Delivery robots are now being robbed for food and other items in some cities where they have been introduced. Is robot security catching up?
  • Uriel238 [all pronouns]@lemmy.blahaj.zoneEnglish
    21816·
    1 year ago

    My (unpopular?) solution is to make sure the rest of society isn’t so desperate for food that they’re willing to rob a robot.

    In an unrelated suggestion, if youre in a grocery store and see someone stealing food, no you didn’t.

      • MisterFrog@lemmy.worldEnglish
        41·
        1 year ago

        Preach. Harsh penalties with no rehabilitation and an uncaring system with no safety net?

        If you can’t get a job and can’t eat without a job, who wouldn’t do crime?

        • T156@lemmy.worldEnglish
          11·
          1 year ago

          And in so doing, they have a criminal record that makes it harder to get jobs, leading to a vicious cycle where they’re not employed due to a criminal record/recent imprisonment, and are forced to steal to survive, leading to another criminal record, etc.

      • Aux@lemmy.worldEnglish
        747·
        1 year ago

        No, most crime is due to a personal failure. Play stupid games - win stupid prizes.

        • hedgehog@ttrpg.networkEnglish
          102·
          1 year ago

          “Jimmy’s biggest personal failure was not being able to take advantage of generational wealth. His second biggest personal failure was choosing to steal food for himself, his wife, and kids, instead of choosing to die and let his family risk dying from starvation. His third biggest personal failure was having kids in the first place.”

          Idk, it has a bit of a hollow ring to it. What do you think?

    • MostlyMute@lemmy.worldEnglish
      339·
      1 year ago

      As someone who works in a grocery store, most of the people I see stealing are stealing stuff like makeup or drinks and junk food, not necessities. And our regular thieves spend hundreds on cigarettes a week, while still stealing whatever they want because they know they’ll get away with it.

      • Uriel238 [all pronouns]@lemmy.blahaj.zoneEnglish
        23·
        1 year ago

        Yeah, the cigarettes thing is a literal drug issue. The only thing that’s different between that a fentanyl is the smokes are not criminalized.

        We can’t expect our thieves and impoverished to be exactly rational and raid the staples, especially as we’ve engineered junk food to appeal to impulsivity.

        As for makeup I don’t have an easy explanation, though makeup is expensive and currently we do expect people to wear it rather than get accustomed to what folks look like without it. I was going to guess it’s fungible, but less so than brand-name laundry detergent. Tide is currency in the underground market.

        But yes, while for young people there might be a thrill in the act of stealing over buying, ultimately, when we have the capacity to fulfill our needs without careful budgeting and compromise, we’re glad to do things transactionally. Professional thieves struggle to make rent.

      • SCB@lemmy.worldEnglish
        31·
        1 year ago

        They should sue the families for lost robot productivity too

      • hedgehog@ttrpg.networkEnglish
        21·
        1 year ago

        Later, Uber would be sued for not actually providing the tombstones and for over-charging for them when they were provided.

        They would counter that they had contracted a third party, X, to provide the tombstones, on behalf of the deceased, and had merely paid the invoices on the deceaseds’ behalfs, and that X, not Uber, would be liable for any failure to provide said tombstones or to have over-billed for them.

        Years later, Uber would “lose” the case and would be ordered to send $3.50 to anyone who had sent them payments for tombstones between the years of 2024 and 2026, and $43.8 million to the attorneys on the case. They would also be required to set up a free tombstone check account for anyone who requested one in lieu of that payment, but they would only give 30 days to claim the account and would send it with a spammy sounding title like “Claim your free account now!” ensuring that only 4% of the eligible people actually managed to claim one.

        Overall Uber will have made $418 million profit from their burial and tombstone billing service.

    • RaivoKulli@sopuli.xyzEnglish
      52·
      1 year ago

      I don’t think that’s at all unpopular, don’t a lot of beauty pageant women say how they want to end world hunger or poverty

    • Echo Dot@feddit.ukEnglish
      3·
      1 year ago

      If I still work in retail I would require far more money to notice things. Since my wage wasn’t tied to company profits what do I care.

      Although I do remember a time that somebody stole all the skittles. We got yelled at about that one.

  • Heisme@lemmy.worldEnglish
    852·
    1 year ago

    Everyday we are one step closer to the plot of Demolition Man. I cannot wait to taste some boosted Taco Bell.

      • Followupquestion@lemm.eeEnglish
        201·
        1 year ago

        They’re bidet controls. One would be for front wash, another for rear wash, and the third one for air dry. There may be temperature controls hidden somewhere nearby, or more likely the system recognizes the user and automatically uses those temperature settings, and the seashells are just gussied up push buttons.

  • Redditiscancer789@lemmy.worldEnglish
    9919·
    1 year ago

    What a pathetic bunch of people trying to maintain the slave status quo in these comments. WHY are you fighting to maintain a world where people have to work low tier bull shit jobs to survive? The answer, you morons, is to let the robots be and improve society to the point technology said it would. We re the most productive we’ve ever been in our entire history yet work more than any other time in history. We need work reform, not a robot genocide.

    • Sarsoar@lemmy.caEnglish
      363·
      1 year ago

      In an ideal world these robots would shift to there not being a need for “unskilled labor” and we would all have more leisure time. In the late stage capitalistic hellhole we are forced to live in, huge organization replace minimum wage jobs with robots and hoard profits and push people further unto poverty, while still overworking and underpaying the few people they do still employ.

      If we had a ubi, then robots and self checkouts taking minimum wage jobs wouldn’t be an issue because the person who’s job was taken isn’t just displaced and faces homelessness or death.

      So I sympathize with the people who are complaining about the robots. As much as I want a scifi future with a bunch of automation, I want exploitation of the lower class to end first.

      • Redditiscancer789@lemmy.worldEnglish
        144·
        1 year ago

        Which is literally what my comment says, it’s a work reform problem not a robot problem. This is literally exhausting your anger and energy on the wrong thing. Do you really think destroying some robots will change society?

      • funchords@lemmy.sdf.orgEnglish
        43·
        1 year ago

        The unemployment rates in the USA and Canada are both far below norms. These robots aren’t taking anyone’s irreplaceable job. Of all the things they are (ugly, intrusive, annoying), one of the things they’re not doing is driving up unemployment. At worst, someone has to change jobs.

    • GnuLinuxDudeEnglish
      42·
      1 year ago

      let the robots be and improve society to the point technology said it would. We re the most productive we’ve ever been in our entire history yet work more than any other time in history. We need work reform, not a robot genocide.

      I am in agreement with you, but the problem is the work reform part is not forthcoming. The delivery robots didn’t come with a helping of any kind of labor reform, whatsoever, and will not come with one either without some kind of violence to usher in the deal. The capitalist class would not allow it to happen any other way.

      • Redditiscancer789@lemmy.worldEnglish
        1·
        1 year ago

        If you truly believe that it still makes 0 sense to use the violence against the robots who have 0 idea why they’re being attacked and even when destroyed change nothing(because destroying these won’t stop companies from making better more lethal versions).

        • GnuLinuxDudeEnglish
          1·
          1 year ago

          When I said violence I don’t mean against the robots (which you can damage but not commit violence against). It’s just a computer on wheels. I meant that labor reform will involve violence between people in the labor class and the capital class. Our American history is full of examples of exactly this kind of thing happening between a protest labor movement and its countervailing force.

      • ARg94@lemmy.packitsolutions.netEnglish
        14·
        1 year ago

        Is lemmy like the unofficial gathering place for commies? I see more commie garbage on here than reddit, which is saying something.

        • graphite@lemmy.worldEnglish
          1·
          1 year ago

          Where is the “commie garbage”?

          People here are making valid complaints about the state of society.

          Most people know that communism isn’t the answer.

          • ARg94@lemmy.packitsolutions.netEnglish
            11·
            1 year ago

            Mostly everyone who says taking someone else’s property is okay if you feel they deserve it, or the seller deserves it. If you don’t see a huge commie bent here, then I would assume it’s because you are a commie or are commie-adjacent. For real, maybe I’ve just stumbled on the perfect mix, but I’m finding lemmy to be rife so far.

            • graphite@lemmy.worldEnglish
              1·
              1 year ago

              Mostly everyone who says taking someone else’s property is okay if you feel they deserve it

              I don’t think that’s ok. Humans need their space, man.

              If you don’t see a huge commie bent here, then I would assume it’s because you are a commie or are commie-adjacent

              I see a moderate and a left bent here. Both of those I vibe with, but the left isn’t synonymous with communism or even marxism.

              And there’s also idealism, of course - there’s plenty of that everywhere on the Internet.

              My view of the left is that they want an infra that’s more aligned with the EU or Scandanavia.

              That’s definitely not communism. NK is communist, and there are very few people who want NK.

    • AnticorpEnglish
      1·
      1 year ago

      yet work more than any other time in history

      1903 would like a word.

  • can@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
    79·
    1 year ago

    “The robots are constantly monitored and equipped with 12 cameras and two-way audio communication systems. Any improper conduct will be detected immediately. If an incident does occur with a Starship robot, one of our robot rescuers can respond quickly,” robot builder Starship Technologies says regarding robot safety, adding that acts of vandalism or theft are reported to authorities.

    While that may be true in theory, instances of actual prosecution for theft from robots in cities where they operate have not been easy to discover. As with far more widespread instances of front porch package thieves or shoplifters, despite the volume of video evidence the robots can produce the police have to actually take some investigative steps to identify and locate the suspects

    I’m glad they’ve thought this through.

    • Skullgrid@lemmy.worldEnglish
      791·
      1 year ago

      the police have to actually take some investigative steps to identify and locate the suspects

      cops give zero fucks when crimes effect everyday citizens.

    • jscummy@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
      6·
      1 year ago

      How dare they expect cops to “take some investigative steps?” We’ll arrest the criminals when you bring them in for us, along with evidence.

  • NeoNachtwaechter@lemmy.worldEnglish
    602·
    1 year ago

    some robots have been robbed of the goods they’re delivering, including food.

    That was easy to predict, wasn’t it?

  • metallic_substance@lemmy.worldEnglish
    526·
    1 year ago

    For me, this falls neatly into the “who fucking cares?” category. These things are deployed in very few cities overall and if the technology is ready for wide-release, you better have a more effective defense against theft than you already do if they are already being stolen from

      • ChonkyOwlbear@lemmy.worldEnglish
        42·
        1 year ago

        It’s not like these are high paying, highly desired jobs being replaced by robots. These are shit jobs that are a waste of time and talent to have done by humans.

        • Echo Dot@feddit.ukEnglish
          3·
          1 year ago

          These are shit jobs that are a waste of time and talent to have done by humans. I don’t know. I’ve met some humans who are definitely not talented enough for package delivery. Most of them working package delivery.

          I’m sorry I couldn’t be bothered to deliver your parcel to your house, so here’s a picture of my foot.

          • ChonkyOwlbear@lemmy.worldEnglish
            1·
            1 year ago

            Just because someone doesn’t give a shit about their useless job, doesn’t mean they don’t have useful talents in other areas.

          • ChonkyOwlbear@lemmy.worldEnglish
            1·
            1 year ago

            I would rather have these people painting, making music, cleaning up polluted rivers, basically anything that is useful to humanity that can’t be done by robots. If it can be done by a robot, it should be. Keeping jobs from being automated just to keep people busy is insanity to me. If society has to find this kind of work to allow people to survive, so be it.

  • treadful@lemmy.zipEnglish
    5829·
    1 year ago

    I’m far from a Luddite and I think robots in general are cool. But I kind of don’t have an issue with people fucking up autonomous roaming robots. I haven’t rationalized that opinion just yet, I guess. Just feels right.

    Philly did nothing wrong

    • chaircat@lemdro.idEnglish
      3613·
      1 year ago

      I don’t think waving away being a Luddite just by saying so makes it so.

      I can’t think of a single angle of principled moral theory that makes this okay. Vandalizing or stealing someone else’s property they paid for. Hurting both the restaurant and the customer by depriving them of their food. Holding back progress on an invention that can reduce the need for humans to engage in a type of work that is hard, dangerous at times, and low paid.

      From a purely rational on paper view, it doesn’t look terribly different than saying vandalizing or stealing from delivery vehicles driven by people isn’t wrong. What possible justification could there be for this view besides Ludditism fuck robots?

      • treadful@lemmy.zipEnglish
        821·
        1 year ago

        groans

        I don’t think waving away being a Luddite just by saying so makes it so.

        Guess you know me better than I know myself.

        From a purely rational on paper view, it doesn’t look terribly different than saying vandalizing or stealing from delivery vehicles driven by people isn’t wrong. What possible justification could there be for this view besides Ludditism fuck robots?

        Imagine thinking humans are rational beings the debate ethics every time they have a feeling. Sometimes you just gotta fuck shit up.

    • MisterFrog@lemmy.worldEnglish
      231·
      1 year ago

      Under captialism we lament robots taking our jobs, where under a better system we would be rejoicing.

      • AlDente@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
        1·
        1 year ago

        Do you mean the system where people would have the opportunity to cook better food for themselves instead of ordering fast food and paying exorbitant fees to have it delivered?

    • cyd@lemmy.worldEnglish
      185·
      1 year ago

      You okay with people fucking up vending machines and ATMs too? Why or why not?

      • darth_helmet@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
        118·
        1 year ago

        Not OP, but I would like to state that I am ok with that. You pulled a human out of the loop, and that comes with risks. Business decision.

        • chaircat@lemdro.idEnglish
          52·
          1 year ago

          Wouldn’t this justify vandalizing any type of machine whatsoever? Get in an elevator and nobody is looking? Stab the control panel so they have to get a human in the future making the elevator. See a car and no one is looking? Set it on fire so they have to use a human pulled rickshaw instead.

        • Aux@lemmy.worldEnglish
          57·
          1 year ago

          Ok, so if it’s not a vending machine, but a cashier and cashier gets punched by a robber it’s ok as well?

      • treadful@lemmy.zipEnglish
        43·
        1 year ago

        You’re all making logical ethics arguments on a flippant emotional comment I made. You ever just have intrusive thoughts that make you just want to fuck some shit up? That’s what these robots make me feel.

        • WarmSoda@lemm.eeEnglish
          2·
          1 year ago

          People take every comment way too seriously.

          I agree with you. That Philly robot wasn’t even a robot, it was a pile of garbage in a chair.

    • simonced@lemmy.oneEnglish
      719·
      1 year ago

      The rational could be that those robots are taking the job of a human being and deserve to be robbed…

      • SimplePhysics@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
        122·
        1 year ago

        Using cars to deliver food pays very little, is dangerous (old guy with shotgun shoots your brains if you go to the wrong house), and is extremely bad for the environment. Current delivery workers could switch to a safer job with better pay and not damage the environment as much. Or we can implement UBI. Just a thought.

        Edit: I would also like to point out a robot’s electric bill for a trip is much cheaper when compared to a gas or even an electric car. Ideally, the savings would be passed along to the customer.

        • coffeebiscuit@lemmy.worldEnglish
          6·
          1 year ago

          Well… an old man shooting your brains out for ringing the wrong doorbell is a complete different problem.

          We can also make robots to do that more efficiently.

        • Lucidlethargy@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
          85·
          1 year ago

          I hate this argument… Do you have any idea how hard it is to get a job that pays a livable wage?

          People aren’t dealing with the dangers of delivery because they are lazy or unmotivated, they are doing it because they need the work and it pays barely enough to meet their needs.

          • SimplePhysics@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
            72·
            1 year ago

            Yes, thats why we need some fucking change in the world. My argument is just saying delivery robots are not bad.

  • El Barto@lzrprt.sbsEnglish
    151·
    1 year ago

    At least we’ve moved on from killing them in the street.

    Poor hitch-hiking bot.