Autonomous vehicles are supposed to be prepared for unpredictable pedestrians. What they’re probably not supposed to encounter is someone deliberately trying to find out exactly how prepared they are.
That’s what happened during a recent encounter involving one of Tesla’s Cybercabs. The incident was captured on video and subsequently shared on X by Stone Fox Capital.
The man involved appears to be David Moss, a Tesla owner and content creator who has extensively documented the company’s autonomous-driving technology. This time, however, he decided to examine the Cybercab’s capabilities from outside the vehicle.
What followed was an incredibly questionable experiment conducted on a public road rather than a closed test track. Fortunately, there’s video of the whole thing, so we can see exactly how the Cybercab responded.
He Jumped Into The Cybercab’s Path
$TSLA Robotaxis definitely face a huge issue with people intentionally stopping a car. This guy is playing games with the new Cybercab, but the ability to evade someone attempting to harm the vehicle or especially the passengers is likely a design flaw. pic.twitter.com/9PGWfIyXGY
— Stone Fox Capital (@Stonefoxcapital) September 8, 2026
David Moss, the man said to be in the video, is a Tesla enthusiast and autonomous-vehicle content creator who has extensively documented the company’s Full Self-Driving technology and Cybercab rollout.
The video shows him standing behind a pole as a Tesla Cybercab approaches. He then suddenly steps into the roadway directly in front of it, apparently trying to see whether the vehicle will detect him in time.
The Cybercab does, coming to a stop without hitting him. He subsequently runs alongside the Tesla and crosses its path again, while later portions of the video appear to show him making additional attempts to provoke a reaction.
The vehicle stops during the encounters shown. That outcome doesn’t make deliberately jumping in front of a moving autonomous car remotely sensible.
Other Drivers Were On The Road
This wasn’t a controlled test facility with barriers and safety personnel standing by. Regular traffic was sharing the street, meaning his actions also affected drivers who had nothing to do with his experiment.
At one point, a blue SUV approaches from behind and appears to become temporarily caught up in the disruption caused by the stopped Cybercab. Its driver changes lanes and passes, avoiding any further drama.
Repeatedly forcing a vehicle to stop unexpectedly could easily create a secondary collision if someone behind isn’t paying attention. The fact that the Tesla avoided hitting the pedestrian doesn’t eliminate the risks created elsewhere.
The Cybercab Is Already Facing Federal Attention
The incident comes shortly after the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration opened an investigation related to the Cybercab’s commercial deployment in Austin, Texas. The inquiry concerns Tesla’s certification of the vehicle under applicable Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards.
The Cybercab is unusual because it lacks conventional controls, including a steering wheel, accelerator pedal, and brake pedal, as well as traditional mirrors. NHTSA is examining how Tesla determined which federal standards apply to the purpose-built autonomous vehicle.
That investigation doesn’t establish wrongdoing by Tesla. It does underline how closely regulators are examining vehicles that dispense with controls long considered fundamental to passenger cars.
It Stopped, So Leave It At That
The footage provides an interesting real-world glimpse at the Cybercab reacting to deliberately erratic pedestrian behavior. In every encounter shown, the Tesla avoided hitting the man.
That shouldn’t be interpreted as an invitation to recreate the experiment, though. Autonomous technology needs rigorous testing, but public streets filled with unsuspecting motorists aren’t the place to play chicken with a driverless car.