Let's face it this blog has been pretty hard core with the message that it is time to get moving on the advocacy of making self-driving or autonomous vehicles affordable , accessible, and available for all and have warned that the time to do so is now. So here's the thing... we have not addressed two of the more important factors in this whole "robot car" discussion. We have danced around it a bit... but not quite faced it head on so to speak.
These new cars (slash monitored shuttles) will not know all the places that teenagers throughout the ages have learned to so to hide out and make out and dream about their futures. Kids won't look forward to their late teen birthdays when they can get their freedom machines. Since many of these cars are going to be electric and charging stations will be easier to find than gas pumps ...there will be no "well we would have been there but we ran out of gas" defense possible. Saying we forgot our extension chord just doesn't have the same ring to it.
There may be less drinking and driving and that would be a real bonus, but there'll be less opportunities for some people to make decisions on a regular basis. Driving teaches people to ake decisions on a regular basis. Of course there will still be a lot of times that decisions are needed in these cars...like which mvieshould we watch or now that I don't really have to drive in here...can I move a desk or couch in here depending upon whether you want to get an hour of work in ora nap?
There are some problems we haven't thought about... like when you are at a stop light trying to show off your powerful ride are you going to play a really loud recording of a Dodge Charger circa 1967 or maybe a 1971 Torina? Or if you want people underestimate your speed will you blair out the sound of the AMC Gremlin?
Decisions, decisions, decisions.
Oh what about taking driver's ed? will that be a half-day meeting where the instructor stand up in front and says....
"okay when you get in double check your preset destination set your alarm and get out of the car when it stops?"
I guess what is being asked here is how is today's car culture going to change and is si time to start considering some of these things too? Probably so....
And will there be a bumper sticker that says "My other car is a toaster?
No comments:
Post a Comment