[ExI] Cruise robot taxis in San Francisco

[spike at rainier66.com]

-----Original Message-----
From: extropy-chat <extropy-chat-bounces at lists.extropy.org> On Behalf Of
BillK via extropy-chat
Subject: [ExI] Cruise robot taxis in San Francisco

>...BBC TV have just shown one of their reporters having a ride in one of
the Cruise Bolt self-driving taxis. ...!
...
>...So it seems that more work is needed to make these robot cars acceptable
to mixing with human traffic.

BillK
_______________________________________________


BillK, this is cool but an understatement.  My realization of the real
problem is what led me to not invest in the companies doing this.

Currently pedestrians know how to act in the city and know what happens if
you walk out in front of somebody out of turn.  Best case, nothing, good
case, the driver shrieks a few obscenities and offers a commentary on your
parentage, average case, driver gets out and beats you utterly beyond
recognition, and if you are unlucky, the driver is armed and willing: that
becomes your last day on this earth, adios a-freaking-migo.

Self-drivers are a tech novelty now, so people will treat them with the same
respect they would give a human or even more because it is new and cool.

However... what happens if you walk out in front of it?  No obscenities, no
sizzling nine millimeter thru your goddam brain, it just politely stops and
waits for you go across.  Ja?

So... what happens when most of the traffic is self-driving?  I'll tell ya
what happens: it trains the proles to just walk across and let the car stop
for the pedestrian, along with all the traffic behind it.  If ya think it is
a pain in the ass to drive across San Francisco NOW, just wait'll they
figure out self drivers will just stop and not shoot your silly
well-deserving ass if you walk across in front of it.  They will figure it
out.  It can take an hour to drive across SF now.  It will get worse,
until... they will realize this isn't going to work.

I pondered this scenario last time this topic came up on ExI, decided to run
right out and not buy the stock.  Still won't.

spike