Santa Monica residents are reportedly stepping up their efforts against driverless Waymo cars.
The vehicles and their beeping have become a nuisance for those who live near the parking lot where the Waymo vehicles charge when not in use.
Locals have been raising concerns in recent months, but the Los Angeles Times reports the battle has escalated beyond simple words.
“Using cones, cars and sometimes themselves, residents have taken to blocking the Waymos from entering their company-funded parking lot, so much so that the company has called the cops on them a half dozen times,” the Times reports.
As the Times details, government regulations require autonomous vehicles to beep as they reverse, something that often occurs in the Waymo parking lot.
City officials, however, weren’t aware that the charging lot would be in the city until residents starting complaining.
Waymo, a sister company of Google, “will continue to learn and improve how we introduce ourselves to new communities when we arrive,” a spokesperson told the Times.
“We strive to be good neighbors in the cities that we operate, and are committed to being a positive presence in Santa Monica,” a Waymo spokesperson added.
Neighbors, however, say the beeps haven’t abated and instead occur nearly 24 hours a day, and they continue their efforts to frustrate the vehicles’ attempts to enter the lot.
“I want the noise stopped,” neighbor Darius Boorn told the Times. “I thought it was cool, and then those freaking noises started. And then I thought, ‘Oh no, this can’t be happening.’”
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