Copyright hoodline
Tragedy struck the Mission District's Randa's Market when KitKat, a beloved local bodega cat, was allegedly hit and killed by a Waymo autonomous vehicle on Monday night. According to The SF Standard, the "mayor of 16th Street" met his untimely end around 11:30 PM, per the store's owner, Mike Zeidan, sparking a wave of grief among the neighbors and patrons of the area who had come to cherish the feline fixture. Following the incident, a 311 complaint cited by The SF Standard alleged that the driverless vehicle did not attempt to slow down, swerve, or avoid the cat. This incident has revived concerns over the safety of autonomous vehicles, seeing as the state's Department of Motor Vehicles had recorded 884 autonomous vehicle collision reports by last Friday, including one where a dog was killed by a Waymo in 2023 and another dog survived after being hit by a Cruise self-driving car the following week. As news of KitKat’s death spread, tributes began to accumulate outside Randa's Market, with residents paying their respects to the nine-year-old cat. Mission Local reported an improvised altar burgeoning with offerings ranging from Kit-Kat bars and small bottles of tequila to candles and popcorn from the Roxie Theater next door. Signs and shouts from locals reflected their bitter sentiment toward the Waymo technology and the loss of the cat they felt was part of their community. Bar staff from nearby Delirium, where KitKat was remembered as a de facto security guard, were joined by neighbors in commemorating the cat's role in their lives, with Delirium's bartender Jessica Chapdelaine recalling how KitKat would often follow customers to ensure they didn’t steal and check on the bars in the area to ensure everything was in order. Additionally, Chapdelaine told Mission Local that KitKat greeted her every time she left her apartment, reinforcing the notion that, beyond a neighborhood mascot, he was considered family by those who knew him.
