According to The New York Times, the passing of Kit Kat, a beloved bodega cat, has deeply affected residents of San Francisco’s Mission District.
Following the incident where Kit Kat was fatally struck by a Waymo robotaxi on October 27, community members set up a memorial shrine in his honor. The site is now adorned with various signs—some condemning Waymo, while others highlight the numerous fatalities caused by human drivers.
Jackie Fielder, who serves as the Mission District’s representative on San Francisco’s Board of Supervisors, referenced Kit Kat while advocating for a city resolution. This proposal urges the state to let local residents vote on whether autonomous vehicles should be permitted in their neighborhoods.
“If a person is driving, they can be held responsible, apologize in person, or be found by authorities in a hit-and-run,” Fielder explained to the Times. “But in this situation, there’s no individual to answer for what happened.”
Waymo, whose co-CEO recently discussed safety at Disrupt, stated that the cat “ran beneath our car as it was departing.” The company expressed, “We extend our heartfelt condolences to the cat’s owner and to everyone in the community who cared for him.”
