In San Francisco, a beloved local cat has been killed by a robotaxi.
Yes, you read that right.
An autonomous ridesharing vehicle, owned by Waymo, ran over KitKat, a sweet cat that lived at a local liquor store and was known by locals as a "16th Street ambassador."
Sign now to demand justice for KitKat! Recall Waymo robotaxis until an independent investigation can verify that their vehicles will never do this again!On the night of Monday, October 27, two people witnessed what happened to KitKat. The sweet kitty had been sitting in front of a Waymo for a few seconds. Then, KitKat walked under the car, as so many cats do, and headed for the sidewalk.
In the milliseconds that KitKat was moving underneath the vehicle, the Waymo started to drive off -- and crushed poor KitKat in its wake.Witnesses rushed to help KitKat, but he quickly started
vomiting blood. They rushed him to an emergency vet, where he
died from his injuries.
Another witness, driving nearby when the incident occurred, remarked that
the Waymo in question was driving really fast and swerving -- he noted that it clearly wasn't being as cautious as a person would be on such a busy street.
It's time for an independent investigation into how this happened to KitKat. Surely autonomous vehicles like this should be thoroughly equipped to detect motion and avoid any contact with a living, breathing thing.
If Waymo couldn't avoid killing KitKat, how can we trust that this won't happen to another animal? What about a small child?Waymo, the company that produces the robotaxi that killed KitKat, issued a statement claiming that it sends its "sympathies to the cat's owner and the community who knew and loved him." Waymo also, pathetically, claimed it would donate to a local animal rights organization, but
gave no indication about which organization or how much money would be donated.But companies can't feel sympathy. Neither can robotaxis.
Companies and robotaxis are not people.What companies can do is take responsibility for their products, recall them, and make them safer.This is the only way for Waymo to demonstrate its commitment to protecting animals from the same fate as KitKat!
Waymo must recall all of its robotaxis until an independent investigation has been conducted and additional safety features can be added. Justice for KitKat! Sign the petition if you agree!