Some people in San Francisco say they're tired of being used as guinea pigs for self-driving cars — even to the point of sabotage — as the technology faces renewed scrutiny ahead of a key regulatory decision.

Why it matters: San Francisco is on the cusp of a driverless revolution that could serve as a blueprint for how autonomous vehicles (AVs) will roll out nationwide.

Yes, but: Based on the city's early experience, some skeptics say robotaxis need more work before they're widely deployed.

What's happening: San Francisco officials, including the city's police and fire chiefs and its top transit leader, have been complaining for months about disruptive incidents involving driverless cars.

• They say robotaxis have been snarling traffic, interfering with bus routes and tangling with pedestrians and bicyclists, not to mention intruding on emergency scenes.
• "We've had them run over our fire hoses. We've had our hoses get caught in their axles. We've had them block fire engines, and we've had them come into live, active fire scenes," San Francisco Fire Department Chief Jeanine Nicholson told the Washington Post. "We need something to change."

The latest: This week, in a protest that went viral on social media, a group of activists calling themselves "Safe Street Rebel" placed orange traffic cones on the cars' hoods, blocking the sensors they use to navigate the world around them.

• That caused them to shut down on the spot and turn on their hazard blinkers.
• The group is...

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