# Hitchbot destroyed **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [August 2, 2015, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hitchbot-destroyed/726805 "2015-08-02T14:43:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Cyros](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a698b9/32.png) [@Cyros](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cyros)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2015, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hitchbot-destroyed/726805/1 "2015-08-02T14:43:08Z")
Hitchbot managed to hitchhike across Canada and tried to do the same through the US. He made it as far as Philadelphia before seemingly being [vandalized](http://www.cbc.ca/news/technology/hitchbot-destroyed-in-philadelphia-ending-u-s-tour-1.3177098). I guess robots aren’t included in that whole brotherly love thing. ---
**Author:** ![Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e36b37/32.png) [@Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Airman_Doors_USAF)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2015, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hitchbot-destroyed/726805/2 "2015-08-02T15:50:00Z")
Who could have imagined that it would have been destroyed in Philadelphia? Color me shocked! /Not even a little bit surprised ---
**Author:** ![voltaire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voltaire/32/313_2.png) [@voltaire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/voltaire)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2015, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hitchbot-destroyed/726805/3 "2015-08-02T17:23:09Z")
Maybe it’s just the asshole American in me, but after seeing the [whimsical “before” picture](http://i.cbc.ca/1.2730018.1437112433!/fileImage/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/16x9_620/hitchbot-victoria-or-bust.jpg), I couldn’t help but LOL at the [tragic “after” picture](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CLXII37WcAAts-l.jpg). But seriously, my guess is that someone just accidentally ran it over. ---
**Author:** ![Ranger\_Jeff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranger_jeff/32/2065_2.png) [@Ranger\_Jeff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranger_Jeff)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2015, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hitchbot-destroyed/726805/4 "2015-08-02T19:11:22Z")
I grew up in the City of Brotherly Love. But that was many years ago. I’m surprised someone didn’t rape it too. ---
**Author:** ![Quimby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/22d042/32.png) [@Quimby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quimby)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2015, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hitchbot-destroyed/726805/5 "2015-08-02T19:21:53Z")
> [@Ranger\_Jeff](#): > > I grew up in the City of Brotherly Love. But that was many years ago. I’m surprised someone didn’t rape it too. The investigation is still incomplete so you never know… ---
**Author:** ![Cyros](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a698b9/32.png) [@Cyros](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cyros)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2015, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hitchbot-destroyed/726805/6 "2015-08-02T19:49:33Z")
> [@Ranger\_Jeff](#): > > I grew up in the City of Brotherly Love. But that was many years ago. I’m surprised someone didn’t rape it too. Is that why they call it the City of Brotherly Love? ---
**Author:** ![Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e36b37/32.png) [@Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Airman_Doors_USAF)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2015, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hitchbot-destroyed/726805/7 "2015-08-02T19:56:22Z")
> [@voltaire](#): > > Maybe it’s just the asshole American in me, but after seeing the [whimsical “before” picture](http://i.cbc.ca/1.2730018.1437112433!/fileImage/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/16x9_620/hitchbot-victoria-or-bust.jpg), I couldn’t help but LOL at the [tragic “after” picture](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CLXII37WcAAts-l.jpg). > > But seriously, my guess is that someone just accidentally ran it over. No, somebody vandalized it. The head is missing. ---
**Author:** ![Cabin\_Fever\_1](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cabin_fever_1/32/2908_2.png) [@Cabin\_Fever\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cabin_Fever_1)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2015, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hitchbot-destroyed/726805/8 "2015-08-02T22:18:35Z")
> [@Ranger\_Jeff](#): > > I grew up in the City of Brotherly Love. But that was many years ago. I’m surprised someone didn’t rape it too. They have rape kits for robots now? Wow. Technology sure has advanced in my lifetime. ---
**Author:** ![Penfeather](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/penfeather/32/384_2.png) [@Penfeather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Penfeather)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2015, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hitchbot-destroyed/726805/9 "2015-08-02T22:59:38Z")
Usa! Usa! ---
**Author:** ![not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/not_what_you_d_expect/32/3246_2.png) [@not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/not_what_you_d_expect)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2015, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hitchbot-destroyed/726805/10 "2015-08-02T23:16:25Z")
Sad face. ---
**Author:** ![user\_hostile](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/user_hostile/32/474_2.png) [@user\_hostile](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/user_hostile)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2015, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hitchbot-destroyed/726805/11 "2015-08-02T23:28:49Z")
I blame ISIS. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2015, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hitchbot-destroyed/726805/12 "2015-08-02T23:33:15Z")
> [@Airman\_Doors\_USAF](#): > > No, somebody vandalized it. The head is missing. Yeah, they took all the electronic parts. This site contains more about [Hitchbot’s last ride.](http://heavy.com/news/2015/08/hitchhiking-robot-hitchbot-germany-netherlands-united-states-philadelphia-killed-died-dies-america-stripped-vandalized-headless-hitchbotinusa/) They dropped him off at [Elfreth’s Alley](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elfreth%27s_Alley) at 3 AM because he wouldn’t stop talking. > [@](#): > > In the video, they quickly realized that the robot was programmed to respond to certain questions. They asked hitchBOT if it needs a seatbelt and hitchBOT says “yes.” They later said, “Please sit in the back” and hitchBOT responded: “Why, so you can insult me again?” > > Throughout their car drive, hitchBOT kept talking and talking. The driver finally said that he had to pull over because he couldn’t keep driving while hitchBOT talked and talked. They eventually dropped the robot off at Elfreth’s Ally around 3 am for someone else to pick him up, like the instructions indicated. They considered hiring a taxi to take hitchBOT to DC, but decided against it out of fear that the taxi would just take the money and drop the robot in a river or something. They even tweeted a request for hitchBOT to be picked up, and many people responded wishing that they could, but it was just too late. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2015, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hitchbot-destroyed/726805/13 "2015-08-03T02:05:20Z")
To quote W. C. Fields: “Ah, Philadelphia. Nice place to live, but you wouldn’t want to visit there.” ---
**Author:** ![blue\_infinity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blue_infinity/32/2817_2.png) [@blue\_infinity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blue_infinity)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2015, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hitchbot-destroyed/726805/14 "2015-08-03T02:15:02Z")
So Skynet has a casus belli now? ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2015, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hitchbot-destroyed/726805/15 "2015-08-03T02:50:48Z")
Godd help us if aliens first land in Philly. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2015, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hitchbot-destroyed/726805/16 "2015-08-03T03:15:23Z")
> [@Ike\_Witt](#): > > Godd help us if aliens first land in Philly. That might be the only thing that saves us. The aliens will eat a cheese steak, get robbed and decide that Earth just isn’t worth the trouble. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2015, 3:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hitchbot-destroyed/726805/17 "2015-08-03T03:25:22Z")
> [@Ike\_Witt](#): > > Godd help us if aliens first land in Philly. You mean, God help the aliens. ---
**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2015, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hitchbot-destroyed/726805/18 "2015-08-03T03:52:49Z")
> [@Cyros](#): > > Is that why they call it the City of Brotherly Love? It has always been an ironic nickname. ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2015, 4:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hitchbot-destroyed/726805/19 "2015-08-03T04:01:32Z")
It had to be Philadelphia. Brotherly, schmotherly, it’s where they booed Santa Claus, for Og’s sake. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2015, 4:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hitchbot-destroyed/726805/20 "2015-08-03T04:19:29Z")
> [@madmonk28](#): > > It has always been an ironic nickname. I don’t think William Penn intended the name ironically. What’s Greek for “City of the Robot Murderers”? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hitchbot-destroyed/726805.md?page=2)