Wicket couldn’t care less about the Roomba. The first time we ran it after she came home, we wondered how she’d react–run away, or ride it like a cat? The answer: neither. From her perch on the couch, she looked at it, put her head down, and went to sleep.
Baguette does not share that equanimity. She finds the Roomba to be an agent of evil, set on killing us all. One day I ran it while we were out. When we came back, it had stalled under a chair. She would not even let me put it back on its base in the other room–it was clearly too dangerous to touch. She still checks under that chair periodically.
While Roomba is very convenient most of the time–no one needs to be home while the vacuuming takes place–there are times when we still need a traditional vacuum. Want to do a quick touch-up before the party? Roomba is not what you’re looking for. Last month we started vacuum-shopping on a trip to Costco, and today we decided to take the plunge. We are now the proud owners of a Hoover Rewind Plus, which was incredibly easy to assemble, has easy-access accessories for cleaning, and pulled an alarming amount of dirt out of our living room carpet.
No one is frightened. And I think I’m in love.
Machines that think for themselves ARE evil.