Hitchbot Hitchhikes Across Canada Without A Scratch, Gets Kicked To Death In Philadelphia.

[TrollBuster9090]

Last edited Tue Aug 4, 2015, 04:15 PM - Edit history (2)

Seriously, so much for the city of brotherly love.

Hitchbot was a helpless little robot that people would leave by the road with its thumb out, hoping to hitchhike across the country. He made it across Canada and western europe without a scratch. Then got kicked to death by a moron in Philadelphia two weeks into his attempt to cross the U.S.A. Yay for 'Murican Exceptionalism!


Story here:
http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/hitchhiking-robot-hitchbot-meets-demise-philadelphia-after-about-2-weeks-n402606


More Info about the Hitchbot Social Experiment here:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HitchBOT


Video of jackass robot killer here:

EDIT/UPDATE:
Here's a video of the original CBC News story about Hitchbot when it started its journey.

There are now reports that the kicking video might have been a hoax. Although, obviously, the destruction of the robot is real.

As for the video of the kicking being a hoax, I'm not sure that's any better. It only proves that, not only was some asshole happy to gratuitously smashed up a robot for fun, but also that some OTHER asshole was happy to exploit America's embarrassment for PERSONAL GAIN.

My favorite line from the CBC News documentary is where she says "How we treat it is a reflection of our society." That's true, but a little scary.

[cpwm17]

1. Hopefully they can find him and shame him on the internet:

"congratulations, you are now the world's biggest asshole."

There should be more cameras in the area now they know how he dressed.

[GoneFishin]

2. A future Teapublican leader sprouting his wings.

[DetlefK]

3. Breaking News: Humanoid trash-can kicked to death after being left for good at curbside.

[marble falls]

4. American Exceptionalism: the GOP will be braying all about it Thursday night.....

American exceptionalism is the theory that the United States is inherently different from other nations.[2] In this view, American exceptionalism stems from its emergence from the American Revolution, thereby becoming what political scientist Seymour Martin Lipset called "the first new nation"[3] and developing a uniquely American ideology, "Americanism", based on liberty, egalitarianism, individualism, republicanism, democracy and laissez-faire. This ideology itself is often referred to as "American exceptionalism."[4]

Although the term does not necessarily imply superiority, many neoconservative and other American conservative writers have promoted its use in that sense.[4][5] To them, the U.S. is like the biblical "City upon a Hill"—a phrase evoked by British colonists to North America as early as 1630—and exempt from historical forces that have affected other countries.[6]

<snip>

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_exceptionalism

[Moostache]

12. America IS Exceptional...

at producing world-class jackasses. From our politicians, to our businessmen, to our bankers, to our law enforcement officials, to our CIA contractors operating with impunity overseas, all the way down to our common street thug morons.

America is exceptional at all the wrong things and completely ordinary to utterly underwhelming in those things that actually matter most. Under Obama we slowed the descent to the bottom briefly, but if you listen to the poo-flinging monkey brigade on the right, that is the equivalent to dissolving the union in their minds.

[Hoppy]

5. By now, he's bragged about it to his friends. Put up a reward.

His friends will have to choose between their next meth purchase or his being their friend.

[BeyondGeography]

6. Even Santa got better treatment than that

[votesparks]

7. The whole thing is a PR Stunt

set up by youtube star Ed Bassmaster, for his upcoming show on CMT.

[patricia92243]

13. He really is a Jackass :(

[TrollBuster9090]

14. You might be right about the kicking video. Hitchbot getting wrecked in Phili is for real, though.

So, we have either one of two things going on here:

A) Hitchbot survived trips across Canada and Europe, only to be wrecked two weeks into his trip across the USA. Thus suggesting we have a higher percentage of assholes that those other countries. Or,

B) Hitchbot survived trips across Canada and Europe, only to be wrecked two weeks into his trip across the USA. FOLLOWED by YET ANOTHER asshole who thought he'd EXPLOIT this for personal gain. Thus PROVING we have a higher percentage of assholes than those other countries.

Congratulations to Bassmaster!

[RKP5637]

8. Apparently there were no homeless people nearby that night to kick. n/t

[2naSalit]

9. Devil's advocate for a post...

Though I don't condone what this individual did, I have unpleasant feelings about a robot traveling about asking to be let in to one's world for any length of time. Kind of creeps me out that some unknown group has created a robot, capable of recording everything around it and transmitting the info to some unknown place/people... just don't feel comfortable about that. Hell, after being hacked in the OPM debacle, I'm not comfortable about my cell phone or laptop... much more so than I was before this year.

So, I wonder what the actual motivation for the individual to do this, perhaps was creeped out and not aware of what this device was or just a destructive asshole who needed a rush without actually killing a living being. What were the random "factoids" this device was offering? Perhaps this spitwad found it offensive or maybe it just scared him by talking to him when he thought he was alone..?

All the same, a shitty way to respond to the presence of an inanimate or animate object.

[TrollBuster9090]

15. It was built as a social experiment to test the kindness of strangers (or lack thereof).

You can read about it here:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HitchBOT

It was a fairly simple robot that had a GPS in it so that you could follow where it was on its website. All it says is "hello I'm Hitchbot, I'm hitchhiking across the country" etc. People would pick it up, drive it as far as they wanted to, and then leave it for somebody else to pick up. You can see the CBC News report on it, here.

[BlueJazz]

10. As if the US didn't need any more news about how "kind" we are. guns, violence, guns, violence

guns, violence, guns, violence, guns, violence, guns, violence. Barbarians

The red-necking of America

[jalan48]

11. This looks more like a hip hop kinda kid. I guess you could classify them as redneck as well.

[BlueJazz]

18. I use that term for people that are (by their own choice) cruel and ignorant.

Not talking about farmers or actual necks that are red. I grew up on a farm.

[ybbor]

16. Philly fans did boo Santa

Back in the day, even Santa wasn't safe in Philly.

http://viewpure.com/AWvza6en5Rg

[TrollBuster9090]

17. I demand an apology from Chris Matthews! He's obviously a Phily fan. nt