WOULD YOU USE A DRIVERLESS TAXI SERVICE?

[Peruvian]

Think of the danger of a crash at 11mph!



“We should not overlook the fact that the driving of a horseless carriage calls for a larger amount of attention for he has not the advantage of the intelligence of the horse in shaping his path, and it is consequently incumbent upon him to be ever watchful of the course his vehicle is taking.” Alfred Sennett

[skaredshtles]

Try Istanbul or Napoli for some heart stopping fun!

I did some driving in Italy... fortunately NOT in Naples.

It's pretty amusing - everyone seemed to follow the rules on the autostrade, but once off the highway it was a goddam free-for-all. I enjoyed it.

[Art Shirk]

Buddy has a Mazda 3 with collision avoidance. Oncoming car left turned in front of him at an intersection. He said the guy shoulda waited, but it wasn't that close to where he even need to brake. CA slammed the brakes. Guy behind my buddy almost rear ended him. He disabled it. Fuck. That.

While I'm no expert, I'm involved with automation at my job. I have an understanding of how it works. A train is one thing (lot less variables), but there's no fucking way I'd get in an automated car.

There was a really interesting article in what i think was the NYtimes a few years back about automation in transport scenarios. I know we have auto-pilot pretty dialed in but it gave some examples of disconnects that occur between computer and intended result when we start looking at exigent circumstances. For instance, there was a plane scenario where they were testing some avoidance AI that required the plane to get on the ground ASAP. Well, the plane took a noise dive and crashed into the ground as fast as a plane at that altitude could, which was viewed as a "task failed successfully" because it had achieved its result. The fact that it would have incinerated numerous souls didn't enter the equation.

That's an extreme example, but if AI is "learning," there will be some eggs broken.

[stuckathuntermtn]

If you've ridden the cable car monorail thing between Oakland International and the Coliseum BART stop, you have sort of ridden in a driverless car. Same for most of those monorails that go between terminals, I think.
I probably would take a driverless taxi eventually, but I would not want to be an early adopter.
I would imagine we'll be seeing more niche driverless stuff like that. Aren't trucks in ports moving shipping containers around driverless? There must be remote/driverless switching engines in train yards by now. Mining equipment? I think we will continue to see more and more industrial and heavy automation and eventually driverless taxis.
Wish we had more rapid transit in America. With or without a driver.

[Benny Profane]

I did some driving in Italy... fortunately NOT in Naples.

It's pretty amusing - everyone seemed to follow the rules on the autostrade, but once off the highway it was a goddam free-for-all. I enjoyed it.

Right. The highway driving is incredibly well mannered, i.e., the fucking passing lane is the fucking passing lane. But, get off into the country, and, good god, back the fuck off.

[skaredshtles]

Right. The highway driving is incredibly well mannered, i.e., the fucking passing lane is the fucking passing lane. But, get off into the country, and, good god, back the fuck off.

I remember the worst being Cararra. Holy SHIT. The main drag through town had a couple marked lanes in both directions, but there were probably 3-4 lanes of vehicles. Mayhem.

The autostrade were such a nice treat, though - as you indicated - nobody in the passing lane except people actually passing... and the occasional BMW going 200kph.

[schindlerpiste]

[Benny Profane]

I remember the worst being Cararra. Holy SHIT. The main drag through town had a couple marked lanes in both directions, but there were probably 3-4 lanes of vehicles. Mayhem.

The autostrade were such a nice treat, though - as you indicated - nobody in the passing lane except people actually passing... and the occasional BMW going 200kph.

Never drive within cities if you don't have to. The restricted zones are ticket money traps, and they're so confusing to a non Italian you can actually get two or three tickets going in and out and back in some trying to find your hotel. Like in fucking Spoleto. And we have no idea how to actually pay this damn ticket.

[skaredshtles]

Never drive within cities if you don't have to. The restricted zones are ticket money traps, and they're so confusing to a non Italian you can actually get two or three tickets going in and out and back in some trying to find your hotel. Like in fucking Spoleto. And we have no idea how to actually pay this damn ticket.

Yeah - when we went to Florence we just parked outside of town in Empoli and caught the train into the city.

[Brownski]

Think of the danger of a crash at 11mph!



“We should not overlook the fact that the driving of a horseless carriage calls for a larger amount of attention for he has not the advantage of the intelligence of the horse in shaping his path, and it is consequently incumbent upon him to be ever watchful of the course his vehicle is taking.” Alfred Sennett

That’s amusing but he’s not wrong. I remember when I started a summer job as a trail guide. The owner explained the job qualifications as “first, you have to be smarter then the horse.” I guess not everybody qualified.

[Toadman]

I did some driving in Italy... fortunately NOT in Naples.

It's pretty amusing - everyone seemed to follow the rules on the autostrade, but once off the highway it was a goddam free-for-all. I enjoyed it.

Drove from Rome to Venice. Spent a week in Umbria and Tuscany. That was some nice driving. So was the drive from Sienna to Venice. But I literally could not get out of Sienna. I finally drove the wrong way down a side street for two blocks to get to the main drag that lead to the autostrada. I figured that's what an self respecting Italian would have done. And it's what our taxi driver in Naples did, but it was on a set of train tracks with a street car coming head on. I felt like I was in some crazy Luc Besson movie.

[skaredshtles]

Drove from Rome to Venice. Spent a week in Umbria and Tuscany. That was some nice driving. So was the drive from Sienna to Venice. But I literally could not get out of Sienna. I finally drove the wrong way down a side street for two blocks to get to the main drag that lead to the autostrada. I figured that's what an self respecting Italian would have done. And it's what our taxi driver in Naples did, but it was on a set of train tracks with a street car coming head on. I felt like I was in some crazy Luc Besson movie.

Yeah - I think next time we head over there we'll probably fly into Rome, spend a few days there, then pick up a car and head into Tuscany... mainly 'cause I wanna go here:

https://www.dariocecchini.com/a-tavo...ecca/#officina

[Toadman]

Yeah - I think next time we head over there we'll probably fly into Rome, spend a few days there, then pick up a car and head into Tuscany... mainly 'cause I wanna go here:

https://www.dariocecchini.com/a-tavo...ecca/#officina

That sounds like a great plan. I'm sure you will find a nice Brunello di Montalcino to pair with that red meat.

[Benny Profane]

Yeah - I think next time we head over there we'll probably fly into Rome, spend a few days there, then pick up a car and head into Tuscany... mainly 'cause I wanna go here:

https://www.dariocecchini.com/a-tavo...ecca/#officina

Superb choice. Sunday lunch is the big show. Reserve ahead.

Look up the episode of Chef's Table that is all about him. Netflix.

If you're going to sleep close overnight, do the wine tasting and lunch at the Verrazano winery just north of Panzano in Greve. You're welcome.

No driverless shit robot cars on those roads. Just maniac teenagers two on a Vespa.

[nwslider]

I would absolutely take a driverless taxi in certain scenarios. Situations like going from one bar to another that is a bit longer than walking distance and ideally well below highway speeds.

On the subject of trucking, the internet says the US trucking industry was worth over 790 billion dollars with 1/3 of freight trucking costs spent on drivers. Between that and electric semis that will incorporate driverless technology, I expect that freight shipping will be almost exclusively driverless in my lifetime.

[Toadman]

I would absolutely take a driverless taxi in certain scenarios. Situations like going from one bar to another that is a bit longer than walking distance and ideally well below highway speeds.

On the subject of trucking, the internet says the US trucking industry was worth over 790 billion dollars with 1/3 of freight trucking costs spent on drivers. Between that and electric semis that will incorporate driverless technology, I expect that freight shipping will be almost exclusively driverless in my lifetime.

Yep, trucking is big business. And now the urban "Amazon" effect is exploding. It was growing before COVID, but COVID took that last mile delivery to a whole new level. I don't see that segment going robotic/driverless delivery system in your lifetime. But that long haul segment (over 500 miles/day) will at some point transition to driverless. The demographics on truck drivers is demanding it.

And if I had a few drinks, that might be enough to get me in one of those driverless taxis, just don't know if I would be able to communicate how to get home...

[Benny Profane]

Drove from Rome to Venice. Spent a week in Umbria and Tuscany. That was some nice driving. So was the drive from Sienna to Venice. But I literally could not get out of Sienna. I finally drove the wrong way down a side street for two blocks to get to the main drag that lead to the autostrada. I figured that's what an self respecting Italian would have done. And it's what our taxi driver in Naples did, but it was on a set of train tracks with a street car coming head on. I felt like I was in some crazy Luc Besson movie.

Best cab ride I ever had was from a really good restaraunt at the top of the hill in Siena (under the duomo) late at night in the front seat down to the gates and out of town, kinda wasted, in light rain. Normally those streets and alleys are full of people, but, not then. Wish I had a go pro.

[nickwm21]

An F18 can land on a Nimitz class in autopilot....

My bet is that within 5 years I’ll take my first driverless Uber ride and in 10 years I’ll never step in an Uber with a driver again...


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[schindlerpiste]

Driverless TAXI in CA, CO etc., with a mini bar and selection of weed.


I'm in

[Benny Profane]

An F18 can land on a Nimitz class in autopilot....

My bet is that within 5 years I’ll take my first driverless Uber ride and in 10 years I’ll never step in an Uber with a driver again...


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I'll bet that Uber doesn't even exist in ten years. How long can you take piles of money and take it out back and have a nice bonfire every day?

[nickwm21]

I'll bet that Uber doesn't even exist in ten years. How long can you take piles of money and take it out back and have a nice bonfire every day?

Luddites be luddites.


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[Meadow Skipper]

Drove from Rome to Venice. Spent a week in Umbria and Tuscany. That was some nice driving. So was the drive from Sienna to Venice. But I literally could not get out of Sienna. I finally drove the wrong way down a side street for two blocks to get to the main drag that lead to the autostrada. I figured that's what an self respecting Italian would have done. And it's what our taxi driver in Naples did, but it was on a set of train tracks with a street car coming head on. I felt like I was in some crazy Luc Besson movie.

Heh. I was driving around Lyon, Fr. a year or two ago and somehow managed to get into a city bus-only thruway and couldn’t figure out how to get off of it. Pissed off a few bus drivers until I managed to exit that thing.

Which reminds me, I noticed that I didn’t see any old cars in France. This observation probably belongs in the shitty cars thread, but coming from New Mexico it surprised me.

[Benny Profane]

Luddites be luddites.


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Wait, wait, my forehead is still sore from the desk pounding...

Ok, better.

I'm convinced that Covid just accelerated the inevitable of China now owning us and the rest of the world. While we fantasize about summoning a little robot shit box with our phones like a King of old snapping his fingers for his carriage, minting billionaires who probably have fleets of Ferraris grifting off that unatainable fantasy, the rest of the world has actually been building out public transit infrastructures, like this:

https://twitter.com/CarlZha/status/1...131815942?s=20

Hmmm. Where is the good old USA on that chart? I...cant...seem...to...find it.

But, it's not just high speed trains. We have a deeply embedded hate of sharing transit in this country, so much so that whatever public transit exists is literally being allowed to crumble and deteriorate while we spend trillions on giant personal trucks for the masses and the highway and roads to support the industry. And then there's this weird obsession with robots cars by some, like the American public will actually spin on a dime and give up their freedum for them.

This guy talks about it:




We're truely descending into third world status. Good luck with your fantasies.

[Bunion 2020]

I will use a driverless taxi and post about it here if only to read Benny's pointless drivel.

[Benny Profane]

Like that'll ever happen up in grizzly country.