Why are Philadelphians attacking Uber Eats delivery robots(billypenn.com)
billypenn.com
Why are Philadelphians attacking Uber Eats delivery robots
https://billypenn.com/2026/04/09/uber-eats-delivery-robot-abuse-ethics-philadelphia-temple/
5 comments
They’re just gonna make it legal for the company to fly in another drone to shoot you.
I'm not condoning vandalism but I can empathize with the feeling that this alien thing is in my personal space, is a motorized vehicle on the sidewalk, is just as likely to cause a fall that no one will be held accountable for, and is taking a job from someone. I can see how that would be rage inducing. Perhaps surrounding it with traffic cones would be a better plan than actually damaging it.
I lived in Philadelphia (center city) and my other reaction based on simply attempting to keep a flowerpot on doorstep is, why have people not just stolen it yet?
I lived in Philadelphia (center city) and my other reaction based on simply attempting to keep a flowerpot on doorstep is, why have people not just stolen it yet?
These devices are a form of social pollution, whereby the desires and demands of others are mechanically proxied into common spaces.
When you negotiate others on the causeway, you are involved in human one-on-one exchanges with parity; each encountering the others on the level of interpersonal status, which is about the ways humans observe respect for each other.
But there can be no respect given nor received with a robot. It's an engine that's in competition for your space, presents as both a mechanical advantage and as handicapped, is not interesting nor appropriate to meet, and generally responds so stupidly and unpredictably that it's hazardous-- which makes its insertion into the commons an offense.
Combine the need for vigilance and avoidance with the realization that the robot annoyance is a proxy for someone else's privilege and as robots are instruments of private property extending deeply into common spaces and it's not a surprise to find people who are encroached upon by robots manifesting their displeasure through sabotage.
When you negotiate others on the causeway, you are involved in human one-on-one exchanges with parity; each encountering the others on the level of interpersonal status, which is about the ways humans observe respect for each other.
But there can be no respect given nor received with a robot. It's an engine that's in competition for your space, presents as both a mechanical advantage and as handicapped, is not interesting nor appropriate to meet, and generally responds so stupidly and unpredictably that it's hazardous-- which makes its insertion into the commons an offense.
Combine the need for vigilance and avoidance with the realization that the robot annoyance is a proxy for someone else's privilege and as robots are instruments of private property extending deeply into common spaces and it's not a surprise to find people who are encroached upon by robots manifesting their displeasure through sabotage.
Philidelphians burn down their own city whenever their NFL team wins or loses a Superbowl, so this shouldn't be surprising.
I wonder if these Philly robot attackers feel similarly.