For a week now, neighbors in San Francisco’s Mission District have shared their sadness and outrage over the death of KitKat, the neighborhood cat.
The cat’s owner says a Waymo ran him over. A memorial still marks the spot on 16th Street.
VIDEO: SF Mission neighbors mourn bodega cat allegedly killed by Waymo
KitKat, a fixture at Randa’s Market on 16th Street, died late Monday night after allegedly being run over by a Waymo robotaxi. There is now a growing memorial for the beloved neighborhood cat.
“If I were the Waymo PR team, I would be hoping that this whole KitKat thing just dies. And, that’s not happening,” San Francisco Supervisor Jackie Fielder said in a social media video on Monday.
Fielder announced a plan to ask the state to allow voters in each county to decide how they want autonomous vehicles to operate in their communities.
“He was the neighborhood cat. He was truly loved by everyone. He loved everyone. He brought smiles and comfort and joy,” Mike Zeidan said.
Zeidan runs Randa’s Market in the Mission and was KitKat’s owner.
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He says since the cat’s death, there’s been an outpouring of community support.
Outside Zeidan’s shop, many customers told ABC7 News they’d support Fielder’s resolution.
“I was like, ‘those things don’t belong on the streets.’ If it can’t see animals, it doesn’t belong on the streets,” Randy Ponciano said.
Fielder’s proposed legislation has also gotten criticism. Some worry that, if passed, it could harm the local economy.
That includes Ahmed Banafa – a tech expert and professor at San Jose State University.
“This is going to slow innovation, increase costs, discourage the deployment,” Banafa said. “And other states like Arizona and Texas would welcome Waymo and other companies if we give them a hard time about this.”
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Beyond the economic impact, Banafa believes Fielder’s proposal also has logistical problems. He says it could lead to a patchwork of different rules among the state’s 58 counties, leaving driverless cars almost impossible to use.
“If you don’t have some kind of standardization, whether it’s from the DMV or CPUC, it’s going to be a problem here,” Banafa said.
As for Zeidan, all he wants is for another being not to suffer the same fate as his beloved KitKat.
“All I would hope is that they would make the car safer for animals and humans,” he said.
In a statement, Waymo said KitKat darted out in front of a vehicle as it was pulling away.
The company plans to donate to an animal rights group in the cat’s honor.
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