The death of a neighborhood bodega cat named Kit Kat has shaken San Francisco’s Mission District. After Kit Kat was run over by a Waymo robotaxi on the evening of October 27, locals created a shrine to memorialize him. The area has also been decorated with competing signs. Some signs criticize Waymo, while others note the many deaths caused by human drivers.
Jackie Fielder, who represents the Mission District on the city’s Board of Supervisors, mentioned Kit Kat while making the case for a proposed city resolution. The resolution calls on the state to allow local voters to decide whether driverless cars can operate in their neighborhoods. Fielder stated that a human driver can be held accountable, can get out and say sorry, and can be tracked down by police in a hit-and-run. She noted that with a robotaxi, there is no one to hold accountable.
Waymo described the incident as one where a cat darted under their vehicle as it was pulling away. The company said it sends its deepest sympathies to the cat’s owner and the community who knew and loved him.