First attack on a cyborg
July 17, 2012 by Amara D. Angelica
EyeTap (credit: Steve Mann)
UPDATE: McDonald’s provided this statement to KurzweilAI on July 18, 2012:
“We share the concern regarding Dr. Mann’s account of his July 1 visit to a McDonald’s in Paris. McDonald’s France was made aware of Dr. Mann’s complaints on July 16, and immediately launched a thorough investigation. The McDonald’s France team has contacted Dr. Mann and is awaiting further information from him.
In addition, several staff members involved have been interviewed individually, and all independently and consistently expressed that their interaction with Dr. Mann was polite and did not involve a physical altercation. Our crew members and restaurant security staff have informed us that they did not damage any of Mr. Mann’s personal possessions.
While we continue to learn more about the situation, we are hearing from customers who have questions about what happened. We urge everyone not to speculate or jump to conclusions before all the facts are known. Our goal is to provide a welcoming environment and stellar service to McDonald’s customers around the world.”
- McDonald’s
On July 1, Steve Mann, a professor of electrical and computer engineering at the University of Toronto and renowned as the world’s first cyborg, was physically assaulted in a McDonald’s in Paris for wearing his EyeTap eyeglass, with resulting damage to his eyeglass, which is surgically attached to his skull.
“I’m not seeking to be awarded money. I just want my Glass fixed,” said Steve. Paris police and McDonald’s were unresponsive, he said.
Maybe KurzweilAI readers in France and Europe can help? Here’s the McDonald’s contact page in France. We will pass along your comments and suggestions to Steve.
UPDATE: Khader Aissani, 36, manager, McDonald’s of Champs-Elysées as of Oct.2011:
Khader Aissani (credit: 20minutes.fr)
Here is Steve Mann’s report. It raises significant questions for future wearers of Google Glass and other enhancements.
Digital Eye Glass
I believe that Digital Eye Glass will ultimately replace glasses, and will help many people see better, and improve the quality of their lives through Augmediated Reality.
I wear a computer vision system, and carry a letter from my family physician, as well as documentation on this system when I travel.
I have worn a computer vision system of some kind for 34 years, and am the inventor of the technology that I wear and use in my day-to-day life.
Although it has varied over the last 34 years, I have worn the present embodiment of this system (pictured below) for 13 years. This simple design which I did in collaboration with designer Chris Aimone, consists of a sleek strip of aluminum that runs across the forehead, with two silicone nose pads. It holds an EyeTap device (computer-controlled laser light source that causes the eye itself to function as if it were both a camera and display, in effect) in front of my right eye. It also gives the wearer the appearance of having a “glass eye”, this phenomenon being known as the “glass eye” effect (Presence Connect, 2002).
Over the years the EyeTap has also therefore been known as the “Glass Eye” or “Eye Glass”, or “Digital Eye Glass”, using the word “Glass” in its singular form, rather than its plural form “Glasses” (See figure caption, “EyeTap digital eye glass”, Aaron Harris/Canadian Press, Monday Dec. 22, 2003).
Recent news has described me as “the father of wearable computing” in the context of various commercially manufactured versions of similar eye glass, such as those made by companies like Google, Olympus, and the like (see below), so as this technology becomes mainstream, McDonald’s might need to get used to it.
I originally created this technology, and the computer vision algorithms (e.g. HDR = High Dynamic Range), to help people see better. I have also assisted a number of blind and visually impaired (partially sighted) persons with various projects, and I continue to conduct research in this area. I was also part of the team that invented, designed, and built rehabilitation technology for the Canadian National Institute for the Blind, and this technology continues to be used by the CNIB.
Physical assault and willful destruction of customer’s property by persons acting as representatives of McDonald’s
In June of 2012, my wife, children, and I traveled to Paris, France, for our summer vacation, in order to give our children the opportunity to learn true Parisian French (we have them enrolled in French immersion at school).
On the evening of 2012 July 1st, my wife and children and I went to McDonalds at 140, Avenue Champs Elysees, Paris, France, after a day of sightseeing (8 museums and other landmark sights, as part of a boat cruise package), and while we were standing in line at McDonalds, I was stopped by a person who subsequently stated that he was a McDonalds employee, and he asked about my eyeglass (digital computer vision system, i.e. EyeTap).
Because we’d spent the day going to various museums and historical landmark sites guarded by military and police, I had brought with me the letter from my doctor regarding my computer vision eyeglass, along with documentation, etc., although I’d not needed to present any of this at any of the other places I visited (McDonald’s was the only establishement that seemed to have any problem with my eyeglass during our entire 2 week trip).
Since I happened to have it with me, I showed this doctor’s letter and the documentation to the purported McDonalds employee who had stopped me in the McDonalds line.
After reviewing the documentation, the purported McDonalds employee accepted me (and my family) as a customer, and left us to place our order. In what follows, I will refer to this person as “Possible Witness 1″.
We ordered two Ranch Wraps, one burger, and one mango McFlurry, from a cashier who I will refer to as “Possible Witness 2″. My daughter handled the cash to pay Possible Witness 2, as my daughter wanted to practice her French. Possible Witness 2 complimented my daughter on her fluency in French.
Next my family and I seated ourselves in the restaurant right by the entrance, so we could watch people walking along Avenue Champs Elysees while we ate our meal.
Left-to-right: Perpetrator 2, Perpetrator 1, and Perpetrator 3 (credit: Steve Mann)
Subsequently another person within McDonalds physically assaulted me, while I was in McDonand’s, eating my McDonand’s Ranch Wrap that I had just purchased at this McDonald’s. He angrily grabbed my eyeglass, and tried to pull it off my head. The eyeglass is permanently attached and does not come off my skull without special tools.
I tried to calm him down and I showed him the letter from my doctor and the documentation I had brought with me. He (who I will refer to as Perpetrator 1) then brought me to two other persons.
He was standing in the middle, right in front of me, and there was another person to my left seated at a table (who I will refer to as Perpetrator 2), and a third person to my right. The third person (who I will refer to as Perpetrator 3) was holding a broom and dustpan, and wearing a shirt with a McDonald’s logo on it. The person in the center (Perpetrator 1) handed the materials I had given him to the person to my left (Perpetrator 2), while the three of them reviewed my doctor’s letter and the documentation.
Left-to-right: Perpetrator 2 tearing up my doctor’s letter, while Perpetrator 3 watches (credit: Steve Mann)
After all three of them reviewed this material, and deliberated on it for some time, Perpetrator 2 angrily crumpled and ripped up the letter from my doctor. My other documentation was also destroyed by Perpetrator 1.
I noticed that Perpetrator 1 was wearing a name tag clipped to his belt. When I looked down at it, he quickly covered it up with his hand, and pulled it off and turned it around so that it was facing inwards, so that only the blank white backside of it was then facing outwards.
Perpetrator 1 pushed me out the door, onto the street.
The computerized eyeglass processes imagery using Augmediated Reality, in order to help the wearer see better, and when the computer is damaged, e.g. by falling and hitting the ground (or by a physical assault), buffered pictures for processing remain in its memory, and are not overwritten with new ones by the then non-functioning computer vision system.
As a result of Perpetrator 1′s actions, therefore images that would not have otherwise been captured were captured. Therefore by damaging the Eye Glass, Perpetrator 1 photographed himself and others within McDonalds.
The images, all taken by Perpetrator 1 (i.e. their having been captured was caused by Perpetrator 1′s actions), were among those recovered from the damaged computer vision system, and will hopefully help in solving this crime.
Please help
I tried on many occasions to contact McDonald’s but have not received any response. As McDonand’s does not publish any direct contact email information, I used the whois database to find some email addresses, e.g. of domains like “mcdonalds.com” and emailed those addresses.
My attempts included filling out various online forms on mcdonalds.com but to no avail. I also tried calling the main number, at mcdonands.com: 1-800-244-6227, but got a voice recording that was totally unintelligible (very loud and distorted), and it appears this number does not work.
I also contacted the Embassy, Consulate, Police, etc., without much luck.
In my research, I came across Penny Sheldon, a travel agent from Boise, Id., who was physically assaulted by McDonalds staff in Paris, France, because she photographed their menu. This seems surprising because many people use a handheld camera as a seeing aid to magnify and read signs, etc. (zooming into a picture to see it on screen).
Penny Sheldon contacted the Police in Paris, but did not receive much help from them. I’m not seeking to be awarded money. I just want my Glass fixed, and it would also be nice if McDonald’s would see fit to support vision research.
I don’t have the resources to take on a branch of a large multi-national corporation operating in a distant country, but I could use some help and advice as to how to resolve this matter, how to ensure it doesn’t happen again to me or anyone else wearing Eye Glass, and what can be done to advance Digital Eye Glass research in not just the technological realm, but also the realm of social responsibility and “culture and technology.
Best regards,
Steve
Dr. Steve Mann, PhD (MIT ’97), PEng (Ontario),
330 Dundas Street West
Toronto, Ontario,
Canada, M5T 1G5.
Research in Wearable Computing and Augmediated Reality
The more people that adopt this technology to improve the quality of their lives, the more that McDonald’s will become accustomed to it. You can become involved by building your own wearable computer vision system. See for example, the following links:
http://www.eyetap.org/publications/
http://wearcam.org/textbook.htm
Comments (143)
by eldras
But Hugo de Garis predicted this???
by TFC
I can understand the ilk at McDonalds actiions, but a PHD in engineering at McDonalds, why?
by Vin
Since I’m in a cynical mood today lol, answer, Profit strategy: Neuro-marketing to kids can win access to any neuromarketing -immune parent’s pocket. Then keep pumping the kids up with energetics to amplify noisy craving and persistence. This may result in a high-turnover of kids and relationship break-ups but survival instinct ensures an equilibrium in the companies’ favour will ensue. In other words, its called sanctioned child abuse?
by helder estevens
virulogy cyber-updates on automation apocalyptic vulnerability.
artifiçial non-sense.
by SpottedMarley
So ignorant morons work at McDonald’s worldwide.. not just in the US.. got it
by Jim Mooney
Story sent to Ars Technica and the NY Times tip file. That’s enough for today ;’)
by Jim Mooney
This event brings to mind another document. The Triple Revolution Document showed how cybernation would increase productivity to the point where we would all be working twenty hour weeks and there would be no poverty. This was written about forty years ago. Buckminster Fuller pointed out the same truth. So what happened?
What happened is we have a twenty-first century science manacled by a nineteenth-century economic system and an eighteenth-century political system; and the world is full of idiots. Intelligent people tend to judge others by themselves, being blind to the stupidity of institutions and individuals – thus the optimistic predictions. I can only hope the Singularity will come but it won’t be a cakewalk. There is a rotten economic system and billions of idiots to consider.
by de Broglie
A free market system is the best system for prosperity and technological innvovation. The so called “mixed economy” has hampered technological innovation more than nearly any force.
by Chris
Not true. The high-tech industry thrives on challenge, and that includes the challenges of complying with environmental and workers-rights laws, competing fairly, and paying its taxes (partly to support public-sector innovation).
by Mr.x
Be cautious about what you wish for (jk, of course wishing alone won’t matter that much).Due to various biases/flaws we tend to vastly underestimate the probability of a singualarity gone wrong (or wild).
by Jim Mooney
I managed to post a mention with this page’s url to http://www.20minutes.fr/article/801524/commentaires/1 which has a bio of the manager. Wish I’d thought to use google translate since I don’t know French, but it’s pretty easy to figure a site out in any language. I use Russian sites and don’t know a word of it ;’)
by rob falgiano
It’s terrible this happened, but I’m not shocked. If people believe that an ‘enhanced’ individual is also taking pictures of them using these goggles then they may have a legit privacy complaint. I think it would be wise to redesign these glasses so that they are removable. Obviously once they become more prevalent people will become more used to them, but the law will also need to address the privacy issue. Because you know there will be plenty of pervs with digital glasses taping your daughters.
by Bri
The law looks at public space as being exposed. When your trash hits the curb it’s not on your property and you have given up claim to it. Hence if you leave personal information in it, it’s your fault. For the most part, this includes all open space. Some of this has changed because of 9/11. You can’t photograph “sensitive” public spaces, like the tunnels going into manhattan. This is a slippery slope. If I want to record my transit through the tunnels clandistantly there is no way for them to stop you. Just a pin hole in the side of you vehicle could be used to make a pin hole camera. Something that has been around since the beginnings of Photography. Something that would be impossible to guard against and yet there are signs saying that you can’t take pictures. It only is effective in terms of prosecution. It also looks like they are doing something to fight terrorism. Between you and me, there is no way to stop someone from taking pictures, even in the privacy of your home. If someone is determined, there is always a way.
by rob falgiano
Correct. But it may be unwise to advertise one’s ability to take pics of everyone around oneself by strapping an obvious digital device to one’s head. If it were me, I’d make sure the thing was removable for instances in which offending someone might cost me my safety.
by Chris
Removability won’t be feasible once it’s integrated with the visual cortex. Still, I’d get mine made with a lens cap.
by Carl Brooks
one day, when everyone is wearing a form of these glasses, crimes like this will not happen. I mean just look at how many people have commented on this story. The reaction speaks for itself figuratively and literally.
let crowd source Justice prevail
by Sigi
I got an answer from mc donalds germany:
“We share the concern regarding Dr. Mann’s account of his July 1 visit to a McDonald’s in Paris. McDonald’s France was made aware of Dr. Mann’s complaints on July 16, and immediately launched a thorough investigation. The McDonald’s France team has contacted Dr. Mann and is awaiting further information from him.
In addition, several staff members involved have been interviewed individually and all independently and consistently expressed that their interaction with Dr. Mann was polite and did not involve a physical altercation. Our crew members and restaurant security staff have informed us that they did not damage any of Mr. Mann’s personal possessions.
While we continue to learn more about the situation, we are hearing from customers who have questions about what happened. We urge everyone not to speculate or jump to conclusions before all the facts are known. Our goal is to provide a welcoming environment and stellar service to McDonald’s customers around the world.”
by Kynareth
What happened to Steve is disgusting. I wonder if it’s just that they don’t accept cyborgs or it’s because they’re scared of cameras. The second is more plausible. And the worst is that, it can happen to any geek who likes wearing more than just eyeglasses. If it won’t change, it’s certain that people like Steve will avoid McDonalds. I’m just waiting for another case like that.
by GatorALLin
..so if you are truly afraid of cameras, then don’t you think that if you assault someone that you make sure they don’t get it on camera… just saying. They deserve to go to jail…(and would be already if this was in the USA….yeah I said it)
by Mr.x
Yeah right, you can be proud: http://www.nytimes.com/1991/01/07/us/us-has-highest-rate-of-imprisonment-in-world.html ,
And yes, this is another cyborg (neil_harbisson).
Wiki:A cyborg, short for “cybernetic organism”, is a being with both biological and artificial (e.g. electronic, mechanical or robotic) parts.
Strictly speaking the headline is wrong. I am sure there have been attacks on people with cardiac catheters.Of course, they most likely have not been attacked because of them being cyborgs, as is the case with Dr.Mann.
by GatorALLin
is this another cyborg? http://www.ted.com/talks/neil_harbisson_i_listen_to_color.html
by Pinocchio
The first and foremost crime done was to dinner at a McDonalds in France…
The second crime is the fascist and elitist thought structure of a lot of comments here.
The third crime is the kind of manipulating the context of that what happened in that McDonalds in Paris to a story that pleases said thought structure of this websites clintele.
by technoptimism
Violence is a serious crime, and the lowest most primitive possible kind of behavior. Animals do it. Enough said.
Might want to reconsider: if’ you’re against the elite – remember, it’s those guys who have brought you this standard of living, ALWAYS the elite and ONLY the elite – you’re with the “cave people” – though they actually eventually got out of the caves, while these guys might not!
Regards,
One of those elite sons of b…right scientists!
by Great Gazoo
Regarding cavemen I suggest reading Platon’s Symposium.
-
Last time I checked humans were the best killers on this planet.
Better than any animal we ever heard of.
To be precise, because of that we are where we are.
At the top of the food chain, son.
-
In that french McDonalds in Paris a bunch of socially declassed McDonald slaves overreacted to a tacky technobarbarian that in their eyes may have filmed some of their more or less illegal activities, probably illegal immigrants with ilicit employment serving food under questionable hygienic circumstances.
-
Beside that there are some fantastic brasseries in Paris.
Well, naturally…
by Mr.x
@Techno: (Most) Animals eat and drink too.Enough said.
You statement about the elite being the only one who enhances living standards is simplicistic.You need lots of mapower to provide for the so called elite (maybe you want to read up on economics, if you are interested in this).Without a big enough economy most high-tech/tech stuff would not exist.
Your comment about the “cave people” is also “not so smart”.You seem to vastly underestimate the influence of environment in human development, or in other words: If you’d been born back them you would be like them. That said, it should be obvious that it was not their fault that they were not as “smart” as “one of those elite sons of bright scientists” (obvious if you do some research and get/believe what I am trying to say).Therefore, it seems a bit ignorant to use “cave people” as an insult (btw most prehistoric people probably didn’t live in caves).
Btw: Humans are animals too, and most people would not consider the bulk of scientists as members of the elite.You also seem to think that primitive == bad.The wheel is pretty primitive too.Violence per se is not a crime.How about self-defence?Just meant to be some food for thought.
With best regards,
Mr.x
by Jim Mooney
Really, travel thousands of miles to the home of French Pastry, fine cheese, and exquisite meals, and you eat at that rat trap, McDonalds (Pass the Pink Slime, please.) Now, that’s a crime ;’)
by Jean-Guy Rens
Next time you travel, try to avoid Macdonalds. There are a few good restaurants in Paris with some distinctive food….
More seriously, this shows we all should boycot Macdonald until this corporation makes a formal apology to this gentleman and reimburse him the price of the glaa eye. Macdonald employees behaviour was atrocious, and the corporation way of dealing with the issue even worse.
LET US START A BOYCOT CAMPAIGN!
by Chrispium
If you want to live to see the singularity a permanent MacDonalds boycott is a given, even before this unfortunate incident. Protect your life-support system (your body) from garbage food.
by Scott Batchelor
Perhaps another cybernetic upgrade is in order here. I might choose a stun prod covering and tamper proofing upgrades, biofeedback recorder and full audio visual and gps time stamp recording that uploads to a lawyer on retainer. An English to French translation device, RFID implant credit fob, with medical data included. Or just go old school and when the son of a bitch accosts you, punch them in the face with your hardened knuckle implants.
by Marcos Marin
hahahaha.. also, wolverine claws will probably be available before his super healing..
by Mr.x
I don’t think so, they replaced (!) his entire skeleton with some metal/alloy, if my memory is correct.I guess he would need some very advanced (from our perspective) tech to let him survive that.
Also to some: Scientifically speaking there is no such thing as a subhuman.Most problems are a matter of upbringing/education and the experiences people have had, and their reflections on these things.E.g thinking that there is sth like a subhuman mostly results from being brought up by people who believe in the surpremacy of one group over others, and then meeting people from different social strata who seem to confirm what has been said about their respective group/s.Being primed to one possible explanation makes the attribution of causality to it much more likely.It is also a nice feeling, I guess, to feel superior relative to someone, and much more so, if one does not have to do anything for it.That way, it is like religion, and like religion, education seems to be antidote.Trying to be objective,to enforce intellectualy honesty (for oneself of course) and non-lazyness (you can’t be too sure to know the cause for something if you did not check alternative explanations) would also be of help.
by artboy
“We urge everyone not to speculate or jump to conclusions before all the facts are known”
He has goddamn pictures straight from his line of vision.
by wetwork
One McDonalds Plaza
OAK BROOK, IL 60523
UNITED STATES
Phone: (630) 623-3000
Fax: (302) 636-5454
i retrieved this from NYSE
best wishes m8
P.S. contact an attorney!! they will respond to that my friend!!!
by Jim Mooney
Have you ever tried to make a dent in a megacorporation? I have. Ain’t easy. I took on Allstate and Unum, both multibillion dollar corrupt insurance companies. I started a friggin’ movement – a website mentioned in Forbes, WSJ, Smart Money, the Chicago Trib, and elsewhre. I started a newsletter. I organized lawyers, agents, advocates, and victims – but neither company deigned to settle fairly or acknowledge my existence. All I made was a minor dent. They’ve screwed everyone from Senators to Superman, and like the big banks, they’re not only too big to fail, They’re too big to give a damn about you or me.
by Nyk
Heh, that’s what happens when people like this professor have to share their society with beings who, for all intents and purposes, are subhumans.
Furthermore, I am willing to bet the perpetrators were not of French descent, but ‘vibrants’ imported by the reckless French rulers espousing multiculturalism.
If machines ever feel it is necessary to wipe us out, you’ll find me on their side, willing to die in dignity at the side of superior beings, rather than continuing my existence in the squalor of my own kind.
by de Broglie
I agree. The first world countries import dysgenic scum and subsidize the reporduction of these foreigners who cannot function in an industrial society. Ironically, the Muslim Conquest of Europe that so many right-wing ideologues worry about will not come to fruition if the singularity occurs as projected.
by Jim Mooney
If you pay subhuman wages and work people to death, like McDonald’s, you won’t get the best sort of folks – the desperate and the demented.
by LorMcC
Typical of so called French muslim of attacking!
by Bri
If I were McDs I would hold of on the “nothing happened” stance, or this will play out in the court of public opinion! Mr Mann is so mean, he hurt those poor employies. We would never cause any harm, he must have jumped in front of a truck, and is trying to extort money from us.
by Bry Chase
Oh, the Scientology PR system, lol
by Jim Mooney
Don’t get me started on Scientology, especially a morally bankrupt course Elron created for top managers, called “Management by Statistics.” It created an entire generation of conscienceless managers whose only motivation was to rape, rob, and loot. It was quite popular with middle management in the seventies. They later became top management and look how that turned out.
There are a lot of ugly truths out there most don’t know about – like the sixty thousand ballots in Jacksonville that were double-punched by IBM 1029 keypunches set on auto, in 2000, to invalidate them as overvotes. The statistical impossibility of the same spoiling punch being in sixty thousand punchcards did not escape my eagle eye. But of course, it escaped the media, which followed the wrong rabbit down the hole of absurdity and “hanging chads” ;’)
by eric
I note the conspicuous absence of any reference to surveillance video in McDonalds’ reply.
by Ian Clarke
Given the manager’s camera shyness, I wouldn’t be surprised if any footage was ‘accidentally’ wiped, or the CCTV camera’s were ‘faulty’ on the day in question.
by Ian Clarke
I, for one, welcome the day when we are all equipped with discrete and higher spec’ed versions of these devices. Not only will Customer Service in both the private and public sector be forced to improve, but we will ALL have to start treating each other in a civilized fashion. Big Brother for the individual (Little Brother, perhaps?) can only be of benefit to society as a whole.
It might also be helpful in discovering what happened during a drunken night out. :-)
by Barkeron
Of course, as a bunch of privileged white male electro-gizmo fetishists the Transcientologists use this incident to cast themselves as a persecuted minority.
But who were you when people who carried devices that enhance one’s life and actually exist in the real world, that is to say smartphones and camcorders, were assaulted and even killed for possessing them in the Arab Spring and countless earlier revolutions?
Were those people (who actually effected a meaningful augmentation of society by fighting for democratic governance) not white and nerdy enough for you to care?
by Nyk
We science-minded types don’t care much for people who live by the rules of a 7th century warlord. I for one am not about to subsidize their reproduction at the expense of any science-minded young White kid.
The iron rule of human behavior: what you subsidize and help, you get more of. What you tax, you get less of. We need more scientists (most of them alive today are either White or Asian, due to partly cultural and partly genetic reasons). We don’t need more Muslim terrorists.
by Gorden Russell
During the Dark Ages in Europe, it was the Muslim scientists who kept the spirit of learning alive in the world. There is nothing wrong with their genes. Our problems are all cultural. After the singularity it won’t be possible for dictators to suppress their people. When we are all making hydrogen with our nanocells there will be no more terrorists.
by Kai
What a bunch of morons; this is appalling. They could have easily asked him to cover up the lense with anything, hmm maybe the stickers they use or a napkin, or maybe just say “Please Go, Please Go!”. I know they can say that at least, English is the modern lingua franca. This is so ridiculous. But I guess I wouldn’t want to be on camera either if I was that old and working at McD. Low life ignorant people never show much reasoning either. I hope Steve gets compensated, and I hope those perps get what’s coming to them.
by Jim Mooney
I really don’t think they were worried about the camera. They didn’t even know if he had one. More likely, just Fear of the Different. (That can get you killed in a lot of places.)
by Sno
Those employees in the picture seem old enough not to be students working there half time, so it’s very doubtful that they know 1 word of english. The “perp 2″ looks like a client, probably asked by the employees to read the letter for them. In all likelihood, he failed at decyphering it and crumpled it in frustration. I’d blame all this more on the language barrier (and human stupidity) than the cyborg thing. They probably didnt even realize the whole thing was surgically implanted and of medical nature.
by Editor
A statement provided by McDonald’s has been added at the beginning of this blog post.
by Anne Onyme
McDonalds is a family place you know.
So that Frankenstein creature is coming to McDonalds, scaring everyone and their children, and you expect things to go without fuss?
Please, won’t someone here think of the children?
by Editor
So is it a French custom to attack people are are different, inside of simply asking them to leave?
by Mr.x
You know I would not say things like that coming from a country like yours.
Oh sry, I forgot that double standard could be an American coustom.
Nevermind, I hope the good doc gets his justice.
Concerning the attacking, at least they don’t kill them.
This talk about kids is just… disgusting.Better protect your kids against your “nice” religion.
by dell monty
seriouslY?
wut
by Bennie Holcomb
Seriously?
It is just technology helping out someone with a deficit.
It is like saying someone using walking assistance of some form are monsters for using machines to get around. I do believe “Frankenstien” is a bit over the top.
by Bri
Imagine Steven Hawkings going to that McDs. Run for your lives, it’s a scary monster!!!!! Hide the children!!!! With such protectionist views, you’d be better of in a stroller till you grow up.
by DCWhatthe
Not to trivialize this, but it’s not surprising. I mean, Steve has had some run-ins with retail security in prior years, for walking around with what they consider invasive monitoring technology. …in spite of the fact that they themselves have even more invasive devices, both seen & unseen.
Also, sorry to say, but this is necessary. The general population is going to be very nervous about people who both look different and who have extra-sensory devices on their person. The only way to allay that fear, is to work through some disruptive scenarios, to virally bring this to the attention of the masses. They need some familiarity with this, in order to become comfortable (translation: not fearful) with human enhancements.
We can write books about it, and we have, and hope that sufficient numbers of the population will read about it. But a better bet, is that the necessary comfort level will be achieved, after several sensationalist news stories that invoke discussion & reflection.
Practically speaking, there’s no other way.
Sorry, Steve. But I promise that as the future unfolds, many of us will remember you, for the sacrifices you have made. You will have an inspiring legacy.
by Jim Mooney
Maybe this will be the new hate group. The haters had to give up on blacks since it’s just not cool anymore. Here in Arizona they work on hating Hispanics, but as that population increases in economic power it’s becoming unrealistic. Now they’re hating Muslims, but that too will run its course. And as homosexuals become more visible, the homo-hate of the religious will soften. Yes, maybe the rabid right will latch on to cyborgs and we’ll hear Rush inveighing against them.
After all, morons have to have Someone to hate.
by Fritz
Why is it so difficult to acknowledge the obvious? Another “M” (or “I”) incident in Europe. No need to bark up the “evil corporation McDonalds” tree. No need to hold this against the French, either.
by Roland
Steve, unfurtunattely people only respect you when you have an attorney to represent you. Being a nice guy is not going to help you or other people in the future with a similar case of yours.
You should hire a good attorney and you will be surprised how fast and responsive e everyone will become.
The perpetrators have to be punished and a financial compensation could go for research, as you dont seem to be looking for personal gain.
Some people need to learn about respect, you have to
move forward.
by ThePhi
The tile is VERY misleading and too much sensationalism which decreases its importance.
Attack for what? For being a cyborg? Come on, we don’t have any clue about that. My first guess is that some persons don’t want to be recorded by camera.
Imagine that your are holding a camera just in front of you, and that you enter inside a restaurant. Do you think that everybody will be happy? Even in Germany GoogleMaps was in part censured for lack of privacy only by showing the front door of people house.
Has this “cyborg” try to enter inside a McDonald in Germany?
So, not ‘the first attack on cyborg’ but more probably another example of ‘violence against camera in public area’. For a first analysis.
by Editor
The article doesn’t state that the attack was due to a perception of a cyborg; and it is factually correct that Steve is a cyborg. We don’t have the full story yet.
by Satan
excellent title for the article
Everyone go to Mcdonalds and take pictures
( the hive mind commands it! hee hee)
by Editor
Thank you, Satan.
by Bri
Just doing my job! Xxxx oooooo Satan
by {i}Pan~
My fiancee has an interesting take on this.
Although no more excusable, it’s possible that these guys simply had a problem with the possibility that the device was being used to record them.
Perhaps McDonalds has a no recording device policy. Perhaps they simply didn’t like their privacy being breached.
by Giulio Prisco
This makes sense. Or perhaps the managers and/or employees of that McDonalds, and/or some of the customers, had some, um, specific reasons for not wanting to be recorded.
by Khannea Suntzu
Its the maggots
by Jim Mooney
No it isn’t. In France they eat maggots. They might have been on the menu – and probably healthier than most McDonald’s fare ;’)
by Myles
How does that make why happened okay?
by Bri
The concern for privacy is valid, the managers were too aggressive. Some training in manners and public relations, plus some community service would be a good, or positive punishment. McDonalds should ” make whole” the cyborg. Donations to research on cyborgs with a focus on people with disabilities, next. Public relations training to other managers is essential, and commercials showing Happy MickeyDs customers with disabilities, smiling and shaking hands with management (kind of makes me sick but……) could help bring public awareness.
by Mike Lewis
Sure, but in most places, all that a private citizen can do is ask you to leave. They can’t attack you and touch your camera.
by George
Their “privacy” being breached? They were in a public area, everybody in the room could see them. If they have a problem with recording devices, it’s not privacy they’re worried about, it’s reliable witnesses.
by Mr.x
Some followers of islam think that making pictures steals your “soul”.But that can’t be relevant for this case or else you would not find pictures of the manager (or whatever) on the internet.
by manicmoose
JC Denton wouldn’t have taken that from McDonald’s..
by Warren
Never sell dangerous technology to luddites, this is why. Make a mental note for the future.
by Chris
Commentators on the tearing up of the documents: has it occurred to you that the documents were almost certainly in English, and if written by a doctor, probably fairly complex English? These guys are probably not fluent readers of English and hence got frustrated.
This doesn’t excuse the alleged assault, nor the destruction of the documents, but may explain the latter.
by emile.emanata@gmail.com
Very sad. Please sue them, as those of us who are disabled are often treated with this level of cruelty and the more we stand up and hold our attackers accountable the less likely they will be to attack again. Hoping your claims are all addressed, your trip expenses, physical damage and hardship incurred are all remunerated by McDonalds (they ought to be) and that you are treated fairly in all other ways.
by iterator
The perpetrators acted upon a misguided sense of personal privacy, incapable of realizing that we are all (usually) born with recording devices built in, the professor’s digital visual system memory is simply more accessible than our own human nervous system.
Had the professor’s vision been afflicted in some way, and the augmentation was his only active visual sensory, these individuals would have taken his sight simply to protect their personal sensibilities. An individual, who is otherwise blind and using such a device to achieve vision, would be accosted similarly—most likely. That is very unfortunate and a sad state of affairs, but not entirely unexpected. This is a precursor of the cultural tribulations that are sure to follow this technological avenue.
by Starheart
Now imagine glasses with advanced food recognition and analysis software which could tell exactly why your burger is not standard compliant and let you file a management complaint with one click. Cue torch and pitchfork.
Still, sousveillance is the only force in the world that would make people more honest.
by melajara
As this computerized eyewear seems to be part of your research in Toronto University, I suggest you to contact the legal department of your university and have them represent you on behalf of deliberate (as the “perpetrators” knew this was a sort of medical device and not (only) a spy apparatus) damage to material involved in current research (and somewhat, the property of the university ;-)
Anyway, I’m surprised it happened at Champs Elysees’s McDonald’s as this is supposed to be a top notch McDonald’s :-)
Besides, contact the French media, make some (further) buzz, publish a portion of the video of the assault over YouTube (threatening to have kept the best part under your sleeve).
McDonald’s will HATE this :-)
by lance
site doesn’t appear to have that address – and no-email, however there are links for twitter, facebook and google+ – maybe some way to use these sites to get your story heard.
http://www.mcdonalds.fr/contacts
by Rob Larson
The most elegant part of all this is the way the perps acted. Their very actions ensured that their identities would be known. Steve’s a better man than I, I’d have spread their pictures and story all over the place so they’d have to deal, publicly, with that they had done and the repercussions of their actions. Interesting that this tech may have the effect of making people more civil, in public at least. The key will be the proliferation and mass acceptance of this technology. As someone who will at some point develop diabetic retinopahy, I’ve developed a healthy interest in augmented/replacement visual devices.
by Jean Bonbeur
That cyborg mutant looks freaky disgusting with its apparatus.
He surely has frightened some clients, that in turn complained to the manager.
And he probably refused to leave when asked, which didn’t helped its case…
by Rohan Jayasekera
You are making things up to justify your blaming the victim. Is violence appropriate toward anyone whom you don’t like the look of? How do you feel about, say, people of other races?
by Editor
Jean, there is no evidence for your speculations.
by Gabriel Kent
How about calling the police at the scene of the crime and then posting about it later?
Obviously this is assault and obviously it was caught on camera. At very least there is willful destruction of property, the documents and probably the device. Hiding one’s name tag after the fact is probably pretty strong evidence of culpability, though a case for privacy can be made, it would entirely be resolved by asking the patron to leave. I am rather sure assault is not in the hand book.
And, I would like to say to all of the Mc. D haters… do you feel superior for pointing out what trash their food is? They do actually provide very useful services to the world in the areas of employment and a more decent (well rounded) meal in low income areas. Got a better idea? Compete.
by Jason K
@ Gabriel, if you had read the article you would note that he had contacted the police and that they were unwilling to do anything. He’s turned to the internet because he feels he has run out of other options.
by de Broglie
Khader Aissani does not sound very French.
by melajara
On the contrary, as many Muslims descendants of the French colonies people (Morocco, Tunisia, Algeria, even Lebanon) are indeed French people ;-)
by de Broglie
Notice you said “French colonies.” That is not the same as French.
by casimir
exactly. french is only whose name sounds french. What year is this, 1930? Or 2012 FN?
by melajara
Of course, but don’t forget that a substantial part of those “colonized” populations were raised with French as their official language. They took this fact as an opportunity to work in France circa 1960 and later.
Their children born in France got automatically the French nationality, there are millions of such people in today’s France.
by Bri
Shall I get the rope. You all would look good in some white cloaks and hoods. It’s like when Spike Lee posted the adders to the Florida vigilante. Whoops, wrong adress! The poor elderly couple now get death threats. We don’t even know thier motivations! A crime has been committed. We have excellent proof. Boycotting McDonalds is a possible punishment, but who does that hurt? You’ll pay more for your Berbers, and the people who actually did this will still not understand, or be repentant. Europe has a lot of Ludite feelings now, attacking them will only polarize this. If everyone reading this story boycotted Mc Donalds, they’d still make a gazillion dollars. I’ve boycotted them all my life, and waste no opportunity to denigrate the crap they sell, yet people still buy that psuedo food.( we talk about good nutrition for alzheimers, you ain’t gettin it from Micky D’s) there is going to be a lot of resistance to new tech, period! We need a positive frame work to work through these issues! If he had walked through Ground zero, or the tunnels wearing that equipment, it would have been the police seizing his ‘recording” devices, and trying to find out if he is a spy for a terrorist organization. The story should cause outrage in you. Grabbing your pitchforks, tasers and bazookas, is vigilanteism. Getting real justice out of our broken legal system is hard, but it’s better than a shoot out at the OK Coral. Maybe we should just get nuclear bombs. One offense and we would all be in heaven or hell.
by Tom Billings
Bri, …Did you note how off the wall your comment sounds? There is no real indication here that the people commenting here want to go out as vigilantes. They do have enough respect for self-defense, especially for the disabled, that they are at least willing to be more than milquetoast about the topic.
.
Yes, we all know there is resistance to new tech. What some of us are aware of, is that a police/justice system capable of bringing this resistance to a halt on its own is likely to be a police state. Yes, legal remedies should be followed. That doesn’t mean that multicult France is about to make a manager with the name Khader Aisanni culpable. It would cause them too much trouble in the streets.
“You’ll pay more for your Berbers, and the people who actually did this will still not understand, or be repentant. Europe has a lot of Ludite feelings now, attacking them will only polarize this.”
Interesting Freudian slip there, …if it was one, …considering Mr. Aisanni’s name. We will get nowhere asking them to be repentant, or even demanding it. They are committed to luddism as a matter of self-worth. Twisted?, …yes, …but still all too human. As you say, justice systems have been tied into multicult knots to the point of being broken.
So, …the question is, ..”What is effective action in this sort of case?”
I would suggest that trying to link even a jovial suggestion of eyeglass-mounted Tazers with nuclear weapons is no contribution to answering that question. Much less so is trying to imply people are a step from the KKK for wanting to see such abuse defended against.
by Jim Mooney
I wonder if these are the guys who “honor kill” their female relatives – usually slowly – for going out on a date? Maybe he’s lucky he got out alive.
by sry
yep, sounds very irrational.. and seems more like a moralizing crusade to make oneself feel superior.. i mean how can you NOT polarize against people who violate your very rights and assault a peaceful person for no apparent reason whatsoever? non-polarization is a luxury you can only affort if something doesn’t affect you directly.. would you have let them tamper with your body and remained docile?
by Futuron
Why was the guy so angry? if he was merely carrying out McDonald’s policy on cameras, why was he so personally morally outraged? Why did he not introduce himself before attempting to deal with the camera issue? Why did he act so unprofessionally, and tear up official documents? Why did he feel the need to hide his nametag if he was following store policy? And again, what on Earth invoked such an aggressive reaction?
Baffling. Though it won’t put a dent in their profits, I believe that if you’re too concerned with whether people follow you, you never lead. Therefore, I’m boycotting McD’s, and informing my friends and family about this, and I’ll boycott them until I see them take action on this.
by Clark Campbell
This is outrageous! The three employees at McDonald’s should, at the very least, be fired and Steve should be compensated by McDonald’s for the damages they caused!! Not to mention a public apology…
by e.s. gravois
What I dont comprehend is WHY these people attacked him. What am I missing here? What possible threat is he to them?
by Rohan Jayasekera
Many people feel threatened when they realize that they’re being photographed whenever Mann is looking at them. Over the years he has been ejected from other places, but I believe this is the first time he has been assaulted.
by GatorALLin
reply@gravois…. I was wondering why he was assaulted?? did they think he was filming them and thus trying to get that McDonalds in trouble?? Makes no sense…especially with his family there…. something is missing from this story as to why….?? I don’t think the wearer of the glasses did anything to deserve it, but wonder if they would been aggressive to anyone filming…?? I was wondering what IF the glasses were connected to his eyeball….so that removing the glasses damaged his eyes…Ouch! thank goodness that did not happen….
by Allen Fleishman
Truly disgusting behavior. I have avoided eating at McDonalds for their selfish way they do charity work (only done where they get tremendous publicity, and never for the act itself). Now I have another reason. As the act occurred earlier this month, I expect they just haven’t come to any resolution yet. Give it time. McD will pay for their employee’s actions.
Keep us posted.
by Fred Stitt
I’ve known of Dr. Mann’s work for ages and know his
appearance certainly sparks curiosity. But this
assault is beyond comprehension. I’ll add my complaint to
McDonalds. (Unlike other commentators, I like the Big
Mac, and I’d hate to have to join in boycott, but will
and will spread the word if we don’t hear of an apology
and some redress.)
by ROBERT PTOLEMY
As a Canadian citizen, and I assume .holder of a Canadian Passport, you should receive the same quality of life protection that French citizens are afforded in Canada – contact your local representative and seek their assistance in this matter. I would also like to believe that if any officeholder of MacDonald’s learns of this sad treatment – they would want to make it right…
by Dennis
I would boycott McDonalds for you, but I don’t eat that crap to begin with. Nor should you. Take 1000 cattle; grind them all together; pull the handle on the slot machine; whoops Creutzfeldt-Jacob disease, you lose.
by Kat
I am at a loss for words right now. How dare they attacking their own customers and for what reason did they tear up his documents? Do they think they can get away with this? Must be psychopaths at work there.
by Gorden Russell
This really bothers me. Don’t they have lawyers in France? Don’t they have rule of law? An example has to be made, this can’t be left to stand. Someday Steve Mann’s Eye Tap device will lead to an advanced model that will bring sight to the blind. We can’t allow newly sighted people to be assaulted for wearing a Glass. This is uncivilized behavior and must be illegal. McDonald’s must be taught that they cannot ignore this and sweep it under the carpet. A lawsuit will teach them a lesson and it will teach management to instruct its menial workers to keep their hands off people with cameras and eye implants. Paying a few millions in punitive damages would be very educational to McDonald’s.
by Giulio Prisco
@Gorden, I assume they will try to sweep this under the carpet as you say. I think Steve should sue, to protect his rights and also the rights of future users of “cyborg” implants.
by Jim Mooney
Being “nice” to a corporation is being nice to a monstrous, inhuman golem that will do anything for profit. I have to laugh at those idiots who say a corporation is a person. If your neighbor acted like a corporation, you’d kill him.
by melajara
I presume they were very upset to be filmed without their consent. Most probably they believed the documents were bogus and just an excuse to have them be filmed nolens volens.
Inexcusable anyway, especially McDonald’s management attitude afterwards.
by andries
http://www.aboutmcdonalds.com/mcd/newsroom/press_contacts.html
all sorts of contact information for the press.
As someone with very poor eyesight myself i hope to resort to such eyepieces myself in the future without getting assaulted.
Not that i would eat one of those grease sponges at McDonalds but still.
by Khannea Suntzu
Heh I’d love making a really cynical spoof cartoon of this.
by DCWhatthe
Please do. Anything that raises the level of awareness of this, can provoke discussion, possibly followed by change.
by René Milan
What this goes to show is the need to quickly improve the appearance of enhancement technologies toward maximum discreetness before exposing them to the brainwashed masses. Ripping out implants – or trying to – can easily damage the wetware as well as the hardware.
by Editor
built-in tasers
by Mike Caprio
Post the perpetrators’ faces please!
by Zen
So it begins.
by Peter
I’d guess they were within their rights to ask him to leave, but this behavior amounts to assault and the police should have dealt with it accordingly. I’d say Steve’s best recourse now is to make this incident as public as possible and it looks like he is on the job :-)
by Khannea Suntzu
Precisely, and that’s what I am doing as well. Rape McD.
by Gorden Russell
Right, Khannea, I’m boycotting MickieDee’s right now. I’ll just have to get my junk food at Burger King.
by MyKindOfTown
Why should McDonald’s support vision research?
by René Milan
yeah, and why should they treat their patrons in a dignified way ? after all selling them crap food is their raison d’être.
by Clark Campbell
Is this a real question? Are you asking why McDonald’s should treat customers with visual aid the same as other customers?!
by Djeserkare
I would recommend posting this story to Reddit. Someone there may be able to offer advice on getting through to McDonald’s & explain your legal standing under local law..
by snake0
They were the ones that assaulted him, why should they deserve to have their faces blocked out? Here is the douchebag manager in all his sleasy glory: http://www.20minutes.fr/article/801524/incroyable-destin-khader-directeur-mcdo-champs-elysees. His name is Khader Aissani. Spread the word.
by Editor
Thanks, post updated.
by Gianluca
You going to send a drone against him? LOL
by dan
Oh also; nuts to them, where are the images with their faces? Post them over the world and mcdonalds will contact you no doubt!
by snake0
What is their problem? I hope every one of them loses their minimum wage medial job over this.
by Giulio Prisco
@snake0 – I don’t know what a “medial job” is, could you elaborate (or maybe use a spell checker)?
I want to see the perpetrators of this crime brought to justice, but this has nothing to do with what their job is, or how much they are paid. There are assholes in all education and income ranges.
by snake0
Meant to type ‘menial’.. this article made me so mad I couldn’t find the right keys lol
by Matthew
Giulio, I noticed that you read most comments very carefully, so I am surprised you don’t know what medial means in context. Was English not your first language? Btw, I am intrigued with your philosophy of transhumanism and enjoy most of your posts. I like opinions that stir things up, but posting snarky comments is a waste of time.
by Jim Mooney
The manager is not a minimum-wager. Especially in a high-traffic area.
by dan
http://www.mcdonalds.com/us/en/contact_us.html
try the above.
by Neo
Cave men wanna stay in the cave.
by Marcos Marin
uga uga!
by Occy
wow this is absolutely disgusting behavior, pretty shocked right now.
by Turk
The French need to get bailed out on every war theyre involved in … And now they wanna start fighting cyborgs? Sorry, France, we’re out. /sarcasm
by René Milan
ha, it’s of course not “the French”, but members of idiots international, who are everywhere. No educated French person would ever eat or work at McD anyway.
by ThePhi
How does it happen that this clueless comment got approval?
by Cybernettr
Fortunately, Kurzweil.ai believes in free expression. I don’t agree with all of the comments on these forums, but I appreciate a variety of viewpoints. As for the luddites, their war is as futile as the record companies against the file exchangers. In a very short time, we will have cameras small enough to fit into shirt buttons, and then it will be impossible to know when anybody is filming you. As for me, I assume I am being video’ed whenever I am in public, so I refrain from picking my nose, scratching my crotch or other behaviors that might be deemed unseemly.