New menace hits DC sidewalks – food delivery robots

[TwoWheelsDC]

If…er, sorry…**When** a Maryland driver plows into one of these in a crosswalk and drives away, would they still be guilty of a hit-and-run?

[Dewey]

Only if they fail to notify the property owner or law enforcement when it is safe to do so (Source: DC Code § 50–2201.05c)

[cvcalhoun]

Well, dang, if I can’t grab lunch as it passes by, what good is it?

[Dewey]

The PR blurb from the operator Starship Technologies says it’s about reducing the fee for “last mile” deliveries, presumably this is achieved by replacing the cost of employing many delivery drivers and bicycle messengers with a smaller number of technicians driving about the city servicing/repairing/rescuing these storage box drones. Similar to how Uber/Lyft/delivery fleets would like to replace cabbies and truck drivers with autonomous cars/trucks but the software isn’t there yet so let’s start with something small and slow, after all what could go wrong…

[Brett L.]

Yeah……. they’re totally going to get nailed by a car. Most cyclists I think will be able to avoid them, but this will either cause a car crash, or some pedestrian will trip over them. They’ll also be massive targets for vandalism.

[Judd]

Does anyone know if they can unturtle themselves? Because I have a feeling I’m going to see a whole bunch of these things upside down as a joke.

[Dewey]

First report of near miss near Logan Circle.

[Author]

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