San Francisco is the city where most autonomous driving companies are testing their robotaxis, with various levels of success. At the forefront of the technology are tech titans like Alphabet (with their Waymo brand) and automotive companies like GM, which operates the Cruise robotaxi service. Cruise and Waymo have been accused of their autonomous vehicles clogging the city streets, blocking public transport, and interfering with emergency services.
Although car accidents caused by autonomous vehicles have been rare, some people want robotaxis banned from San Francisco. An activist group called Safe Street Rebel encouraged outraged citizens to block robotaxis using traffic cones. Autonomous vehicles' cameras detect the cones as obstacles on the road and stop moving. This protest gained traction in the weeks preceding a CPUC meeting when the commission greenlighted Waymo and Cruise to expand AV operations in San Francisco. The protesters even penned a name for their action: coning.