Chicago Biker Picks a Fight With a Delivery Robot in Viral Video

Chicago is used to traffic jams, but lately, some of the congestion has been happening on the sidewalks.

A viral video showing a Chicago cyclist appearing to get into a confrontation with an autonomous delivery robot has sparked another conversation about the growing frustration with these machines around the city.

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In the video, a cyclist riding on the sidewalk encounters a delivery robot before appearing to brake in front of it, push it, kick it and toss it off the pavement into a nearby bush.  People watching from passing vehicles can be heard reacting to the bizarre interaction.

While the cyclist's reaction has attracted plenty of attention, it's also bringing attention back to the bigger issue: delivery robots are sharing public sidewalks with pedestrians.

Companies like Coco Robotics and Serve Robotics operate fleets of delivery robots in parts of Chicago, transporting food orders from restaurants to customers.  The machines are intended to make deliveries more convenient, but not everyone is happy about sharing the sidewalk with them.

There have also been incidents involving delivery robots crashing into Chicago bus shelters and shattering glass, raising additional concerns about safety and reliability.

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The frustrations have even led to campaigns called "No Sidewalk Bots", which calls on Chicago to pause its sidewalk delivery robot program until officials release safety and accessibility findings.

What do you think?  Are delivery robots a convenient way to get your food, or are they becoming more of a nuisance on city sidewalks?