Comments

1
Seems like Amazon would prefer it that way in order to create one-stop shopping for their palm-greasing operations. If you leave it up to the states, you have 50 sets of legislators to pressure. Leave it up to the *municipalities* and you have anarchy.
2
Drone loathing cuts across the political spectrum. Also, what person would want to embarrass himself or herself by annoying the neighbors with such obnoxiousness? Bezos would have better success trying to invent a time machine.
3
What I want to know is: how are these things supposed to work when it comes to multi-unit dwellings? Will the drone be able to override external door locks and deposit merchandise right in front of your hallway door, or will they just drop their loads in front of the lobby entrance? Because THAT wouldn't possibly be source of perpetual hilarity and/or frustration, depending.
4
What's with the drone hatred / planned vandalism? The only thing I have seen that is less rational is the hatred of GMO's. And the only thing I have seen more cavalier about vandalizing are public parks where everyone feels compelled to carve their name into railings, benches, etc.

What is the huge problem with having items delivered by unmanned drones rather than UPS?
5
@4, a UPS driver is unlikely to put out your eye with his elbow or little barcode scanner.

These drones only make sense in Stepford Suburbia, not thickly urbanized terrain.

Any teen who take down one of these buzzing Orwellian fuckers gets a free joint from me.
6
@4: Seriously. We leave packages in mail boxes and on porches *all the time*. And neither of those tend to be covered in cameras the way a drone is. Just because something is new doesn't mean the basic working of society is going to break down suddenly, folks.
7
@4:

Because human nature being what it is, some people will apparently never pass up an opportunity to damage, deface, or abscond with inanimate objects when they have a reasonable chance of getting away with it sans repercussions. Plus, if Bezos has his way, these drones are going to be thicker than flies on shit, buzzing around neighborhoods at all hours delivering things people might want: food, electronics, clothing, you name it. So, the idea they're going to be left about their business unmolested seems woefully naive. Hell, it's bad enough people have deliveries stolen off their front stoops, with this cunning plan, they'll be lucky to make it past the sidewalk before some enterprising individual with a taste for larceny and a Louisville Slugger figures out how easy they are to take down.
8
I'm sure birds won't be very happy with them either.
9
@4

Can't we have some space free of rampant commercialism or are we also going to have to deal with these things buzzing around us all the time? Next thing some greedy moron will think about sticking advertising on them.

We won't even talk about security issues with drones (from run of the mill accidents to terrorism) but if Besos and co were to personally shoulder the liability rather than hide behind articles of incorporation, they'd sound a lot more credible.
10
Just install build an EMP device onto your bike and pop it whenever a heavily-laden drone passes overhead. The cameras won't know what happened.
11
I agree with Amazon. Let's just have federal regulations that preclude them from being used for any purpose whatsoever.
13
I hope such widespread use of drones never happens, for a reason not discussed much: noise. Those things are not going to be silent. Every new mechanized technology involves more noise, and the social response to increased noise always seems the same: shut up and learn to live with it.

No thanks. Our cities and towns are already way too noisy as it is, and this noise impacts other creatures as well as ourselves (by causing hearing loss over time and simply by distancing us from the natural world of sounds).

Unless drone-based deliveries can be rolled out with no net increase in noise (not likely), I'm all in favor of teens with rocks and anyone else taking the damn things out.
14
"Show me the teen who wouldn't hit that drone with a rock and steal those pizzas and I will show you a disappointing teen. "

I was unaware that The Stranger is an advocate for violence.
15
"Amazon to Congress" Don't let States regulate taxes so Amazon doesn't have to pay?
17
@9
Re a new platform for advertising, well, drones could become the latest neighbourhood audio nuisance similar to an ice cream truck. And future versions could project holographic images. Most shudderworthy.

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