Waymo—Waymo robotaxis caused persistent noise disruptions in San Francisco neighborhoods, prompting resident backlash
Throughout 2024-2025, Waymo robotaxis caused recurring noise complaints in San Francisco. In mid-2024, vehicles honked at each other throughout the night in a South of Market parking lot, disrupting sleep for nearby residents for weeks. Resident Sophia Tung ran a live stream of the lot to document the issue. In the Inner Richmond neighborhood in 2025, residents posted signs reading 'No Waymos from 8 p.m. to 8 a.m!' citing vehicles arriving up to 7 times per hour with flashing lights and reverse warning sounds. Waymo only responded to the SoMa issue after significant media attention.
Scoring Impact
| Topic | Direction | Relevance | Contribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Consumer Protection | -against | primary | -1.00 |
| Overall incident score = | -0.154 | ||
Score = avg(topic contributions) × significance (low ×0.5) × confidence (0.62)× agency (negligent ×0.5)
Evidence (2 signals)
Inner Richmond residents posted signs demanding no Waymo service from 8pm to 8am due to noise disruption
KRON4 reported that San Francisco's Inner Richmond residents put up signs at a turnaround entrance reading 'No Waymos from 8 p.m. to 8 a.m!' citing vehicles arriving up to 7 times per hour with flashing lights and reverse warning sounds that destroyed quality of life.
NBC Bay Area reported SF residents' complaints about Waymo robotaxis honking at each other at night
NBC Bay Area reported that resident Sophia Tung ran a live stream documenting Waymo vehicles honking at each other in a South of Market parking lot, waking residents each morning. Waymo only responded after residents created media attention through live streams and news coverage.