Waymo Passenger Clutches Small Dog as Vandals Surround Vehicle

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Viral Video Captures Graffiti Attack on Waymo Robotaxi

A viral video shows several people cornering a stopped Waymo robotaxi on the street and tagging it with graffiti, while a front-seat passenger clutches a small beige poodle — a scene that’s both comical and dystopian in its strangeness.

Waymo Passenger Clutches Small Dog as Vandals Surround Vehicle

The footage is one of three incidents that occurred in the early evening hours of September 21, 2026, according to the San Francisco Police Department. All three took place in the city’s Mission District.

Police Confirm Three Separate Vandalism Cases

“[A]n online police report was filed on behalf of an autonomous vehicle operator,” wrote a police spokesperson in an email to Futurism. “The reportee stated that there were three separate incidents of vandalism on three different autonomous vehicles.”

The suspects were masked and filmed themselves with cellphones while spray-painting the Waymo cars, police said. Authorities did not confirm which incident appears in the viral clip, yet the video clearly reflects growing public friction with autonomous vehicles — and the vandals’ apparent desire for attention.

Waymo’s San Francisco Expansion Amid Rising Tensions

Waymo recently expanded service in San Francisco, a city that has already witnessed multiple confrontations involving autonomous vehicles, including slashed tires and cars set on fire.

Futurism reached out to Waymo for comment on the filmed incident, but the company had not responded by Wednesday.

This is the funniest thing I’ve ever seen pic.twitter.com/EsIzK4UXba

— JustinBoldaji (@justinboldaji) September 24, 2026

Public Backlash and Safety Concerns

These and similar incidents contrast sharply with the optimistic narrative promoted by Waymo and other AV advocates. While some passengers enthusiastically share their rides online, others view the vehicles as controversial.

Owned by Alphabet (Google’s parent company), Waymo faces criticism that its camera-equipped robotaxis represent privacy violations on wheels. Critics have also called for a ban in San Francisco, arguing the vehicles threaten taxi drivers’ livelihoods and pose road-safety risks.

Federal investigators continue to examine more than 20 incidents involving Waymo vehicles as of May 2026. Earlier documented cases include vehicles driving against oncoming traffic.

Cruise’s Troubled History and Industry-Wide Scrutiny

Rival Cruise experienced an even rockier rollout; its fleet was abruptly removed from San Francisco streets in 2025 after a robotaxi dragged a pedestrian following a collision. The victim later reached an $8 million settlement with Cruise in 2026, highlighting the real-world risks autonomous vehicles can present.

High-profile accidents, combined with repeated warnings from CEOs that AI will replace human jobs, have fueled public resentment in some quarters — turning certain residents into self-styled “revenge-seeking Luddites.”

If these tensions persist, the road to widespread robotaxi adoption may prove bumpier than the industry expects.