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.
– Well this wasn’t what I was expecting.
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.”
– Well, one of the people involved seems to have a form of mental illness. The other one seems as though Waymo is intentionally going out of their way to sue someone for damages to their car. Claiming a tweet as intentional evidence of causing an accident.
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.
– What the hell? Honestly, I’m curious as to what sort of precedent they’re trying to set here.
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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.
– Well this wasn’t what I was expecting.
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.”
– Well, one of the people involved seems to have a form of mental illness. The other one seems as though Waymo is intentionally going out of their way to sue someone for damages to their car. Claiming a tweet as intentional evidence of causing an accident.
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.
– What the hell? Honestly, I’m curious as to what sort of precedent they’re trying to set here.
Shocked that people would do such things. /s