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Fabe
A Bar owner in Atlanta has built a anti vagrant robot to patrol the local neighborhood in attempt to reduce crime.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080422/ap_on_...m_busting_robot
WearzManySkins
Interesting but sad, if I was to encounter such a thing, it would need major repair and bodywork. devil.gif Wireless remotes are so easy to FUBAR or even take control of.

WMS
Rad
I know it might be considered hooding, but someone should set up a wetwork run on this guy--or at least a structure hit on his bar.

For frag's sake, he's running around town at night with a drone flashing lights, broadcasting warnings, and aiming water cannons at people & property?

That's disturbing the peace and brandishing a weapon at least.

Stupid marines can't tell when they're not in saigon anymore... sarcastic.gif

(Please note, that's not directed at all marines--I've known a few good ones in my time--but some of them need to stop taking their work home with them.)
CanRay
The flipside is that he's defending his home and property (The bar), and the local neighbourhood.

Admittedly, he's doing it in a marine manner... Calling in Re-Enforcements and establishing a perimiter.

Also note that, in the story, he is the proud owner of a Rifle, he could just have easily mounted *THAT* on the Bum Bot than a simple Water Cannon, which CANNOT have much capacity. Be like a really strong supersoaker at most.

The High-Pressure Hoses used in Crowd Control are usually hooked up to the Fire Hydrant Water Mains, are they not?
Rad
Depends on his technical skills. If you've got a good air-pressurizing system you can make some pretty devastating short-burst water weapons...

...yeah, I spent my formative years designing crap like this. nyahnyah.gif

I guess this kind of thing just pisses me off more than most people because:

A: There's alot of that "homeless people aren't people, get rid of 'em and fuck their rights" kind of crap where I live. (Someone once wrote a letter to the local newspaper suggesting they all be rounded up and euthanized.)

B: I was homeless once, so I know it can happen to anybody for reasons beyond their control--and I know how hard it is to get a place to live after that happens. Making it illegal to be homeless is like making it illegal to get the flu or arresting someone for getting shot.

If this guy was just doing this stuff on his private property, that'd be different--but he's not. He's patrolling a public business (his bar) and the surrounding area--he's trespassing just as much as the homeless people are, and they don't have drones or assault rifles.
CanRay
Essentially, he's mechanized a Neighbourhood Watch system. Just a remote way of patrolling the streets and calling in complaints.

That said, I understand that Homeless People are, indeed, PEOPLE! It's the violent and drug abuse undercurrent that is the issues at hand that I speak of.

My family and I know a good number of street people, some who are very decent, and have helped those people get out of those situations.

And, apparently, with the questioning you get for getting to a Hospital with a GSW, you might as well be arrested for being shot. eek.gif
Rad
Well, the flashing lights, loudspeaker, and watercannon make that more than just a neighborhood watch patrol. The lights and the loudspeaker alone make it a case of disturbing the peace, and the watercannon and the way he uses the drone make it a case of brandishing/threatening/intimidating people with a weapon.

My problem is with the way he goes about it. Walking around with an assault rifle (aren't those illegal?) building a flashy and intimidating bot and using it to harass people. Streaming live feeds to his bar patrons as though harassing bums was some kind of Running Man era combat sport?

(Good idea for a bar in the sixth world though--Live Drone Casts!)

He's overstepped his authority as a citizen, and he's treating these people as something far less than human. You'd have a hard time chasing stray dogs like that and turning it into sport for your bar patrons without animal services on your doorstep.
CanRay
Actually, Rad, you're right. Forgot to consider the Water Cannon as a "Weapon" (Remember, I was thinking of it was a suped-up Supersoaker). But if it's set up like what you suggested, a weapon indeed!

As for walking around with an assault rifle... This is the media we're talking about. A Cooling Shroud on the barrel of a rifle makes it an "Assault Rifle". A frigin' SAFETY FEATURE. It could just as easily been a hunting rifle. But that's a rant for another page, and your point is certianly made.

But, um, yeah... Now I'm going to have to have a bar that has BumBots with Tasers going after Homeless People in the Barrens for sport in the game...
Rad
Better yet, make it an anonymous (or Star-owned) squad of bots that randomly patrol the barrens and broadcast the feed as a Pay-Per-View matrixcast. I could see this being picked up in bars all around the sprawl, from seedy dives to the exclusive clubs where jaded execs like to watch some SINless suffering with their wine.

Maybe even add a black market for BTL downloads of the logs.

One last thing on the subject though: Even without the watercannon, you're not allowed to go around the city at night shining spotlights and blasting loudspeakers. Just try rolling down the block in your pimped-out ride with the neon flashing and Ice-T bumpin' from your subwoofers. Or running around the city with a maglite and a bullhorn. Chances are you'll get arrested.
CanRay
Maybe in your city, but the strong Francophone population of my hometown would be agast at not being able to do things just like that!

Different music, however.
WearzManySkins
*shrugs*No branch of the Military has a lock on Arse Holes.

Again his vigilante tactics would get his arse in Jail here in Texas.

Also his remote would be hacked and Bum Bot goes on Rampage News Videos.

WMS
CanRay
OK Wireless Hackers...

ROAD TRIP!
Rad
That would be fun and shadow-y way to fix the situation...

...I still like the wetwork/structure hit on his bar option better though--guess I'm just mean. biggrin.gif
crizh
OMFG!!!!

You guy's really need some sort of UK language filter on here.

BumBot!

Jesus, my eyes are starting to water just thinking about it. Although it does give me some ideas....
Rad
What? Like a cyborg version of Assy McGee? rotfl.gif
crizh
QUOTE (Rad @ Apr 26 2008, 10:06 PM) *
What? Like a cyborg version of Assy McGee? rotfl.gif


Arghhh, my eyes? The goggles zey do nuthink....

No, not like that.

I had been designing a group of NPC's that used the sewers and microdrones to collect ritual 'samples' but stopped when I realized they would end up being called the 'Bum Bandits.' I was straying into poor taste and shelved the idea....
Serial_Peacemaker
Hey, if you can clench your teeth at a little bit of disgusting you can make a lot of money.
CanRay
QUOTE (Rad @ Apr 26 2008, 03:28 PM) *
That would be fun and shadow-y way to fix the situation...

...I still like the wetwork/structure hit on his bar option better though--guess I'm just mean. biggrin.gif

You just want to see the pretty 'plosions.

And, considering that I grew up in a Mining Town, I'm the same way...

*Sighs* I miss the Earth-Shattering Kaboom.
Rad
You, me, and Marvin the Martian, chummer. biggrin.gif
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