First, the good news: the California DMV has approved a pathway for self-driving trucks to deploy on state roads. This happened despite predictable howling from the Teamsters union and their allied Democratic politicians, who apparently believe the best way to protect workers is to freeze technology in amber. Look — disruption is real, and displaced workers deserve serious transition support. But trying to block autonomous trucking is like opposing the containerization of shipping ports in the 1960s. It didn't work then, and it won't work now. The safety data on autonomous driving is increasingly hard to argue with, and California regulators — not exactly known for their libertarian streak — clearly saw the writing on the wall.

Now the weird news: illegal private car traffic on Market Street has surged since Mayor Lurie rolled out the welcome mat for Waymo in San Francisco. Market Street, you'll recall, was supposed to be car-free — a bold move that transit advocates championed. But as one Bay Area commenter pointedly noted, "Lurie has not asked SFPD to focus enforcement on car drivers who break the law by illegally driving on Market. Curious that."

Another local pushed back on the framing entirely: "What does Waymo have to do with any of this? They don't drive on Market and don't pick up anyone there. The cars are surging because Lurie welcomed Uber and Lyft there."

That's a fair point, and an important one. Blaming autonomous vehicles for a surge in human-driven cars illegally flooding a restricted corridor is either sloppy analysis or deliberate misdirection. The real problem is enforcement — or rather, the total absence of it. San Francisco has rules on the books. It just doesn't bother enforcing them.

This is the city's eternal contradiction: we pass ambitious regulations, hold press conferences, and then shrug when nobody follows through. You want a car-free Market Street? Great. Enforce it. You want autonomous vehicles to operate safely? Regulate them transparently, with real data, not union talking points.

The future of transportation is arriving whether San Francisco is ready or not. The least we can do is stop blaming robots for problems created by humans — and the politicians who refuse to hold them accountable.