The futuristic promise of driverless cars has turned into a nightly nightmare for residents of San Francisco, where autonomous vehicles are reportedly emitting blood-curdling screaming sounds and creating chaotic traffic blockades in the dead of night.
The Nocturnal Disturbances
According to multiple residents in the city's Potrero Hill and Mission districts, the driverless cars operated by companies like Cruise and Waymo have been behaving erratically after dark. The vehicles are said to produce high-pitched, human-like screaming noises while becoming immobilised at intersections, sometimes for hours at a time.
"It sounds like someone being murdered," described one shaken resident who wished to remain anonymous. "The first time I heard it, I nearly called the police. Then I realised it was just these robot cars having some kind of malfunction."
Safety Concerns Mount
The incidents have raised serious questions about the readiness of autonomous vehicle technology for widespread urban deployment. Beyond the noise complaints, the vehicles' tendency to become "confused" and stop unexpectedly has created:
- Emergency vehicle access issues
- Public transportation delays
- Pedestrian safety hazards
- General traffic congestion during peak hours
Industry Response
Representatives from the autonomous vehicle companies have acknowledged the issues but downplayed their frequency. A Cruise spokesperson stated that the "vocalisations" are part of the vehicle's safety system designed to alert pedestrians, while the immobilisation incidents represent "edge cases in our machine learning algorithms."
However, local officials are growing increasingly concerned. "What we're seeing is technology being tested on public streets without proper safeguards," said District Supervisor Dean Preston. "Residents shouldn't be subjected to screaming machines and blocked streets at 3 AM."
Regulatory Battle Intensifies
The incidents come amid an ongoing battle between San Francisco officials and state regulators over the expansion of autonomous vehicle services. Despite local objections, the California Public Utilities Commission recently granted Cruise and Waymo permission to operate 24/7 paid ride services throughout the city.
San Francisco City Attorney David Chiu has filed motions seeking to pause the expansion, citing "significant public safety concerns" that now include these bizarre nocturnal disturbances.
As the technology continues to evolve, residents are left wondering if the future of urban transport will be one of quiet efficiency or nightly AI-powered scream fests that disrupt their sleep and compromise public safety.
