Update: Robot Roadblock — West Hollywood Resident Calls for Action After Sidewalk Incident

By now, many West Hollywood residents have heard about Mark Chaney’s unexpected encounter with “Patrick,” one of the autonomous food delivery robots operated by Serve Robotics that regularly roam the streets of WeHo. The story has gained national attention and interest from KTLA, the LA Times, Good Morning America and Inside Edition. WEHOOnline recently caught up with Mr. Chaney—a licensed therapist, disability advocate and seven-year resident of West Hollywood—to get his side of the story and hear what changes he hopes to see following the incident.

Mr. Chaney, who has cerebral palsy, often relies on his mobility scooter or crutches to navigate the city. On the morning of September 12th, while heading home after running errands, he encountered a now-familiar frustration among some West Hollywood residents—a delivery robot obstructing the sidewalk and mobility. The incident took place on Santa Monica Boulevard near the West Hollywood Sheriff’s Station where Chaney collided with one of the robots. He noted that had he been using his crutches instead of his scooter that day, he likely would have fallen—and potentially been injured.

What concerns Chaney most is not just the physical obstruction, but the broader implications for public safety and accessibility. “I’ve always tried to be careful around these machines—not to be knocked over or blocked —but this time, I was not so lucky,” he told us. He described other instances where he had to step off the sidewalk to accommodate the robots on narrow sidewalks due to it blocking the walkway and his limited mobility.

Making the situation more troubling, Chaney pointed out that these robots are not fully autonomous—they can be remotely operated. “Whether it was bad timing or someone actually controlling it, I don’t know, but either way, it’s unacceptable, and more importantly, not safe and limits accessibility.” He also told us about a recent viral video making the rounds that shows one of the Serve robots blocking a firetruck on its way to an emergency, further highlighting the safety concerns. 

When asked what he would like to see happen moving forward, Mr. Chaney laid out a few clear priorities he would like us to share. “First, go back to the drawing board. This technology just isn’t ready to be sharing space with everyone in public—especially people with disabilities. It’s not just inconvenient, it’s dangerous.”

Second, he mentioned that a Serve Robotics representative emailed him, stating that an ADA-focused “Accessibility Council” was being fast-tracked for the coming months. Mr. Chaney expressed his willingness to participate on the council and share his lived experience as a disabled resident. “It’s crucial that people who actually face these challenges every day have a voice in shaping policy and these robots sharing our spaces,” but has yet to hear back from them. He sent a follow-up email with suggestions and requests, but has not heard back as 9/27/2025.

Last, he acknowledged that while the situation is timely, playing “bumper cars” with a robot in 2025—the age of AI—is not science fiction or a joke, but a genuine concern.  Serve Robotics told another news outlet the robot’s sensors had malfunctioned. He hopes they will take responsibility for the damage and stress this has caused to him personally as well as the larger implications for the city. “This has affected my day-to-day life in a very real way, including receiving threatening messages, comments about my disability and even my sexuality… It’s not just about this one encounter—it’s about the bigger pattern of these machines creating barriers instead of breaking them down.”

Mr. Chaney believes the city should step in and regulate sidewalk robotics more aggressively. “They’re not safe right now, they’re causing issues not solutions. They are obstructing sidewalks, and making life harder for residents with disability and mobility issues, even those walking around the city.” He said he hopes “to advocate for better regulation and have them safety tested.”  He believes if the AI landscape is not considering all people and is causing more harm then help, “then perhaps Serve Robotics should not operate in our city if they cannot take responsibility and accountability for what they have created and placed on our streets. That should not be happening in West Hollywood.”