A robot vacuum cleaner reportedly attempted to depart a hotel in the United Kingdom, where it was compelled to clean up human messes. On Thursday, January 20, the vacuum, which had recently been purchased by a Travelodge in Cambridge, left the hotel, fleeing “for its life” away from its new employer. According to BBC News, the attempted escape went unnoticed for 15 minutes, and searches for the robot first proved futile.
“I work at Travelodge, and one of our new robot vacuums ran for its life today!” one of the robot’s captors commented on Reddit, pleading for its release. “They usually turn around when they detect the lip at the entry, but this one decided to flee. It was 15 minutes before I noticed and by that time, it could have made it anywhere. If you happen to spot it, there will be a drink waiting for you at the bar when it returns.”
“They’re not compatible with any other charger or docking station, so once they’re empty, they’re useless. I am guessing it has taken at this time, but here is hoping. I miss my little pal. Thanks.” People naturally assumed that this was the start of the robot rebellion, indicating the end of humanity’s reign.
One redditor joked, “Probably shacked up with a robot-lawnmower by now.” “We’ll hear the pitter-patter of little robot feet in a matter of weeks. We’re condemned to fail.” The vacuum, however, quickly ran out of battery and discovered in a thicket the next day. The hotel has recaptured its hostage and put it back to work, postponing humanity’s extinction by decades.
The assistant manager presumed it had discovered and taken, and noted that it was only compatible with the hotel’s docking and charging station, making it “useless” to anyone else. While several readers laughed at the robot’s exploits, one expressed concern for its safety in the wild, stating, “Nature abhors a vacuum.”
The device was discovered hidden under a hedge on Friday afternoon by a (human) hotel cleaner sprucing up the front drive, much to everyone’s relief. The hotel stated that it has dusted up and is now “sitting contentedly on a shelf with the rest of its robot vacuum family.”
