense, robotaxis in California exist in a gray area.
While autonomous vehicles cannot receive moving violations, this is set to change on July 1, 2026, when Assembly Bill 1777 comes into effect.
This new law will empower authorities to issue notices for “autonomous vehicle noncompliance” to self-driving cars and establish a dedicated communication line for emergency responders to reach human operators.
Nonetheless, autonomous vehicles can be penalized for parking violations, such as the staggering 589 parking tickets handed to Waymo in San Francisco in 2024, compared to just 75 in Los Angeles last year.
Furthermore, the Department of Transportation recently closed a lengthy investigation surrounding 22 traffic safety violations involving Waymo, including 17 collisions, without taking any punitive measures.
This lack of regulatory action points towards growing public discontent with AI technologies.
A discernible shift is evident, as individuals have taken to labeling AI with disdain and adopting the term “clanker”—a pejorative borrowed from ‘Star Wars: The Clone Wars’—used against robots that are perceived to fail to deliver appropriate service.
Social media saw numerous instances of this term being applied not just to unhelpful chatbots, but also to delivery robots obstructing public pathways.
Unfortunately for those frustrated with pervasive technology, it seems there will be little respite in the immediate future.
Until regulations surrounding AI-driven technologies catch up, the conglomerates deploying these robot vehicles continues to occupy a privileged status—acting beyond the rules of the road while posing risks to pedestrians and other drivers alike.
image source from：lataco
