Road-Raging Humans are Bullying Uber’s Self-Driving Cars

"You’re on video, but still people do bully them and that’s a fascinating thing to see."

Autonomous Target

Bullies really have it out for self-driving cars.

Head of the Uber's Advanced Technologies Group Eric Meyhofer said that the company has "seen people bully [Uber's self-driving] cars. They feel like they can be more aggressive because we won’t take a position on it, or we’ll allow it," he told the press at Uber's Elevate conference in Washington DC.

Both pedestrians and drivers have been giving cars the finger, shouting at them, tailgating them, and even cutting them off on the road?, Meyhofer said.

"You’re on video, but still people do bully them and that’s a fascinating thing to see where people are testing the boundaries of what they can do to self-driving," said Meyhofer at the event.

Lukewarm Welcome

It's not the first time self-driving cars have been under attack by rude passersby. Alphabet-owned Waymo vans have been harassed in the past, including an incident last year in which a man pulled a handgun on a Waymo safety driver in Phoenix, Arizona.

A major question remains: why?

"A lot of people are concerned that technology is going to run them out of a job," IT lecturer at Arizona State University Phil Simon told Arizona Central last November.

Uber's self-driving program is about to resume in December after being put on hold as a result of a fatal crash last March.

READ MORE: Uber self-driving cars 'bullied' by drivers and pedestrians [The Telegraph]

More on bullying self-driving cars: People Are Road Raging At Waymo's Self-Driving Cars