Apple, Google buses attacked outside San Francisco

Commuter shuttles transporting hundreds of Apple and Google employees between San Francisco and Silicon Valley were reportedly attacked with projectiles this week, causing many of them to be rerouted.

The California Highway Patrol is investigating after at least five of the tech buses had their windows broken while in transit on Highway 280. No injuries were reported.

“We believe that it was not some rock that was kicked off the roadway, but actually it might’ve been someone that was throwing something at these buses, or shooting at these buses,” CHP spokesman Officer Art Montiel told a local ABC affiliate.

He told The Guardian that the attacks didn’t appear to be targeted, as tech buses are typically unmarked, but investigators weren’t “ruling anything out.”

While unmarked by company logos, the buses of each of the tech firms are identifiable by their color, The Guardian reported. Google’s are white, Apple’s are silver and Facebook’s are blue.

Apple alerted employees via email on Tuesday that some buses would be rerouted, adding 30 to 45 minutes to their commute.

“As always, the safety of our employees is our first priority. We’re working closely with law enforcement to investigate these incidents and we’ll notify you as soon as the coaches are able to return to the regular route,” read the email, obtained by Mashable.

Google announced Wednesday that it was also rerouting its shuttles in the area.

“[We’re] taking the precaution of re-routing shuttles as we hear of any incidents,” the company said, Mashable reported.

Officer Montiel said rerouting the buses would be futile if the attacks were indeed targeted.

“If someone was targeting the buses I’m sure they are going to find them anywhere they go. It’s not like they are hidden,” he told The Guardian.

Google buses were hit with vandalism several years ago by people protesting the tech industry’s gentrification of the areas surrounding San Francisco.