The passing of Kit Kat, a bodega cat from the neighborhood, has deeply affected San Francisco’s Mission District, reports The New York Times.
Following the incident where Kit Kat was struck by a Waymo autonomous vehicle on the evening of October 27, residents established a memorial for him. The vicinity now features various signs, some expressing criticism towards Waymo, while others highlight the numerous fatalities caused by human-operated vehicles.
Jackie Fielder, the Mission District’s representative on SF’s Board of Supervisors, mentioned Kit Kat while advocating for a proposed city resolution. This resolution urges the state to permit local voters to determine if driverless vehicles should be permitted in their communities.
“A human operator can be held responsible, can exit the vehicle, offer an apology, and can be located by law enforcement if it involves a hit-and-run,” Fielder stated to the Times. “In this case, there is nobody to hold responsible.”
Waymo, whose co-CEO recently discussed safety at Disrupt, characterized the event as one where a cat “suddenly ran beneath our vehicle as it was moving away.” The company conveyed that it extends “our sincerest condolences to the cat’s owner and the community that knew and cherished him.”
