# 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:** 2
**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, 4:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hitchbot-destroyed/726805/21 "2015-08-03T04:39:05Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > I don’t think William Penn intended the name ironically. > > What’s Greek for “City of the Robot Murderers”? Maybe not, but it has still been an ironic nickname for most of the city’s existence. Besides, “City of Brotherly Love” looks better on T shirts than City Where Fans Intentionally Vomit on Children at Phillies’ Games." ---
**Author:** ![Enter\_the\_Flagon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Enter\_the\_Flagon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enter_the_Flagon)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2015, 5:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hitchbot-destroyed/726805/22 "2015-08-03T05:06:50Z")
Eagles fans, obviously. This right here is the real reason we have wars: so we can send our reckless young males off to destroy other people’s robots. ---
**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 3, 2015, 7:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hitchbot-destroyed/726805/23 "2015-08-03T07:26:35Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > I don’t think William Penn intended the name ironically. > > What’s Greek for “City of the Robot Murderers”? Doulocidopolis. ---
**Author:** ![Mr\_Shine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mr_shine/32/464_2.png) [@Mr\_Shine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr_Shine)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2015, 7:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hitchbot-destroyed/726805/24 "2015-08-03T07:39:11Z")
HitchBOT’s Wikipedia page is very terse, and I can’t find the details in any stories about this event I can find. Having never heard of this bot before, could someone explain how it worked, how it communicated what it was and where it wanted to go and how autonomous it was? ---
**Author:** ![Baron\_Greenback](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baron_greenback/32/48_2.png) [@Baron\_Greenback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baron_Greenback)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2015, 12:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hitchbot-destroyed/726805/25 "2015-08-03T12:23:29Z")
> [@Mr\_Shine](#): > > HitchBOT’s Wikipedia page is very terse, and I can’t find the details in any stories about this event I can find. Having never heard of this bot before, could someone explain how it worked, how it communicated what it was and where it wanted to go and how autonomous it was? Here’s the Hitchbot website [http://www.hitchbot.me/](http://www.hitchbot.me/) ---
**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 3, 2015, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hitchbot-destroyed/726805/26 "2015-08-03T13:49:25Z")
> [@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. > [@Cyros](#): > > Is that why they call it the City of Brotherly Love? > [@madmonk28](#): > > It has always been an ironic nickname. > [@Colibri](#): > > I don’t think William Penn intended the name ironically. I love irony that allows subtle sarcasm or sardonic stuff. If you can pull it off, you can really mess with people by acting the _True Believer_. Back in the day, my office had the coffee mess, and it was often visited by CPOs and Warrant Officers who were students who wanted to visit while we were trying to work or just get away from our students for a couple of minutes so we could gripe about them. I found that if I could sneak in a righteous sounding “I’m just a simple Petty Officer doing my duty as God has shown me the light to see that duty”, I could get them to nervously clear out in under 4 seconds. And you can disrupt a high school assembly by standing up, placing your hand over your heart, facing the flag, and reciting, with feeling, the Pledge Of Allegiance. You could follow that with a sing along of The Star Spangled Banner, but it’s hard to sing. America the Beautiful works too. ---
**Author:** ![Diceman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Diceman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diceman)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2015, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hitchbot-destroyed/726805/27 "2015-08-03T14:02:44Z")
At least it didn’t happen in Detroit. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2015, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hitchbot-destroyed/726805/28 "2015-08-03T16:16:41Z")
America. We kill more than lions. ---
**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, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hitchbot-destroyed/726805/29 "2015-08-03T16:50:51Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > America. > > We kill more than lions. Maybe that’s why the robot’s head is missing. Somebody has it mounted on a plaque on the wall in his living room. If he’s caught, he’ll claim he had a permit and was a big contributor to robot conservation. ---
**Author:** ![YogSothoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/8edcca/32.png) [@YogSothoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YogSothoth)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2015, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hitchbot-destroyed/726805/30 "2015-08-03T17:07:10Z")
> [@madmonk28](#): > > Maybe not, but it has still been an ironic nickname for most of the city’s existence. Besides, “City of Brotherly Love” looks better on T shirts than **City Where Fans Intentionally Vomit on Children at Phillies’ Games.**" No lie, I want that on a shirt and I would wear it proudly ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2015, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hitchbot-destroyed/726805/31 "2015-08-03T17:09:37Z")
Hitchbot’s head was last seen in Paddy’s Pub in the vicinity of 3rd and Dickinson. The bar owners are sure they have a way to make money from it. ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2015, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hitchbot-destroyed/726805/32 "2015-08-03T17:10:02Z")
> [@Airman\_Doors\_USAF](#): > > No, somebody vandalized it. The head is missing. It’s the Bot Dahlia. ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2015, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hitchbot-destroyed/726805/33 "2015-08-03T17:10:41Z")
Hitchbot got off easy. Look what Philly did to Santa Claus. ---
**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, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hitchbot-destroyed/726805/34 "2015-08-03T17:25:15Z")
> [@Saint\_Cad](#): > > Hitchbot got off easy. Look what Philly did to Santa Claus. Did they behead and dismember him, too?:eek: ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2015, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hitchbot-destroyed/726805/35 "2015-08-03T17:43:05Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > Maybe that’s why the robot’s head is missing. Somebody has it mounted on a plaque on the wall in his living room. > > If he’s caught, he’ll claim he had a permit and was a big contributor to robot conservation. I should have said: Americans: Not just killing lions anymore. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Goob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c77e96/32.png) [@Mr.Goob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Goob)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2015, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hitchbot-destroyed/726805/36 "2015-08-03T17:52:47Z")
I was stationed at the Navy base for 2 years in the '80s and was just getting over my hate for the city. Now its back. ---
**Author:** ![Morgenstern](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Morgenstern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgenstern)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2015, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hitchbot-destroyed/726805/37 "2015-08-03T17:56:56Z")
Sad this is. He would have never made it through Detroit in one piece. ---
**Author:** ![ryobserver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b2d939/32.png) [@ryobserver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ryobserver)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2015, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hitchbot-destroyed/726805/38 "2015-08-03T22:42:10Z")
> [@Enter\_the\_Flagon](#): > > Eagles fans, obviously. Funny you should say that. Surveillance video appears to show a man in an Eagles jersey stomping the bot: [http://www.philly.com/philly/news/local/20150804\_Can\_hitchBOT\_be\_saved\_\_Philly\_tech\_sector\_rallies\_around\_battered\_\_bot.html](http://www.philly.com/philly/news/local/20150804_Can_hitchBOT_be_saved __Philly_tech_sector_rallies_around_battered__ bot.html) As the story goes on to report, the city’s geek community is hoping to either replace Hitchbot or build a tribute bot to continue the journey. [https://www.thehacktory.org/hitchbot-meets-demise-in-philly-no-way/](https://www.thehacktory.org/hitchbot-meets-demise-in-philly-no-way/) ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Nylock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/77aa72/32.png) [@Mr.Nylock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Nylock)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2015, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hitchbot-destroyed/726805/39 "2015-08-03T23:40:33Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > Maybe that’s why the robot’s head is missing. Somebody has it mounted on a plaque on the wall in his living room This is _Philadelphia_; it was obviously sold for scrap - presumably to support a drug habit. ---
**Author:** ![Aquadementia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aquadementia/32/555_2.png) [@Aquadementia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aquadementia)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2015, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hitchbot-destroyed/726805/40 "2015-08-04T01:34:17Z")
This was a really cool idea. Too bad some people don’t want to play nice. In the age of self driving cars I’m sure the roads will be kinder to wondering robots. > [@Mr.Nylock](#): > > This is _Philadelphia_; it was obviously sold for scrap - presumably to support a drug habit. That’s the way of robo-hitching: gas, grass or brass (for recycling). [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hitchbot-destroyed/726805.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hitchbot-destroyed/726805.md?page=3)