4 hours ago
1
A beloved San Francisco bodega cat named KitKat was allegedly killed by a driverless Waymo cab, sparking fresh outrage about the controversial robotaxis.
The cat, a friendly fixture loved by customers of Randa’s Market in the Mission District, was hit by the Waymo around 11:30 p.m. Monday, shop owner Mike Zeidan told the San Francisco Standard.
“Honestly, man, it’s difficult. He was a one-of-a-kind cat. He brought joy to so many people,” Zeidan said of the kitty also affectionately known as the “mayor of 16th Street.”
“People loved him.”
KitKat was found underneath the self-driving vehicle when it made a stop near the market, according to an anonymous complaint filed with the city’s 311 system early Tuesday morning, hours after the cat was struck.
A store employee rushed the 9-year-old cat to an animal hospital, but he could not be saved. The Waymo did not even slow down, swerve or attempt to avoid the cat, the complaint said.
“The store won’t be the same without his little paws padding around,” the store wrote in a tribute online.
Witness Jeff Klein told Mission Local the Waymo swerved in front of him and a friend while they were driving Monday night when he suddenly heard people yelling and saw them grabbing the cat from underneath the self-driving car.
“Waymo’s [sic] should not be on the street if they can’t spot small animals in the dark,” the 311 complaint stated.
Waymo did not immediately respond to The Post’s request for comment.
Zeidan said that KitKat, formerly a stray, began hanging around Randa’s Market, located next to the historic Roxie theater, about six years ago to deal with the rodent problem and quickly became a favorite face among patrons and other neighborhood businesses as he roamed around.
“He was a special guest,” Zeidan told the Standard. “Made for a store like this. Friendly with everybody, and not afraid of dogs or anything.”
KitKat was often featured on the store’s Instagram account and frequently appeared in Yelp reviews, according to the paper.
Locals devastated by his death set up a memorial for him outside the 16th Street business, where they voiced their anger at Waymo.
“Kill a Waymo! Save a Cat!” read a sign left by a neighbor, the Mission Local reported.
“Kitty cats, not killer cars,” yelled a woman as she walked by.
Tributes to KitKat also poured in online in response to the store announcing the cat’s passing.
“@waymo your safety features don’t include animals around the city. We demand a review of the accident,” one user wrote.
“It just won’t be the same anymore, walking into Randa’s Market and asking “Where’s KitKat?” … He won’t be here anymore! I want to destroy the next Waymo I see,” another outraged local posted.
Randa’s Market, in a touching post featuring a photo of the grey cat, thanked all its customers “who loved him as much as we did.”
Earlier this month, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said it was investigating thousands of Waymo’s self-driving cars following reports that the vehicles failed to follow traffic safety laws around school buses.
Waymo has run into several issues since launching in San Francisco, including complaints of the vehicles blaring their horns before the crack of dawn and driving off with a tennis instructor’s equipment.
Waymo, which is owned by Google’s parent company Alphabet, has thousands of robotaxis in its fleet operating across major US cities, including Phoenix, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Austin with plans to expand internationally in the future.
English (US)