Delivery Robot Dogpiled on the Streets of Philly

Futurism via Yahoo News ^ | 03/19/2026 | Joe Wilkins

[Kid Shelleen]

It’s tough to be a robot on the mean streets of Philadelphia. Infamous for brutally destroying an experimental hitchhiking robot in 2015, residents in the city of brotherly love are now sharing their sidewalks with a new kind of pedestrian: delivery robots.

A video recorded by Philadelphia street photographer Hugh Dillon late Saturday night shows that the city’s reputation as a haven for robophobia hasn’t improved much over the years. In the 30 second clip, the little bot is kicked, sat on, laughed at, and even humped by a crowd of onlookers as it prattles along to its destination.

----SNIP---- “ROB HIM OF HIS COPPER IMMEDIATELY,” another enterprising Philadelphian commented.

---

TOPICS: News/Current Events; US: Pennsylvania
KEYWORDS: shole

[Kid Shelleen]

This is why 3rd world fiefdoms can’t have nice things.

[ClearCase_guy]

We used to be a high trust society populated by civilized human beings.

[FLT-bird]

America could be considerably improved if somebody would only nuke Philly.

[Getready]

Laws are made because there are people who do evil things. Putting out a defenseless bot out there with “valuables” in there and expecting EVERYONE to respect it....pollyanna-ish.
I am sure you have keys, and locks for your house, business, garage, and car. The world is not a Jetson world.
Surprised no one comes by and lifts the bot into the back of a pickup....or a van, then disables its sensors and sending unit.Not all theft is blue collar either.

[jonrick46]

There will always be stupid imbeciles who will try to spoil the best of innovations. They are the ones who stick a knife in a electric socket. Karma always wins.

[turfmann]

Human?

I believe you’re citing facts not in evidence.

That said, you *know* the person that greenlighted this project has never spent a single minute in the hood.

I’m surprised it lasted as long as it did.

[Rockingham]

Sylvester Stallone tells of taking a bus to live with his mother in Philadelphia when he was fifteen. He was set upon and mugged just outside of the bus station. After knocking him to the ground, the several muggers walked off with his duffel bag. One of them said, “Welcome to Philly.”

[FreedomPoster]

I live on the edge of the ATL MSA. Adjacent to Marjorie Taylor Green’s CD. Part of the county is suburban, part is exurban. You must pass livestock to get to the gates where I live.

Last year or so, Chick-Fil-A was testing a delivery robot from their store in a big outlet mall. I’d see the thing cruising around the parking lot. I’m sure delivering into the mall was part of the testing. The device was the size of an oversized wagon.

My immediate comment was “Oh yeah, that would last 5 minutes in the City of Atlanta proper.”

It would work out here. But not in most of the core MSA.

[larryjohnson]

I walked and bused to school in Philly grade 3 to 12.0nly once was I demanded money on the side walk. From then on, third grade I carried a knife.moved to NYC, where I was approached by a homo.

[yesthatjallen]

We also used to have beat cops patrolling streets to keep an eye on jerks causing problems.

[DFG]

1776 movie:

John Adams: At a stage in life when other men prosper, I’m reduced to living in Philadelphia.

Dr. Benjamin Franklin: What do you think, Doctor? Democracy. What Plato called “A charming form of government, full of variety and disorder. I never knew Plato had been to Philadelphia.

“Piddle, Twiddle and Resolve” Lyrics

You see, we piddle, twiddle, and resolve
Not one damn thing do we solve
Piddle, twiddle, and resolve
Nothing’s ever solved in
Foul, fetid, fuming, foggy, filthy
Philadephia!