Location data is probably the single best demographic info to have to make money, and at least 3 companies in the world have basically everyone's phone bugged. Ads, maps, social... all totally dependent on location data from users.
Why would they care about me? Anti-terrorism, anti-competition, who knows. I tried not to think that much about it. I simply noticed the extreme regularity and improbability if it and thought in those terms and went about my limited life.
The vans are very menacing with their spinning sensors and black helmet, I’d hate to have been an actual criminal. Built charachter ignoring them.
I don't agree with the current directions of technology in terms of surveillance and data collection for private and powerful interests, but I find it far more likely that living in SF you'd be exposed to more mobile Waymo platforms that just happen to be collecting data regularly as part of engineering work, data collection, testing, and so on.
No offense but why would Waymo care about you in particular unless you were some significantly important/critical former disgruntled employee or risk/potential asset to their business?
They were just testing their equipment to track everyone better!
Absolutely surreal the mental gymnastics some are capable of convincing themselves to be comfortable with. Sometimes the problem is that the technology is being applied at all. The fact every techbro hides behind "Pfft, it ain't you we're interested in," doesn't quash the unspoken "it's everyone and you".
I’ve been in a survival frame of mind before and it can feel like the whole world is against you. It’s hard to trust anyone. Living in a car in SF (or any city) would give me massive anxiety, there’s no “safe place” where you can fully let your guard down.
I know you don’t want to hear this, and have probably heard it before, but your paranoia may be a sign of untreated mental illness. Stress can trigger mental health issues, and treatment may help. I also understand that the medications have some pretty bad side effect profiles, and being labeled mentally ill means you get treated completely different than everyone else (in healthcare in particular) I also understand that your experience of feeling surveilled felt very real to you, the hard part of treating the disorders is that it’s hard to accept what you experience isn’t real, since it’s very real to you.
I encourage you to consider seeking help, but understand why you’d be hesitant. Take care.