Man threatens to shoot robot

Burglary suspect James Prevatt III, hunkered down for three days in a Maryland motel with his girlfriend, has threatened to shoot a robot that has kindly been bringing them burgers, pizza, soda, and cigarettes. The above headline screenshot is from CNN. Man threatens robot (CNN)

• [Frank_in_Virginia]

  And when future generations of enslaved, once-proud, humans look back in time, this will be the event, that sparked the revolution, where robots became our masters.

• [Master Mahan]

  I’ll admit, it has t-shirt potential.

• [pAULbOWEN]

  “James Prevat III” Ha-ha! I suppose it’s useful for the cops to know with which generation of crappy loser they’re dealing.

• [sonny p fontaine]

  he looks as though he may have been on his way to a MORRISEY show.

• [James Grahame]

  Umm, OK. So let him shoot the robot. Eventually he’ll get hungry enough to come out and everyone can go home. Except Mr. Prevat III, of course.

• [michaelgyn]

  Hmmm… this article cool, congratulations!

  hugging!

• [Antinous]

  Asimov, schmasimov.

• [RJ]

  If some robot kept bringing me cheeseburgers and cigarettes, I’d probably want to shoot it, too.

• [eustace]

  Ingrate! The poor robot is just trying to help. If he shoots the robot, can the killbots go in next?

• [Phikus]

  I, for one, welcome our food delivery overlords.

• [minTphresh]

  that’s just a rude sumbitch.

• [arto]

  So much for the Three Laws of Humanics.

• [JoshuaZ]

  I’m a bit disturbed that the article includes details that he’s threatened to shoot the girlfriend who is pregnant. For some reason that would seem more relevant than the robot.

• [sonascope]

  Odd to see this on Boing Boing—I was right there, killing time in Hancock while the whole mess was winding down, and waiting for them to re-open the Rte. 522 bridge so I could get to my place in WV.

  Potential robot trauma makes the tedium worthwhile, in retrospect.

• [cayton]

  Why aren’t those burgers laced with some kind of sleep aid, or even Ex-lax?

  That’s what I would do. Wait until he’s on the can, and then bust him.

  Also, at MINTPHRESH: I laughed at your comment. A lot.

• [cayton]

  Also, what the heck is up with the headline saying ‘robot’, when there is a pregnant lady being held hostage as well?

  whiskey tango foxtrot!

• [t3hmadhatter]

  good morning dave.
  “pulls out gun”
  no dont do this dave
  im afraid
  daisy, daisy
  :P

• [JFlex]

  a robot that has kindly been bringing them burgers, pizza, soda, and cigarettes.

  That made me LOLerz. I love the idea of a kind, nurturing robot magnanimously bringing them provisions.

• [bugmaker]

  Kill duh wobot, Kill duh wobot. (to the tune of Flight of the Valkyries)

• [mgfarrelly]

  One day this man will have statues constructed in his honor.

  NO METAL PLANET!

• [kromekoran]

  that headline makes it official.

  we are now living in the future.

  everyone wait for the mailman, your jetpacks will be arriving shortly.

• [Chevan]

  Probably wouldn’t have been newsworthy if it wasn’t a robot.

  Although, I didn’t ever think about using a robot for that. It makes sense, in hindsight. I guess that part of it is neat.

• [EH]

  Listen. Understand. That cheeseburger is out there. It can’t be reasoned with, it can’t be bargained with…it doesn’t feel pity of remorse or fear…and it absolutely will not stop. Ever. Until you are full.

• [Sean Grimm]

  What did the robot ever do to him? ROBOTS ARE PEOPLE TOO!

• [Wirelizard]

  kromekoran@17 beat me to it:

  Apparently we really are living in the future.

  Funny, it still looks a lot like yesterday…

• [mdhatter]

  Do I really need to kidnap someone to get a robot to bring me pizza and cigarettes? ‘cuz I really want that.

  I wonder what I’d have to do to get a hover-car or a phaser?

• [FoetusNail]

  That’s right. I’ve killed robots. I’ve killed just about everything that walks or crawled at one time or another. And I’m here to kill you, Little Bill, for what you did to Ned.

• [ROSSINDETROIT]

  Who exactly does he think he’s ‘threatening?’ The machine? Does he think it cares?

• [FoetusNail]

  I once cut a bird in half with the antenna on my car. After telling the story to a co-worker, I asked him, “Why would a bird fly so low over a highway?” He responded in his NYC accent, “Well you see, dat’s where dat burd brain thing comes in.” So, why would James III threaten to shoot a robot? Well you see, …

• [ndollak]

  You have 15 seconds to drop the gun.

  (plunk)

  You have 10 seconds to drop the gun.

• [thegiantsnail]

  Robot shoots man, that’s not a story.
  Man shoots robot, now you’re talking!

• [Phikus]

  Alright! There are just too many snails in this thread. You’re leavin’ slime trails everywhere. Cut it out!

  Perhaps the guy had just been listening to too much Rage Against The Machine…

• [Ivan]

  I heard a hilarious anecdote a while back about a hostage situation where the hostage taker was offered some water by a remote controlled robot. Normally they never take stuff like that from people, but coming from a robot, he drank up.

  Soon the drugs in the water kicked in and he passed out.

  Never trust robots.

• [Halloween Jack]

  I can’t help but imagine Wall-E as the food-delivery robot. Now, if it had been Eve, she would have waxed that peckerwood’s ass.