A Minneapolis city council member, Jason Chavez, faced backlash after expressing concern that self-driving Waymo vehicles are harming cats. During a council meeting, he advocated for requiring human operators in these autonomous cars, citing incidents where cats have been killed.
Chavez stated, “I have a cat. I don’t want my cat getting killed because of these autonomous vehicles,” prompting mockery on social media about his emphasis on cat safety over other pressing issues in the city.
Despite the ordinance passing narrowly, Mayor Jacob Frey plans to veto it, arguing that it would effectively ban autonomous taxi services and that the city should embrace innovative technology. Critics pointed out that the focus on cat safety diverts attention from larger problems such as crime and infrastructure in Minneapolis.
Social media reactions ranged from humorous to critical, suggesting that Chavez’s concerns about cats reflect a failure of leadership amid more significant city challenges.
