The death of a neighborhood bodega cat named KitKat shook San Francisco's Mission District, according to the New York Times.
Local residents built a shrine in memory of Kit Kat after it was hit by a Waymo robotaxi on the night of October 27th. Competing signs also adorn the area, some criticizing Waymo while others point out the many fatal accidents caused by human drivers.
Jackie Fielder, who represents the Mission District on San Francisco's Board of Supervisors, brought up KitKat when advocating for a city resolution that would require the state to allow local voters to decide whether driverless cars can drive in their neighborhoods.
“Human drivers can be held accountable, they can jump out of the car, they can say sorry, and if it's a hit and run they can be chased by police,” Fielder told the Times. “There's no one here to take responsibility.”
Waymo's co-CEO recently spoke at Disrupt about the importance of safety and described the incident as “a cat running under a car as it drove away.” “We extend our deepest condolences to the cat's owner and the community that knew and loved him,” the company said in a statement.