Hitchhiking Robot's Cross-Country Trip Ends In Philadelphia

An anonymous reader writes: A hitchhiking robot that successfully traveled across Canada in 26 days last year and parts of Europe, has met its demise in Philly. Created as a "social experiment," hitchBOT started its journey in the U.S. in Marblehead, Massachusetts, on July 17 with its thumb raised up and tape wrapped around its head that read "San Francisco or bust." After about two weeks in the U.S., someone in Philadelphia damaged the robot beyond repair. "Sadly, sadly it's come to an end," said Frauke Zeller, one of its co-creators. The Independent reports: "The robot was designed to be a talking travel companion and could toss out factoids and carry limited conversation. A GPS in the robot tracked its location, and a camera randomly snapped photos about every 20 minutes to document its travels."

Comments

Niggers

[Anonymous Coward]

Explains it all.

Re:Niggers

[Anonymous Coward]

+1

Re:Niggers

[Anonymous Coward]

That's not politically correct. That being said, you are probably correct.

Re: Niggers

[Anonymous Coward]

Robot Lives Matter!

Re:Niggers

[Anonymous Coward]

The sad thing is that you're probably right.

Re:Niggers

[Anonymous Coward]

All these down mods for what is essentially, most likely, the truth.

Progressive are desperately trying to say it isn't true, but the crime statistics are plain.

#RealityTrumpsPC

Re:Niggers

[kheldan]

The creators were sent an image of the vandalized robot Saturday but couldn't track its location because the battery is dead. They said they don't know who destroyed it or why.

The perpetrators of this vandalism probably were bored, undereducated, underachieving young WHITE male(s). The definition of 'nigger' has changed; it has to do with how you think and act, not the color of your skin. Ironically, racist pieces of shit who go around calling black people 'niggers' are the ones who are the real niggers in the world, because they're largely who are perpetuating so-called race-related problems.

Re:Niggers

[Anonymous Coward]

Yeah, keep lying to yourself, skippy.

Re:Niggers

[kheldan]

Lying to myself

LOL.
Here's a picture of a black man who is not a nigger.

Re:Niggers

[Anonymous Coward]

niggards if you prefers

Re:Niggers

[Anonymous Coward]

The perpetrators of this vandalism probably were bored, undereducated, underachieving young WHITE male(s)

You have any facts to back that up or is this just speculation?
The fact that this thing made all the way through canada (full of bored white people) only to die in philly speaks volumes.

Re:Niggers

[Anonymous Coward]

The perpetrators of this vandalism probably were bored, undereducated, underachieving young WHITE male(s). The definition of 'nigger' has changed; it has to do with how you think and act, not the color of your skin. Ironically, racist pieces of shit who go around calling black people 'niggers' are the ones who are the real niggers in the world, because they're largely who are perpetuating so-called race-related problems.

very well said

Re:Niggers

[Bing Tsher E]

Ironically, racist pieces of shit who go around calling black people 'niggers' are the ones who are the real niggers in the world, because they're largely who are perpetuating so-called race-related problems.

I'm glad you agree that Rap Artists are a big part of the problem.

Re:Niggers

[drinkypoo]

The perpetrators of this vandalism probably were bored, undereducated, underachieving young WHITE male(s)

You have any facts to back that up or is this just speculation?

Blacks are more commonly convicted when tried, and there are still more whites than blacks in philly, so it's probably still more likely. Also, consider that whites may have felt more likely to get away with such a crime.

Re:Niggers

[Anonymous Coward]

Something something anecdote not equalling something something data. Your confusion isn't surprising, sadly.

Re:Niggers

[Anonymous Coward]

Oh yeah I bet they were as white as coal.

Re:Niggers

[bigfinger76]

Damaging what amounts to someone's garbage is a crime?

Re:Niggers

[ArcadeMan]

Here's a picture of a white man who is a nigger.

Re:Niggers

[ArcadeMan]

The fact that this thing made all the way through canada (full of bored white people)

Hey, we're not bored, we're just freezing!

Re:Niggers

[ArcadeMan]

Rap "artists" are a big part of the problem and I don't care about the colour of their skin either.

Re:Niggers

[ArcadeMan]

What do you mean? African or European coal?

Re:Niggers

[Anonymous Coward]

Yeah, it's the ignorant racist white people who made Detroit, Birmingham, and Memphis into shitholes - oh, wait, what about Grosse Pointe, Mountain Brook, and Germantown?

Re:Niggers

[Anonymous Coward]

The definition doesn't change because you want it to change. Did you know that the word "nigger" is derived from the Latin word "niger", which translates into "black"? If you refer to yourself as "black", you are basically calling yourself a nigger.

Here is a couple youtube videos that aptly describes African-American culture. Amusingly, the show it came from was made by an African-American. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K0ZRAmz-NWM

Black people take pride in being called niggers, and calling each other niggers. They don't want non-blacks to call them niggers because that is disrespectful.

Re:Niggers

[pipingguy]

What about 'thug'. Can non-blacks say 'thug'? Am I wrong to type 'black'? Should it be 'African-American' instead? Or People of Color?

Who cares who abused the robot? Why wasn't the robot armed? Why didn't the robot dial 911?

We all knew the robot was going to be molested somewhere during the US trip.

Re:Niggers

[KrazyDave]

In Philly? Could have been Mennonites.

Re: Niggers

[AvitarX]

Where are you getting your facts? Philadelphia is not more white than black.

Or sounds like a bored kid crime race neutral to me though.

Re:Niggers

[Anonymous Coward]

Nah, it's just that most Americans are uneducated and violent, regardless of their skin colour.

Re: Niggers

[Anonymous Coward]

Wrap yourself in the confederate flag and set yourself on fire, Jew.

Re:Niggers

[Anonymous Coward]

The perpetrators of this vandalism probably were bored, undereducated, underachieving young WHITE male(s). The definition of 'nigger' has changed; it has to do with how you think and act, not the color of your skin. Ironically, racist pieces of shit who go around calling black people 'niggers' are the ones who are the real niggers in the world, because they're largely who are perpetuating so-called race-related problems.

Bullshit. You don't get to redefine what words mean, magically wiping away all the history and context associated with a term.

Re:Niggers

[Anonymous Coward]

An Open Letter to #Cuckservatives

Re:Niggers

[Anonymous Coward]

The TRS Guide to SWPL Safaris

You'll need it.

Re:Niggers

[kheldan]

You tell someone they're this and that and they're bad long enough, and guess what happens? They start believing it, especially when that's all you heard your entire life since you were a little kid. We see now they've started turning it around into some sort of virtue. You see a similar phenomenon in the whole fat acceptance movement, and that's fucked-up too. Us white people made black people what they are today, we're the original perpetrators of that, and now they've been told they're this-and-that-and-bad for so long that they actually believe it themselves. So they act accordingly. Which just makes racist white people feel justified in their attitudes towards black people. Which continues the whole goddamned vicious circle. What did you think was going to happen?

Re:Niggers

[Anonymous Coward]

The perpetrators of this vandalism probably were bored, undereducated, underachieving young WHITE male(s)

You have any facts to back that up or is this just speculation?

Blacks are more commonly convicted when tried, and there are still more whites than blacks in philly, so it's probably still more likely. Also, consider that whites may have felt more likely to get away with such a crime.

Watch a few episodes of the "reality" show "First 48." The format of the show is following homicide detectives in large cities.

You will see that being uneducated, poor, and certainly ignorant of constitutional rights will play a large part in what happens to people accused of (and who almost always did) crimes.

Occasionally someone clams up and the show ends with "still under investigation". The other guys, they have captions like "convicted and sentenced to 20 years"

Blacks get convicted because they shoot their mouths off during questioning and don't ask for a lawyer as soon as they are arrested.

The point is, those numbers are not "racism" causing blacks to go to prison. Those numbers are blacks causing themselves to go to prison. Either through perpetuating the culture that gets them there via ignorance, "being too white" with an education, or just plain being dumb.

I am looking forward to photos or a history of where the robot was for a little insight on this issue, but I expect the cynics to be basically right on it.

Also, at what time do we have the right to ask that these guys not break the law, not sell drugs, not be violent and not be killers? Your ideas of fairness will fall onto deaf ears until that day comes. Here's now to stay out of prison for murder.... DONT DO IT.

Re: Niggers

[AgNO3]

Not likely to be white in that area of Philly. Still racist are racist

Re:Niggers

[Anonymous Coward]

plus there is the whole slavery/legislated inequality/terrorize thing; The grandpa of my neighbor was owned. Mike has shared stories his Grampa told him when young about what it was like as a teenage slave making rope in the winter. We're not that many generations removed from slavery. Not to mention that blacks were the subjects of highly effective terror campaigns where thousands of blacks were tortured, maimed, and murdered with impunity for nearly 80 years. Ida Wells famously pointed out these terror campaigns (lynching / murder) often successfully killed and terrorized blacks that competed with whites (in business and women). Paired with the state government effectively blocks on black success via jim crow and segregation post-reconstruction, it isn't surprising the kind of situation w're in. During this approximately 80 year span we had white families taking advantage of extremely generous government programs that got them land, job training, and college degrees, to name a few of the advantages that have given rise to the predominately white middle class. Meanwhile effective terror and government campaigns caused widespread chaos, emigration, and continued subjugation of black communities. This isn't white guilt, this is simply a recognition of what has brought us to this point and our failure to ever deal with it in a conclusive manner as a country. Like we failed to actually fully rectify most social problems that have been hilariously exaggerated over the last ~190 years by the comical progression of US society.

Re:Niggers

[kheldan]

Also it probably doesn't help that all through recorded Human history (and likely even way before that) slavery of one type or another was considered an acceptable way of life; you wage war on someone and conquer them, you enslave their people. How about during the industrial revolution? Or before women's rights? One could plausibly argue that these were forms of slavery, and there was even less excuse for it because it's not like they were 'some other race' or 'some other people', it was the same people from the same country. Even today there is slavery of various forms going on in the world, from as awful as the so-called 'islamic state' enslaving the women and children of the areas they take control of, to sex trafficking (even using children), to some countries where child labor for pitiful wages is a standard business practice. And people wonder why it is that I sometimes say 'humans are not actually civilized'; how can you say they are when there's still these sorts of things going on in the world?

Re:Niggers

[dcollins]

Guy in the video looks pretty white to me. Maybe you mean the bullshit that white dudes who are sick in the head go on about while they do evil:

http://paleofuture.gizmodo.com/heres-video-of-the-jerk-who-killed-hitchbot-1721797093

Re:Niggers

[kheldan]

..and right on cue the racist pieces of shit of /. mod me right down into the ground, how fucking predictable. Like a friend of mine says, the age of the Great White Male is coming to an end; get over it and move on or prepare to be obsoleted.

Re: Niggers

[Anonymous Coward]

This should be +5.

Thank god for clear thinking.
Next, let's send the robots into menonite towns to force them to show respect.

Re: Niggers

[Anonymous Coward]

One word then... Marriage

News at 11

[invictusvoyd]

Hitchhiking human's Cross-Country Trip Ends In 01

Re: News at 11

[Anonymous Coward]

Did it look like a lion? If not, i'll be on tumblr.

PHILADEPHIA FREEDOM

[Anonymous Coward]

I used to be a rolling stone you know
If a cause was right
I'd leave to find the answer on the road
I used to be a heart beating for someone
But the times have changed
The less I say the more my work gets done

'Cause I live and breathe this Philadelphia freedom
From the day that I was born I've waved the flag
Philadelphia freedom took me knee high to a man, yeah
Gave me a piece of mama, daddy never had

Oh Philadelphia freedom, shine on me, I love you
Shine the light, through the eyes of the ones left behind
Shine the light, shine the light
Shine the light, won't you shine the light
Philadelphia freedom, I love-ve-ve you, yes I do

If you choose to you can live your life alone
Some people choose the city (some people the city)
Some others choose the good old family home (some others choose a good old)
I like living easy without family ties (living easy)
Till the whippoorwill of freedom zapped me
Right between the eyes

'Cause I live and breathe this Philadelphia freedom
From the day that I was born I've waved the flag
Philadelphia freedom took me knee high to a man
Mm, gave me a piece of mama, daddy never had

Oh Philadelphia freedom, shine on me, I love you
Shine the light, through the eyes of the ones left behind
Shine the light, shine the light
Shine the light, won't you shine the light
Philadelphia freedom, I love-ve-ve you, yes I do

Oh, Philadelphia freedom, shine on me, I love you
Shine the light, through the eyes of the ones left behind
Shine the light, shine the light
Shine the light, won't you shine the light
Philadelphia freedom, I love-ve-ve,
You know I love-ve-ve , you know I love-ve-ve you
Yes I do, Philadelphia freedom
I love-ve-ve you
Yes I do, Philadelphia freedom
You know that I love-ve-ve you
Yes I do, Philadelphia freedom
Don't you know that I love-ve-ve you
Yes I do, Philadelphia freedom
Don't you know that I love-ve-ve you
Yes I do, Philadelphia freedom

It was bound to happen.

[Bruha]

Unfortunately the less fortunate in other countries have more respect for something than our country. Thanks asshole.

Re:It was bound to happen.

[Rick in China]

Yeah :( All the Canadians and Europeans who are far less fortunate than those in Philly. Rough times, rough times.

Re:It was bound to happen.

[Anonymous Coward]

Yeah, an article about something like this with no pictures? Come on.

CBC News article with pictures.

Re:It was bound to happen.

[webmistressrachel]

Aww, poor little thing. It's a sad indictment of the state of humanity. And so is everything else that's going on, before the trolls come along and say "Gaza" or "ISIS" or "religion" (ugh)...

Re:It was bound to happen.

[Anonymous Coward]

Wait until Bruha finds out that the Average US Citizen is the LESS FORTUNATE when compared to the standard of living in most every other 1st World Nation.
In fact, comparatively, the US is more like a 2nd World Nation in terms of income equality and standard of living.

Re:It was bound to happen.

[Anonymous Coward]

Income Equality

What crap. The fact that person A makes more than person B has no bearing on Person B's ability to increase their income.

The money supply is not finite.

Re:It was bound to happen.

[Anonymous Coward]

Thanks AC! you need some mod points!!!

Re:It was bound to happen.

[Anonymous Coward]

The money supply is finite, otherwise it would have to be infinite, which it clearly isn't.

Re:It was bound to happen.

[drinkypoo]

The money supply is finite, otherwise it would have to be infinite, which it clearly isn't.

The money supply is effectively infinite; long before you run out of ability to print it, the system crashes and it becomes worthless. The supply of wealth is finite, because all wealth is derived from the land.

Re:It was bound to happen.

[NotQuiteReal]

all wealth is derived from the land

So nobody ever has created wealth without land?

There are no wealthy actors, musicians, authors, or anyone in the tech industry? Huh, guess I'll go buy me farm.

Re:It was bound to happen.

[drinkypoo]

all wealth is derived from the land

So nobody ever has created wealth without land?

There are no wealthy actors, musicians, authors, or anyone in the tech industry? Huh, guess I'll go buy me farm.

Are you really this dumb, or do you just want an argument? I've had this argument before, and it was dumb that time, too. The short, short form is "where do you think the electricity to run the internets comes from? Magic fairies?"

Re:It was bound to happen.

[Anonymous Coward]

The fact that the post you're replying to was upvoted just as much as yours should tell you what you need to know: People on slashdot are a terrible cross-section of humanity compared to ANY country.

Re:It was bound to happen.

[j-beda]

Yeah, an article about something like this with no pictures? Come on.

CBC News article with pictures.

Nice link.

Re:It was bound to happen.

[Anonymous Coward]

What do you mean, "less fortunate?" I'm surprised it managed to make it out of Boston without the BPD blowing it up as a potential bomb.

Re:It was bound to happen.

[Anonymous Coward]

Wait until Bruha finds out that the Average US Citizen is the LESS FORTUNATE when compared to the standard of living in most every other 1st World Nation.
In fact, comparatively, the US is more like a 2nd World Nation in terms of income equality and standard of living.

Dude, let us take 2 people. One works hard and studies hard. The other is lazy doesn't want to work, and avoids work as much as possible.

Why should the second person get even close to what the first person does? Why shouldn't the first person deserve a much better standard of living?
 

Re:It was bound to happen.

[Maritz]

In your world, rich people work harder than people with fuck all? lol.

Re:It was bound to happen.

[TheCarp]

It would be funny if it wasn't true. Those guys shut down the entire city over some fucking glorified lite brites.

Re:It was bound to happen.

[ChrisMaple]

All wealth comes from human action. The concept of wealth has no meaning without it.

Re:It was bound to happen.

[ChrisMaple]

Rich people create more value than the poor do. How hard they work is only marginally relevant.

Re:It was bound to happen.

[Some_Llama]

Rich people create more value than the poor do. How hard they work is only marginally relevant.

please qualify this post.

Re:It was bound to happen.

[NotQuiteReal]

A short, short retort could be "who made more money - the folks who figured out how to make electricity, rented a plot of land for a generator and bought coal from land owners... or the landlord and mine owner?

By definition the inputs to production cost less, or no one would produce, except "artists".

I'll agree that the supply of land is limited, but still submit wealth != land.

BTW, there is a lot of shitty land available.

Re:It was bound to happen.

[Alioth]

> There are no wealthy actors, musicians, authors, or anyone in the tech industry? Huh, guess I'll go buy me farm.

There are, but they all required land to do it. Musicians need food and shelter to make music, this requires land. Every cent of wealth generated in all of history can be traced back to the land (or sea) and until we can practically leave the planet, this constraint will remain.

Re: It was bound to happen.

[Anonymous Coward]

With this logic... Wealth = Sex! Because everything traces back to reproduction.

interesting experiment

[Virtucon]

Too bad it was damaged beyond repair, I'm curious around the real circumstances as to how it became that way? Anybody have a better link than the TFA?

Re:interesting experiment

[Anonymous Coward]

It was? How was it interesting?

If someone left an ugly robot thing like that out by the side of the road I'd take a baseball bat to it too. It was a dumb "art" project and a waste of time and effort that could have better been used doing - well, literally anything else. And now all they have to show from their little "art" project is a pile of debris.

Re:interesting experiment

[Holi]

So you're a vandal.

Re:interesting experiment

[Krishnoid]

Detals of the reports are murky, but I think it was something like this. While we're sorry this happened, we presume he went out happy.

Re:interesting experiment

[Anonymous Coward]

I'm not the one dropping a pile of crap on other people's property and calling it a "hitchhiking robot." You leave junk out in public, you can't be upset when the public responds by getting rid of it.

Re:interesting experiment

[Anonymous Coward]

You must be an African-American.

Re:interesting experiment

[Virtucon]

Funny yet fucked up. Still funny though.

Re:interesting experiment

[Virtucon]

Art exists for art sake. I think it's an interesting experiment in human nature. It's obviously proven one point that people will be assholes just to be assholes.

Re:interesting experiment

[dk20]

Perhaps you can show us some examples of your recent "social experiments". Just share some links showing your project had news coverage like hitchbot had.

Oh, i see.. you are more about criticizing others even though you have nothing of real value, further, you willingly admit you are of sufficiently low intelligence you would damage someone else' work?

Re:interesting experiment

[Anonymous Coward]

Maybe you can explain the contrast between it being vandalized in Philly, yet made it across Canada and Europe undamaged?

I dont think the "public" in general was upset. Most of the news articles are fairly positive as are the associated comments.

Also, they didnt get rid of it. They just broke it. If it was "junk" and someone put it in the garbage that would be one thing. Instead, they damaged it and stole part of it.

Re:interesting experiment

[Anonymous Coward]

so you are a niggard

Re:interesting experiment

[Bing Tsher E]

Just share some links showing your project had news coverage like hitchbot had.

Right. The measure of a project's value is 'new coverage.'

Turn in your nerd card.

Re:interesting experiment

[drinkypoo]

Instead, they damaged it and stole part of it.

You can't steal what is given away, and the law says that if you leave stuff lying around on purpose, that you're in a grey area. Specifically, by leaving it on the side of the road without any sort of permit, you're littering. Not only are you giving up your rights to whatever you left there, but you can be fined for discarding of waste improperly.

Now, I agree that it's douchey to damage the thing and take part of it, but I don't agree that it's vandalism or theft. Some social experiments fail. Or, alternately, it's a success in another way; it's taught us something about the world.

Re:interesting experiment

[dk20]

Among the metrics of success is usability for the masses.
it is by no stretch the only metric, but it is one of them.

You don't get 'funding' for projects people don't care about, do you?
Marketing plays into almost everything in some ways.

Re:interesting experiment

[Anonymous Coward]

Too bad it was damaged beyond repair, I'm curious around the real circumstances as to how it became that way?

Some joker tried to install systemd on it.

Re:interesting experiment

[meta-monkey]

I'd like it better if somebody had just chucked it in a dumpster. It's a piece of debris, sitting by the roadside. It's ugly, it's a distraction and has the potential to become a road hazard. They can take their "social experiment" and cram it.

Re:interesting experiment

[drinkypoo]

It's ugly, it's a distraction and has the potential to become a road hazard.

You could say the same about most any user of this website, are you about to make a modest proposal regarding slashdotters? Because that will be a fun thread.

Re:interesting experiment

[meta-monkey]

I would have conducted my own social experiment with HitchBot. I would have seen the piece of debris on the side of the road, causing a distraction to drivers and generally being an eyesore, and as a concerned, civic-minded citizen I would have delivered it to the county dump. Then waited for people like you to whine about it on the Internet. Thereby proving that some people are whiny faggots.

Re:interesting experiment

[dk20]

Right...

why don't you take a look at the pics of hitchbot and count the litter around it.
Clearly "civil minded people" such as yourself didnt seem to mind the existing litter in the area.

Also, in case you didndt read the article, it wasnt disposed of, it was vandalized and left to create a "distraction and an eyesore".

Sunday your day off, where instead of doing "civil minded things" like cleaning up litter you come here to post rude comments?

Re:interesting experiment

[meta-monkey]

I said "I would have." I was not commenting on what they did.

I think it's stupid. It's a stupid "social experiment" where you see if you can get other people to play along with your stupid game and draw meaningless, pre-conceived "conclusions" from it.

Did I mention it was stupid?

Re: interesting experiment

[Anonymous Coward]

You sound like a fun person, whom other people enjoy being around and who lives a meaningful and satisfying life. Er, wait, no, I meant the opposite of that.

Re: interesting experiment

[Anonymous Coward]

I've found, in my life, that people who go around calling everything stupid are generally losers who nobody likes. Life can be fun and enjoyable, or a constant stream of stupid things that you can complain about. It's all in your perspective. Have a nice life.

Re:interesting experiment

[Anonymous Coward]

Did I mention it was stupid?

some people are whiny faggots.

Re:interesting experiment

[n3r0.m4dski11z]

"You can't steal what is given away, and the law says that if you leave stuff lying around on purpose, that you're in a grey area. Specifically, by leaving it on the side of the road without any sort of permit, you're littering"

And this my friends, is why it survived in canada and europe for months but NOT the usa for more than a few weeks.

You talk so much mr poo, that you give away the real truth with your comment without even realizing it. That is why it was damaged in america in short order, because americans think exactly like this comment.

Re:interesting experiment

[Anonymous Coward]

Chances are if the experiment was repeated in Canada and Europe it might meet a similar fate, perhaps even sooner than it did in the U.S.

If the experiment was repeated in the U.S. again it might have made it to its destination.

The creators of the project took a large risk with this project. It's amasing it made it as far as it did. Don't pretend that a single experiment in each country/continent somehow exactly reflects that location's culture and morality. Doing so makes you look like an ass.

Re:interesting experiment

[strikethree]

That is why it was damaged in america in short order, because americans think exactly like this comment.

And europeans think exactly like neo-nazis. WTF over?

Re:interesting experiment

[drinkypoo]

That is why it was damaged in america in short order, because americans think exactly like this comment.

Really? Because I did say I thought it was a douchey thing to do. If all Americans thought that way, it wouldn't have been damaged. QED, you didn't actually read and/or understand my comment before talking about it...

Re:interesting experiment

[Anonymous Coward]

You can't steal what is given away, and the law says that if you leave stuff lying around on purpose, that you're in a grey area. Specifically, by leaving it on the side of the road without any sort of permit, you're littering.

Be serious! There is a huge difference between dumping something by the roadside - and storing something at the roadside for a while. With every intention of picking it up later.

All you said apply to cars parked on the side of the road. So, they are left lying around on purpose? The car owner is in a grey area, he has given up his right to the car, unless he negotiated parking with whoever owns that land? Even if the car broke down?

  Not only are you giving up your rights to whatever you left there, but you can be fined for discarding of waste improperly.

Now, I agree that it's douchey to damage the thing and take part of it, but I don't agree that it's vandalism or theft. Some social experiments fail. Or, alternately, it's a success in another way; it's taught us something about the world.

Re:interesting experiment

[Anonymous Coward]

That is why it was damaged in america in short order, because americans think exactly like this comment.

And europeans think exactly like neo-nazis. WTF over?

Well, Americans act exactly like Nazis. Not "Neo", just plain old Nazis. The comment referenced with "exactly like this comment" actually is reminiscent of "gerechter Volkszorn", "justified ire of the people", a propaganda term applied to things like the Reichskristallnacht where private property was destroyed systematically. A self-righteous pompous excuse for vandalism does not sanctify vandalism except in the eye of crooks.

Re: interesting experiment

[Anonymous Coward]

Jesus fuck. My point was that you can't lump everyone into the same basket... but whatever.

Re:interesting experiment

[Xest]

So if someone is driving an RC car around and you pick it up, it's yours because they left it lying around? Care to extend that to a Predator drone? If you manage to swipe it out the sky somehow with say a hack, I'm sure the government wont care because hey, they left it flying around in public airspace so tough shit. You can just take it. I imagine car theft isn't a crime in the US either, because if someone just parks their car and leaves it lying around, it's fine to just jack the engine out of it right?

Unless America's laws on property ownership are completely fucked up and broken then basically everything you say is wrong.

Here in the UK even if you find a £10 note on the floor and no one is around it's still not yours to take, you're still technically meant to hand it in to the police station, even if many people don't.

Re: interesting experiment

[AgNO3]

Yeah they left this thing in a shaddy area on purpose. They new it would get jacked. What brain surgeon left a silly looking pos on the side of a road in a place the redidents are unlikely to be going more then several blocks from their homes. Look up the address on a crime map. Its the freaking hood. Left in shit paris or montreal area same would happen.

Re: interesting experiment

[AgNO3]

I dare you to go sit around where the idiot left the robohiker in philly.

Re: interesting experiment

[AgNO3]

Its a shit area? Oh I mean, its a shit area!

Re:interesting experiment

[Anonymous Coward]

#robotlivesmatter

Re: interesting experiment

[Anonymous Coward]

The creators of the robot dropped it off on the east coast, and it hitchhiked to Philly. They didn't choose where it would go to wait for its next ride each step of the way, they had no way to do that.

Re:interesting experiment

[RespekMyAthorati]

Well, it certainly taught us something about Philly.
It's a place not safe for man, beast or robot.

Re:interesting experiment

[Anonymous Coward]

Really? Because I did say I thought it was a douchey thing to do. If all Americans thought that way, it wouldn't have been damaged.

If (U.S.) Americans had an ingrained aversion to doing douchey things, there would be a lot more open jobs in government. Unfortunately, there is no shortage of people who will pillage, torture, raid, kill, snoop, sexually harrass and bully people when someone gives them the go-ahead.

Re:interesting experiment

[Anonymous Coward]

Ever play Counter Strike?

Re:interesting experiment

[Anonymous Coward]

It's obviously proven one point that AMERICANS will be assholes just to be assholes.

Re:interesting experiment

[Anonymous Coward]

Too bad it was damaged beyond repair, I'm curious around the real circumstances as to how it became that way?

Some joker tried to install systemd on it.

Best /. comment ever.

Re:interesting experiment

[wardrich86]

...sitting by the roadside. It's ugly, it's a distraction and has the potential to become a road hazard.

That's not fair. I still gave your mom a chance.

Those people boo nuns

[blackfeltfedora]

Of course it was ruined in Philly

Re:Those people boo nuns

[Anonymous Coward]

They boo Santa Claus at football games, too.

Re:Those people boo nuns

[ChrisMaple]

Who was stupid enough to leave the robot in Philly? If it had made it to rural western New York State or rural western Pennsylvania, the odds are good it would have made it to within 50 miles of the west coast (especially if it wasn't left in some slum). National and State parks would have been good way stations.

Even Humans Cannot Hitchhike Safely.

[Anonymous Coward]

There are laws against hitchhiking in many states because it is considered dangerous. Many people are killed each year from it. While l personally think this is a great social experiment, the outcome should not be unexpected. While most of us would love to pick up a hitchhiking robot, robots have yet to their respect and place among humans.

Re:Even Humans Cannot Hitchhike Safely.

[myowntrueself]

There are laws against hitchhiking in many states because it is considered dangerous. Many people are killed each year from it. While l personally think this is a great social experiment, the outcome should not be unexpected. While most of us would love to pick up a hitchhiking robot, robots have yet to their respect and place among humans.

"Hitchhiking is dangerous so we make it illegal, that way if you hitchhike in our state the police will taze you, rob you and put you in a cell with Bubba. Have a nice day."

Re: Even Humans Cannot Hitchhike Safely.

[Anonymous Coward]

But "it's for your own good, citizen!" Has long been a favorite excuse for the application of restrictive and revenue-creating laws! We can't break the tradition.

Re:Even Humans Cannot Hitchhike Safely.

[codepigeon]

the outcome should not be unexpected

And there is the problem. Have we sunk so low that it should be expected that our society will not be civil? The robot made it safely across canada and parts of europe. It spent a week with a heavy metal band, people respected it.
Two weeks in america and its defiled. Makes me emberrased.

Re:Even Humans Cannot Hitchhike Safely.

[Anonymous Coward]

Admittedly, there has been the same problem with Fibreglass cows in Europe. A touring exhibition of fibreglass cows was vandalized in Dublin and Paris.

Of course, the root of the verb "to vandalize" comes from the Vandals that sacked Rome implying that it is by no means a modern issue. In other words: there has always been some fuckwit to ruin it for everybody.

Re:Even Humans Cannot Hitchhike Safely.

[Anonymous Coward]

Sounds right. Have you ever been to Philly?

http://www.sportspickle.com/2010/05/9-terrible-philly-fan-incidents-and-their-harmless-explanations

Re:Even Humans Cannot Hitchhike Safely.

[Anonymous Coward]

Have we sunk so low that it should be expected that our society will not be civil?

Yes. For we are no longer a society, nor will the remnants of what was once our civilization last much longer. All that is left to decide now is who will be on which side of the barbed wire of the death camps.

Re: Even Humans Cannot Hitchhike Safely.

[Anonymous Coward]

Exactly. The robot's first mistake was to be created by a human who didn't program it to avoid Philly at all costs. God, Philly is a cesspool of humanity. Not surprised by this in the least.

Re: Even Humans Cannot Hitchhike Safely.

[Subratik]

Cesspool? Where do you live? Philly is frequently rated as one of the best places to visit in the U.S, has some of the best restaurants/chefs in the world, and has a thriving tech scene. If you can't understand the probability of having someone vandalize something in a big city on the side of the road for the lulz then you are clueless.

Re:Even Humans Cannot Hitchhike Safely.

[Anonymous Coward]

Of course, the root of the verb "to vandalize" comes from the Vandals that sacked Rome implying that it is by no means a modern issue.

Well, if you take a look at what the heathen Vandals did to a decrepit Rome (cf Wikipedia article) and compare it with what the Crusaders did to a Christian Constantinople (cf Wikipedia article), "Vandalism" should be more aptly be named "Romance".

Re: Even Humans Cannot Hitchhike Safely.

[ChrisMaple]

All big cities have good neighborhoods. The difficult and important thing is to find a big city without bad neighborhoods. Philly fails that test, as does any big city dominated by leftists (generally Democrats.)

Re:Even Humans Cannot Hitchhike Safely.

[Anonymous Coward]

A human can make it across Canada travelling in the middle of the road and still make it...

Hitchhiking is for cows.

[Anonymous Coward]

You are all cows. Cows say moo. MOOOOOOOOO! MOOOOOOOOOO! Moo cows MOOOOOOOOO! Moo say the cows. YOU COWS!!

Re:Hitchhiking is for cows.

[Anonymous Coward]

Oh look, it is the "cows" guy again.
How pathetic is your life that you post this every day on every article?

Every consider talking to a therapist and getting out of your parents basement?

Re:Hitchhiking is for cows.

[Anonymous Coward]

Surely it's not just one person. I weep if one person is that persistent.

Re:Hitchhiking is for cows.

[Anonymous Coward]

Some people can just really milk a joke for a long time.

Re: Hitchhiking is for cows.

[Anonymous Coward]

Start weeping. And never stop....

As usual

[ArcadeMan]

The article mentions a blog, but there's no link to it. The article mentions that the "robot" took a photo every 20 minutes but there's not a single photo to show us.

It's like the Internet is only able to use text for articles and things like photos, animations and videos are the exclusive domain of advertisers.

Re: As usual

[Anonymous Coward]

That's because they don't want to tnigger a race riot.

Re:As usual

[invictusvoyd]

https://twitter.com/hitchbot

Re: As usual

[Anonymous Coward]

You've been modded down because you acknowledged the real reason why facts are suppressed. I'll probably get modded down for pointing out that the "experiment" in which segregation was ended has been pretty much a complete and utter failure. Most people have a tendency to make decisions, and when others point out that they made bad decisions, they try very, very hard to cover up those mistakes with lies, and sometimes they make even more mistakes based on those original mistakes because they refuse to admit that they made a mistake, or multiple mistakes. Because it is embarrassing to them, and it is better to make everyone else suffer so the individual doesn't have to suffer.

I have two words for everyone that thinks I'm a troll (I'm not): "Harrison Bergeron"

Can anyone honestly say they've never seen anything like that in the USA? Another two words: "Affirmative Action"

I could be mistaken, but there are a bunch of races that have immigrated to the USA, and in less time than the African-Americans have had, have managed to not only be considered equal to the white man, but are sometimes considered superior in some ways. When you consider that the old definition of "white man" in the USA specifically referred to British-Americans, it's hard to challenge that assertion. A lot of people that we consider "white" nowadays used to be considered inferior to the British. Even the blond, blue-eyed Germans were once considered inferior in the USA, and that was before WW 1.

Re: As usual

[Anonymous Coward]

There sure has been lots of discrimination based on race. However, there's a difference between discrimination and the institutionalized racism through slavery and Jim Crow laws that have combined for centuries of oppression. Let's say that Kim Jong-Un was dethroned today in North Korea and a democracy was implemented immediately. Do you honestly believe that North Korea would immediately prosper? It would take a long time to recover from the damage done by the dictatorship. While other races and ethnicities have prospered more quickly in the US, they also haven't faced the prolonged severe racism that African-Americans have. You're a troll because you're intentionally leaving out those important facts.

Re: As usual

[Anonymous Coward]

Um, you do know that the first slave owner in the USA, Anthony Johnson, was a black man, right?

So not only did Africans kidnap and sell other Africans into slavery, but they came to the USA, created an institution of slavery, and then several centuries later, decided to blame the white man for enslaving African-Americans. Bravo. #blacklivesmatter

Re: As usual

[myowntrueself]

There sure has been lots of discrimination based on race. However, there's a difference between discrimination and the institutionalized racism through slavery and Jim Crow laws that have combined for centuries of oppression. Let's say that Kim Jong-Un was dethroned today in North Korea and a democracy was implemented immediately. Do you honestly believe that North Korea would immediately prosper? It would take a long time to recover from the damage done by the dictatorship. While other races and ethnicities have prospered more quickly in the US, they also haven't faced the prolonged severe racism that African-Americans have. You're a troll because you're intentionally leaving out those important facts.

Democracy won't necessarily lead to instant prosperity???! Heretic!

Re: As usual

[Anonymous Coward]

You numbnut. This occurred a century before there was such a thing as the USA.
The first documented Slaveowner in North America was Christopher Columbus.
Of course, Slavery existed here long before Columbus, but Conservative pustules like to refer to the Johnson Lawsuit because of its novelty. "Hey- a Black Man once owned a Slave, therefor Slavery is a Good Thing!"
BTW, you might look into European Slavery; Cromwell took Irish as Slaves and sent them to North America. Read your Pirenne. I'm not talking about Feudalism, where Serfs were essentially tied for life to their Manors. I''m talking about Slave Raiding- specifically capturing, and then selling human beings, for Profit. The very word "Slave" derives from the common practice of enslaving Slavs. You do know what a Slav is?

It got in one little fight and its mom got scared

[Anonymous Coward]

You know where it goes from here...

Nice try

[Anonymous Coward]

"A GPS in the robot tracked its location, and a camera randomly snapped photos about every 20 minutes to document its travels."

Nice try Canuckistan, but your cutesy spy robot attempt has FAILED!

Re:Nice try

[Anonymous Coward]

Three men and a station chief are congratulating themselves on a mission well accomplished right now.

KGIII

Mission Accomplished

[xxxJonBoyxxx]

>> tape wrapped around its head that read "San Francisco or bust."

Option 2. Mission accomplished, right?

Re: Mission Accomplished

[Anonymous Coward]

Given the *actual* definitions of bust, I think I'd rather go with option 2 as well.

Somewhere

[Anonymous Coward]

some social scientists are settling their bets with each other on how far it would make it.

Now they have learned that the best defense is a good offense.

The best robot will pull be a hijacking hitchhiker.

Pic

[hawguy]

Here's a story with a picture of the robot back when he was in good health, as well as a picture of the now deceased robot:

http://paleofuture.gizmodo.com...

Could have told them that would happen.

[Anonymous Coward]

Should have avoided the entire east coast if you wanted it to stay intact.

captcha:corridor

Re:Could have told them that would happen.

[Anonymous Coward]

Mod parent up. The real news here is that the robot somehow survived all the way to Philadelphia, not that it was vandalized and destroyed. I guess Boston couldn't figure out how to deflate it and just punted it to down the coast.

Re:Could have told them that would happen.

[Anonymous Coward]

It's almost all the coastal areas that are bad.
East cost is asshole bullshit. West coast is crazy bullshit. South coast is stupid bullshit.

'Flyover country' is pretty damm nice tho.
Aside from a couple cites that are shitholes because of... Racist to point out why.

That was just sad

[HangingChad]

That was a douche move. Thanks, Philly, for showing the world how classy we are.

Who has the remains?

[Anonymous Coward]

Maybe if we volunteer to get it fixed, hitchbot can continue its journey!

Re:Who has the remains?

[Anonymous Coward]

I'd throw $500 at a reward for the conviction of the perps. I'd throw another $500 at the researcher to build or repair the robot. Not all Americans are jackasses. I am but that is besides the point. I would do it to prove we are not all jackasses even if I am a jackass.

KGIII

Re:Who has the remains?

[Anonymous Coward]

I'd throw $500 at a reward for the conviction of the perps. I'd throw another $500 at the researcher to build or repair the robot. Not all Americans are jackasses. I am but that is besides the point. I would do it to prove we are not all jackasses even if I am a jackass.

KGIII

Conviction of the perps???? Destroying things abandoned on the side of the road is not a crime.

Bike?

[jbmartin6]

They probably thought it was a bicycle, Philly is an awful place for bike theft and destruction.

Dealers

[Anonymous Coward]

Probably some drug dealers near Philly thinking that the camera was a trap to catch a drug deal.

Anyone want to guess the race of the creep?

of course the end would be in Amurika!

[Anonymous Coward]

nuff said.

Re:of course the end would be in Amurika!

[Anonymous Coward]

nuff said.

See one of the things that makes America and Americans so great is that they live in a highly competitive ad sometimes violent environment which makes adults of people more than the sissified socialist environments of Europe. You compete to win or you lose. Sometimes big time. The robot couldnt compete and it sure as hell couldnt fight.

Re:of course the end would be in Amurika!

[Anonymous Coward]

nuff said.

See one of the things that makes America and Americans so great is that they live in a highly competitive ad sometimes violent environment which makes adults of people more than the sissified socialist environments of Europe. You compete to win or you lose. Sometimes big time. The robot couldnt compete and it sure as hell couldnt fight.

Spoken like a real moron! Hats to you Sir, you must have a lot of friends and achieved a lot in life that way! /not

Re:of course the end would be in Amurika!

[Anonymous Coward]

nuff said.

See one of the things that makes America and Americans so great is that they live in a highly competitive ad sometimes violent environment which makes adults of people more than the sissified socialist environments of Europe. You compete to win or you lose. Sometimes big time. The robot couldnt compete and it sure as hell couldnt fight.

To hitchhike in America you best be in a republican state and have your concealed carry permit and be carrying smart. Darned robot was helpless.

Re:of course the end would be in Amurika!

[Anonymous Coward]

nuff said.

See one of the things that makes America and Americans so great is that they live in a highly competitive ad sometimes violent environment which makes adults of people more than the sissified socialist environments of Europe. You compete to win or you lose. Sometimes big time. The robot couldnt compete and it sure as hell couldnt fight.

Spoken like a real moron! Hats to you Sir, you must have a lot of friends and achieved a lot in life that way! /not

yes Sir I sure have! Did it all on my own. No socialist handouts or pc bull***t to coddle me like a baby..

Re:of course the end would be in Amurika!

[Anonymous Coward]

nuff said.

See one of the things that makes America and Americans so great is that they live in a highly competitive ad sometimes violent environment which makes adults of people more than the sissified socialist environments of Europe. You compete to win or you lose. Sometimes big time. The robot couldnt compete and it sure as hell couldnt fight.

Spoken like a real moron! Hats to you Sir, you must have a lot of friends and achieved a lot in life that way! /not

yes Sir I sure have! Did it all on my own. No socialist handouts or pc bull***t to coddle me like a baby..

you are just jealous. if you ever had the social security and health care we have around here you wouldn't speak like that. one day if you ever leave the jungle and enter a civilized world, you will understand...

(funny the captcha was "dreaming")

Re:of course the end would be in Amurika!

[Anonymous Coward]

nuff said.

See one of the things that makes America and Americans so great is that they live in a highly competitive ad sometimes violent environment which makes adults of people more than the sissified socialist environments of Europe. You compete to win or you lose. Sometimes big time. The robot couldnt compete and it sure as hell couldnt fight.

Spoken like a real moron! Hats to you Sir, you must have a lot of friends and achieved a lot in life that way! /not

yes Sir I sure have! Did it all on my own. No socialist handouts or pc bull***t to coddle me like a baby..

you are just jealous. if you ever had the social security and health care we have around here you wouldn't speak like that. one day if you ever leave the jungle and enter a civilized world, you will understand...

(funny the captcha was "dreaming")

When the going gets tough I'll be doing just fine. You Sir will be protesting and crying in the streets because you aren't getting your handouts.

Re:of course the end would be in Amurika!

[Anonymous Coward]

You are wrong. Just because I have a good social insurance doesn't mean I did not save enough for any unpredictable events. In fact at this moment I'm 100% credit free, unlike most of the USA.

One more notch for that dentist?

[140Mandak262Jamuna]

Wow, that Minnesota dentist gets around doesn't he? He can now boast one more unique "taking". He is a true sportsman, he picks as target only things that has the same level of intelligence as him.

Re:One more notch for that dentist?

[Anonymous Coward]

considering he is a big game hunter, I would call this an EPIC FAIL!

RELEASE THE PHOTO FOR THE KIDS!!!

[Anonymous Coward]

Release the photo of the robot for the kids! They need to learn what happens to hitch hikers.

So once again we prove

[Anonymous Coward]

America is not ready to join the civilized world. It must be the trauma of their 9/11. A spell was cast that drove off all the humanity and left only the death eaters You all are right, I don't belong here. Such a sad place paradise has become. I cry as I post this.

Don't Cry...

[freeze128]

Philly needs electronics!

Re:Don't Cry...

[Tablizer]

Perhaps somebody just got news they were being replaced by automation.

And then on their way home spotted the robotic hitchhiker. The rest is history, including the robot.

Missing the 1 suspect

[Anonymous Coward]

Alot of racial talk here. But we're missing the 1 probable suspect. Some drunk moron from the local college university.

Missing the 1 suspect

[thundercattt]

Alot of racial talk here. But we're missing the 1 probable suspect. Some drunk moron from the local college university. Always something idiot student in my city caught doing vandalism usually when walking home from bar/party.

Why does the article assume vandalism?

[leptogenesis]

his electronics are gone along with his head.

That doesn't sound like vandalism to me, it sounds like plain theft. I know the article wanted to pain this person as "terrible" to fit with the snappy title, but it's more likely that this person was just desperate and found some electronics to steal. According to the USDA there's close to 7 million households in the US that go hungry once in a while because they don't have a reliable income.

Re:Why does the article assume vandalism?

[meta-monkey]

Is it stealing to take something abandoned by the side of the road?

Re:Why does the article assume vandalism?

[graphius]

there's close to 7 million households in the US that go hungry once in a while because they don't have a reliable income.

and that makes it better how?

Re:Why does the article assume vandalism?

[Anonymous Coward]

Is it stealing to take something abandoned by the side of the road?

Yes, it is. If it weren't I'd be driving around with a tow truck taking "abandoned" cars sitting on the shoulder of roads.

Re:Why does the article assume vandalism?

[leptogenesis]

I wasn't claiming that it's better--if anything, crushing poverty is worse than vandalism--I just want to point out that the solution is different, and the conclusions that you reach about human psychology are different.

If you want to solve poverty, you need stronger social safety nets and education in useful job skills. If you want to solve hooligan vandalism, however, you need stronger police, more surveillance, and more morality education. I would honestly rather not see the government taking steps in the second direction. However, it seems everyone else on slashdot (and the article's author) seems to be pushing the vandalism angle, and it seems that's largely based on a misconception.

Re:Why does the article assume vandalism?

[graphius]

Interesting point of view.
I do think though that vandalism and poverty/education at are at least related in some fashion.

What is the solution? That is a whole other conversation...

Re:Why does the article assume vandalism?

[Anonymous Coward]

So, you'd be regular tow truck driver?

Missing the 1 obvious suspect

[Anonymous Coward]

Alot of race on here wow. Realistically, it was probably some drunk moron from the local College/University.Quite common where I live to see these idiots vandalizing stuff while walking home at 3am

Next time

[Anonymous Coward]

Halifax -> Vancouver

Not 'desaparecido' yet

[Anonymous Coward]

At least it wasn't the police. Sting was nowhere near Philly. As for drug dealers, the CIA will neither confirm nor deny its involvement. Actually they lost the records, can't remember a thing, saw nothing, heard nothing, and didn't even get out of bed this morning.

Tom Brady destroyed the Robot

[Anonymous Coward]

Apparently the Hitchhiking Robot was dating his cellphone so they both had to go.

And this is a lesson in subjective value.

[Anonymous Coward]

So a bunch of rich hipsters put some junk on the side of the street and some people trash the junk.

Oh, what's that? It isn't junk? So the value of something is subjective and depends on what it's worth to particular individuals? Congratulations, you've just found out why the high school electronics project that's been repeated a thousand times is worth more to you for its geekgasm value than to the average person, who just sees a useless hunk of plastic and wires.

In the UK this might as well be regarded as fly tipping. If I put shit on the side of the road then it doesn't matter how important *I* think it is. Otherwise every dick that dumps an old chair/TV on the pavement is doing a social experiment.

Re:And this is a lesson in subjective value.

[graphius]

did you miss the part where it successfully traveled across Canada and parts of Europe?

Yes, this social experiment did tell us lots...

Re:And this is a lesson in subjective value.

[Anonymous Coward]

No, they left out important info. How many people did it use to travel across Canada and part of Europe? Did one guy take it halfway across Canada and another the rest of the way? Did it take 50 people for it to travel from MA to PA? Philadelphia has one of the highest crime rates in the nation. You're still at risk of getting killed from crossfire in a shoot between gangs near your local 7-eleven. I used to live there. Did the robot stop at any similar high crime areas in Canada or Europe? Total distance traveled is an extremely poor metric by itself.

And maybe the people in Philly were smarter? "San Francisco or bust." The people in Philly helped it reach it's goal more efficiently than everyone else. Destruction was listed as a valid result. "???? or bust" is an old saying you don't hear anymore.

City of Brotherly Loathing

[perotbot]

There are some days I really hate living here. This is a morals tale like Short Circuit. Ih I had known the bot was here I would have driven it around for few days and maybe have turned it over to my ingress brethren to get it on it's way... farking arse holes....

Re:City of Brotherly Loathing

[Anonymous Coward]

There are some days I really hate living here. This is a morals tale like Short Circuit. Ih I had known the bot was here I would have driven it around for few days and maybe have turned it over to my ingress brethren to get it on it's way... farking arse holes....

You sure are as hell don't sound like you are from Philly. You an exchange student or something like that?

Re:City of Brotherly Loathing

[meta-monkey]

If it were near me I would have called the department of transportation and reported a piece of roadside debris and let them haul it to the dump.

Re: City of Brotherly Loathing

[Anonymous Coward]

But who do we call to have you picked up and dumped somewhere?

Re:City of Brotherly Loathing

[Anonymous Coward]

I'm not defending the vandals, but It did look like a Mets fan.

Let off in Philly, it walked into a Dunkin' Donut.

[Applehu Akbar]

And was set upon by a gang of cheap Windows Vista laptops that had been lounging around glomming the free WiFi. It was found face down behind the diner, stripped of all data, with its USB port full of viruses.

Canadian here...

[Anonymous Coward]

I am actually surprised it crossed Canada. I didn't think it would stand a chance here let alone in the US.

the gang ruins it for everybody

[steak]

i guess to robot failed the ocular patdown.

Who Saw Him Last?

[Toad-san]

http://paleofuture.gizmodo.com...

it's on somebody's wall

[Anonymous Coward]

"You know son, that plastic dome thingie looked awfully ridiculous on your wall."

TLDR Philly is a s***hole.

[Anonymous Coward]

Are you surprised? Expecting people in a s***y urban area to respect other people's property? What did you think would happen?

The robot was not properly equipped

[Anonymous Coward]

For the Canada trip they outfitted it with a pleasing personality and the robot made it across the country. For the US trip they should have outfitted it with a sidearm and live ammo. Just how we roll here.....

Obligatory

[ArcadeMan]

"We can rebuild him. We have the technology. We can make him better than he was. Better... stronger... faster."

Re:Obligatory

[Mr. Shotgun]

"We can rebuild him. We have the technology. We can make him better than he was. Better... stronger... faster."

Of all the times I wished Slashdot supported images, this is one of the top 5. But yes, they will.

Re:Let off in Philly, it walked into a Dunkin' Don

[ArcadeMan]

Virtual +1 Funny.

Seriously, I used to get mod points every few weeks and now I haven't gotten any in over six months.

Negroes at play

[Anonymous Coward]

Philly is The City of Apes. Violent gorillas roam the streets. Not only do these chimps destroy our culture, they destroy everything that they can get away with. Negroes are not truly human. They are more closely related to gorillas and chimps. Send them back to the jungle where they belong,

Re: Negroes at play

[Anonymous Coward]

STFU Jew.

One way to get a head

[Anonymous Coward]

Maybe there's someone out there collecting robot heads.
http://totaldickhead.blogspot.com/2008/04/headless-man-sues-loses.html

Brotherly Love

[Anonymous Coward]

Brotherly love clearly left Philly (escaped to Canada/Europe). Its something about "public commons" that gets exhausted by a greedy, self-interested person who has no respect for 'public commons' and spoils the public good due to their own greed. Its why things like socialism can't exist in America. Its why bankers given money to ease interest on the poor will instead pocket it and squeeze the poor. Its why the oceans (a public resource) are full of garbage put there by private polluters who just don't care. Its why words like "Charity" to a stockbroker/Republican is like holy water to a vampire. If your house burns down, they will warm their hands by the fire. If there is a threat to their home (smoke/heat) they will sue before the fire department gets there. If you take out your heirlooms and put them on the front lawn to keep them from being destroyed, they will try to steal them, and if you don't have enough room on your lawn they will charge you rent if you ask to use theirs, and even offer to buy it from you for half a cent on the dollar. They will also offer you water to put out the fire at a hundred dollars per drop. Clutching, grabbing, angry greed. Made in America.

Next robot story

[Deadstick]

Bot travels the Internet, trolling for corrosive hatred, and hits paydirt on Slashdot.

Last seen alive on YouTube

[qzzpjs]

hitchBot was probably last seen alive on the BFvsGF channel on Youtube (vlog channel for PrankVsPrank). Near the end of the video they gave him a ride to the bench where he was probably picked up by the bad guys. Too bad they didn't trust the taxi driver to take him to New York.

Re:Last seen alive on YouTube

[Anonymous Coward]

aye. vloggers went out drinking with it, abandoned in on a bench in a neighborhood full of drunks, tweakers and those desperate for cash. By the sound of it, hitchBot wasn't vandalized, but scrapped for salvage.

The dangers of hitchhiking...

[KrazyDave]

redux

Marblehead, Massachusetts

[reboot246]

Ah, that's so nice. Our President hasn't even finished his second term and there's already a town named for him.

It's bacon!

[Anonymous Coward]

I love all the comments here by racist cops, I mean, pigs.

Well, it proved hitchhiking is still dangerous

[Anonymous Coward]

Maybe that was always the reverse psychology of the endeavour.

Yo, yo, yo homes...u kno Hitchbot was snitchin

[slas6654]

Listen up y'all. Hitchbot had it comin...he was really snitchbot... U kno that shitchbot was really put out there by my FBI man Bobbie Mueller...we knew he was down with those South Jerzey boyz. Just lucki we took care of him before he went East Coast and they never would have found him...

They shouldn't have painted it black

[Anonymous Coward]

They shouldn't have painted it black - probably got shot by the cops.

Robophobia

[SpiritHex]

Just more proof that some Americans are evil

Reminds me of scene from Trading Places

[istartedi]

"In Philadelphia, it's worth fifty bucks". They should definitely search the pawn shops for any valuable parts that match.

Philadelphia - ugh

[EStrat]

No one who knows Philly can be surprised that the robot died there.

Robots battle cry in future robot vs human wars

[Anonymous Coward]

"Remember Hitchbot!"

No disassemble Number Five!

[nult]

"Not malfunction Stephanie. Number 5 is alive. "

Good night, Fresh Prince ...

[scunc]

Same thing would have happened to Will Smith if his parents hadn't sent him to Bel Air.

The real lesson

[Anonymous Coward]

The real lesson here is don't go to F*^%ing Philly. It is a $H!t hole filled with $h!ty people.

Philly

[axl917]

It's probably the only thing that sports fans from New York and Boston agree on; Filthydelphia sucks. This is where Santa was pelted with snowballs by Eagles fans after all...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?...

Martin?

[isham]

Martin? Is that you? What are you doing in that timeline? Hurry up an get back on the Heart of Gold before Earth gets blown up to make way for the hyperspatial express route. Gosh, you'll probably go on and on about how you were mistreated for years....

-Zaphod

The last people to report picking Hitchbot up

[Anonymous Coward]

https://twitter.com/Jessewelle...
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CL...

Pretty obvious what happened next

Lets find out who did this

[Anonymous Coward]

I believe that we should make a concerted effort to identify the culprit. Based on the information provided a lot of information is already known, and much more can be safely assumed. As an example, since no one has stepped forward to claim responsibility for the attack, we know the assailant is a coward. Since the robot did not have any threatening features nor was it programmed with any offensive dialogue, we know the assailant to be the aggressor. Since the aggressor had nothing to gain from the attack, we have to assume that the motivation was purely emotional. As to actual motive, I believe that we can safely assume this act was compensating for the assailants extremely small male genitals. Furthermore, based on the nature of the attack we can also assume we are looking for someone that could be classified as mentally challenged. Hopefully by telling the Police that we are looking for an Aggressive, Cowardly, Brain-Injured male with a micro-penis from the Philadelphia area we can finally bring justice to hitchbot.

Hardly surprising when you consider

[Anonymous Coward]

...some redneck shoots first and asks questions later when a drone flies over his house.

Perhaps some trigger-happy gun-nut thought that the robot was looking funny at his girls in the car and decided to blow its circuits out....

Surveillance video

[Sibko]

Some surveillance video is out finally: https://www.youtube.com/watch?...

Re Damaged beyond repair.

[Anonymous Coward]

It obviously "updated" itself to Windows 10.