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If you can block bots online, why can't you block them in the physical world?
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You know.. I'm surprised that no one has.. Done more? I'm surprised hunting these things isn't a trend..
I imagine that the non-violent sport of 'Robot-hassling' will emerge from pioneers like this before long. Tying a rope around it and to a tree will only be the start, with championships and awards for the simplest, cleverist and most-effective. Getting one to lose it will be high-ranking. There'll need to be a special section for electronic tricks and traps, and another for reality-shifting. Getting one to forget it's job and help you with gardening would be one fine example.
I wonder what a hand-held stun gun would do to it.
Has it been set illegal to disobey "multiple commands" of a privately owned robot?
When police say somebody ignored commands, they mean from them. They don't get paid to enforce robot commands.
But can they order you to move because you are standing in the way of a robot? Disobeying an order is arrestable, fair enough. Blocking a person is probably illegal (depending on how it's done). So I'm uncertain of the activity necessary to block such a robot. Just standing straight up an down in front of it sounds legal. Actively and continuously stepping in front of it to block it at least sounds worse. But how do you enforce this? What if a dog blocks or attacks a robot? What are robot/corporations rights?
What if a dog blocks or attacks a robot?
Cops love to kill dogs.
Police get a lot of leeway when telling people to move. I suspect her blocking the robot, may be considered a public nuisance (like blocking traffic or a sidewalk). Her ingore a lawful command to move = jail.
note: this is not support of the robots, just indicating the fact that they are probably allowed under current laws.
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It has nothing to do with robots having rights - which they don't. It's about deliberately obstructing what another person is doing. Calling it "just standing straight up an down" doesn't change that, any more than if you refused to make way for somebody pushing a cumbersome shopping cart. How do you enforce this? Well, in this example the cops tried to tell the woman to move along, and arrested her when she refused. If a dog damages property you can sue the dog owner. If you have more questions please look them up yourself.
Of course it changes that. No where in time or space on earth have there been autonomous deliveries moving about in the same space as you or me. So the interesting philosophical and practical question is "who has the right of way". And as you say - "deliberately obstructing what another person is doing" when there is no person being obstructed. Someone may if may not be waiting. If I was on the receiving end of that meal, I would expect another drone delivering my food. Just as I expect packages to be rerouted if a delivery truck has a break down.
So the answer is "no one knows right now". Or to be presice, "no one, and especially not you, knows right now. And I for one will find it interesting when it is solved. Just not from you".
If you want more answers, please go look them up you yourselves - don't waste my or others time posting it here.
This is basically the start of the counter to automation. We still tell fables about people who stood againt the devaluation of workers like this.
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ignored "multiple commands"
The little nub on the top is a LIDAR module.
I wonder if an upside down cup will fit over it.
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Probably within a year Uber starts building these with extendable cattle prods that shock people to the ground that are in their way and then just crawl over them to finish their delivery.
This is the stupidest thing
Next thing to do, put a VR headset on it, and let it take a magical mystery tour!
Why wasn't uber arrested for obstructing this woman's path with their shitty robot?
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this post was submitted on 17 Oct 2026
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