Near-constant beeping from Waymo driverless cars enraging California residents

Residents of Santa Monica, California, have been complaining and protesting the frequent noise-pollution from Waymo driverless cars.Waymo, a driverless ride-hailing company, is operating in multiple states across America.While the driverless electric cars with rotating sensors were initially viewed as a novelty, some residents have begun to complain that their charging lots generate near-constant noise.“[T]o hear it from residents, the beeping never seems to stop, largely due to a state regulation requiring electric vehicles to audibly reverse like delivery trucks,” the LA Times reported.

“They beep as they back out of charging spots, and beep as they reverse to navigate around each other.They beep in the morning as they head out to pick up early passengers, and beep late at night as they return to charge up.”The California newspaper reported that local residents are fed up, to the point where some are outright protesting. “City officials, a judge and even police have been forced to intercede after residents who say the self-driving cars are a nuisance have banded together against the local 56-vehicle fleet.

They’ve reached out to the city.They’ve called Waymo.

Now, some are trying unconventional tactics,” the LA Times reported.The report additionally added, “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.”“I want the noise stopped,” a local resident named Darius Boorn told the outlet.“I thought it was cool, and then those freaking noises started.

And then I thought, ‘Oh no, this can’t be happening.’”The LA Times reported that Waymo’s usage of local lots was a surprise to city officials as well, who only learned about them when residents began complaining. “Their arrival in Santa Monica appears to have flown under the radar because they subleased the lot f...