Forget stealing our jobs robots are now coming for the most human pastime: causing havoc on public transport

Date:
Tue, 05 May 2026 18:00:00 +0000

Description:
Southwest Airlines had a robot passenger problem which caused an hour-long flight delay.

FULL STORY ======================================================================Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Reddit Pinterest Flipboard Threads Email Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Subscribe to our newsletter Bebop the robot tried to get on a Southwest flight He had a seat and a ticket, but bumped up against the airline's baggage rules The flight did eventually take off, but arrived an hour later than planned Bored with threatening jobs, art, and marathon records, robots have turned their attention towards the most quintessentially human pastime of all: being a hellish nuisance on public transport.

The culprit is Bebop; the 70-pound humanoid bot was hoping to take a
Southwest Airlines flight from Oakland to San Diego, but despite having his own seat and ticket just like a human passenger, his presence ended up
causing an hour-long delay. The first issue was Bebops aisle seat. While he had a ticket, Bebop was essentially his travel companions carry-on, and Bebop being so close to the aisle went against Southwests large carry-on policy. Article continues below You may like A Texas city used cute robots to improve its sidewalks We've been worrying about robots for more than a century this film proves it We need to talk about this bizarre video of a robot chasing wild boars

Things snowballed from here. Flight attendants had plenty of questions for Bebop after his initial policy violation, questions they needed answers to before the plane could take off safely. This is what caused the delay, as
well as saw Bebop moved to a window seat and having his large lithium-ion battery removed to comply with weight limits and battery regulations similar to the reasons Bebop was flying in the cabin, and not in the planes hold.

A post shared by Elite Event Robotics (@elite.event.robotics)

A photo posted by on An unexpected journey delay Bebop is operated by Elite Event Robotics and was traveling with employee Eily Ben-Abraham, who told People, Our robots are designed to create engaging, memorable experiences at events, adding, moments like this highlight both the novelty of the
technology and the evolving logistics that come with bringing these experiences nationwide.

I imagine Bebop has certainly created a memorable experience for his fellow passengers, though if I were among them, its not an experience Id want to repeat.

Upon seeing the news, some have, perhaps understandably, responded negatively to the press Bebop has generated, saying things like, This is a viral marketing stunt, and F**k this passenger for not calling and notifying them first and just forcing Southwest to deal with it onsite. Get daily insight, inspiration and deals in your inbox Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more. Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

Though, while generating buzz around a robot flyer was probably an intended side effect of Bebops adventure (it was seen taking selfies with people
before boarding), causing a delay doesnt appear to have been part of the
plan, as Ben-Abraham said he had no troubles escorting the bot in a plane cabin from Texas to California.

Following Bebops misadventure, I expect we might see some other bots try to take a similar journey and repeat his viral fame, though I hope we dont.
Plane tickets are pricey and cramped enough without robot passengers filling up the seats.

They should stick to the other transport methods, and leave triggering major transport delays to red-blooded human beings who want to ruin peoples travel experience the old-fashioned way with a mix of entitlement and a love of the game. Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our expert news, reviews, and opinion in your feeds.



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Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/tech/forget-stealing-our-jobs-robots-are-now-coming- for-the-most-human-pastime-causing-havoc-on-public-transport


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