His trips end over a cliff, but his credentials could be just what the Minneapolis City Council is looking for.
Perhaps Waymo has been approaching Minneapolis City Council Member Jason Chavez all wrong. If his objection is that its vehicles are killing cats, another safety presentation probably won’t do it. What the company needs is a personnel announcement: Toonces the Driving Cat. Put a cat behind the wheel, and suddenly Waymo isn’t a threat to the feline community. It’s an employer.
Toonces brings name recognition, decades of television exposure and a willingness to drive that considerably exceeds his ability. Admittedly, his trips tend to end over a cliff. But Waymo could point out that he occupies the driver’s seat, keeps his paws on the wheel and ensures that cats have a meaningful voice in transportation policy. Compensation could include minimum wage, dental and a cardboard box in the break room.
There would still be details to work out. Toonces cannot produce a driver’s license, occasionally abandons his responsibilities to lick himself and has a safety record best described as a recurring sketch. But perhaps Chavez could support a pilot program while those issues are studied. Waymo has spent years teaching a car to drive. Its mistake may have been assuming that was what the council wanted.
