LISTENING FOR WHAT  WE DON’T  HEAR ABOUT SELF-DRIVING

Over the past  couple  years the news has been full of “what Tesla can and cannot do.”  There  have been  stories about  testing of self-driving vehicles  at different levels in various  locations and a stream of stories  about how varios  Detroit-based auto makers are  moving towards and then away from full commitments  to the concept.  

Far less frequent  are the stories about  how various states are passing laws regarding  autonomous  vehicless   Oh and every now and then a new state passes a law having  a variety of features in the law regarding  operations and technical  standards for the industry.  

So growing up in a small town and not  being able to see well, I developed a skill that  I believe is very  overlooked and needs some attention now.  That skill?  Listening for what you don’t hear.  I stood across the street from my house and listened for  cars coming up or down the street and when  I couldn’t hear any then I could cross.  When I was  walking  down toward the “corner store” I would listen to  figure out  if and who might  be playing  “baseball”  in the school parking lot—yes we were tough kids we played  baseball  with a rubber ball in a gravel and chunky  grass lot where every grounder  had a tricky hop or two—gut I digress.  The point  is I learned  as much about  what was happening from what I didn’t hear as what I  did.  

Now when I “listen” to the self-driving buzz I’m doing  it again: listening  for what I don’t  hear.

So  here’s what I don’t hear.  I don’t hear any federal vision of transportation guiding  the evolution  of these  transportation options no matter who builds them and where they will be used.  I don’t  hear this and thus individual states are wading into the deep end splashing around  for their  own solutions.  I don’t want to open up the “state’s rights” debate, however we are heading quickly into the territory when you may  be able to  drive your car in “your” state, but  well maybe not over the river and through the woods to grandmother’s  house because  “we don’t  like those kind around here.”  In the world of  paratransit and senior  citizen or injured veteran transport we have already learned the  lesson of not being  able to cross a line on a map.  It is okay that  individual states are moving forward, however, it is time for  our government  leaders to at least  begin to  be aware of how things are developing and  more importantly than being aware, building a communications  network where  groups (let’s say people with disabilities)  can be aware of  what is and is not going on in an industry that will dictate a  large number of  their living  options  for the next century or so.  The federal  government  has been silent on  how people with disabilities and seniors  can contribute their  vast  knowledge about  transportation barriers to mobility so that the new technology might  improve travel for all.  We don’t need the feds to tell people  what to do….we need the channels of communication in place so that citizens  can tell car makers etc. what is needed  (or Lord forbid wanted).   

What else  don’t I hear?  I don’t  hear  most of the car makers opening up listening sessions or surveys  for people with disabilities where these  companies or partnerships of companies can learn how to build  vehicles for maximum  utility for all citizens.  I recently  heard someone  in a supermarket say “where did all these “scooter people” come from?” when noticing  all the motorized  shopping  carts were in use AGAIN.  Well—imagine if we had  reasonable options for transportation for  everyone.  then  how many scooters would the store need?  Well I don’t know, but those  people are coming into that store with money in their  pockets and leaving  with  things they are buying right?  

So maybe retailers could be active in making sure transportation guidelines included all possible  shoppers?   Unfortunately, I haven’t been  hearing Target or Wal-Mart commercials about  making their stores  open for all.   

Well, I can  hear the  Council  of Future  Mobility  in Michigan  saying “we have  those people  at our table.”  They  do, however I don’t hear  them when I read the  news about self-driving.  There is a  group with the acronym  PAVE (Partnership for AuAutonomous Vehicle Education) and they are building  their infrastructure, however with all the social media tools available and all the  interested parties out here, rarely a peep comes from  groups such as these.  

Don’t  get me  wrong  now…I’m not  assigning responsibility  to the council or the PAVE folks—although if they want to listen that would be okay—where’s the media asking  questions about inclusion?  Where’s  the government  asking how  these new options can solve long-term puzzles that have eluded past attempts to  be solve?  I don’t  hear you.  

Well…some folks wonder why  a large  majority of people  either fear or don’t  want  self-driving?  Why is that?  Anyone  ever hear of the the fear of the unknown?  

This has been a long  post, but it  comes down to three points….

1. Always  wonder  who else needs to be involved  or at the table when important  matters are being discussed.
2. Listen for  who and what  you don’t  hear.
3. Be fully aware that todays decisions about  inclusion have  social and economic consequences.—-and
4. There  needs to be some real leadership shown by someone in terms of  making the public aware—this leadership  can come from various  places…but the word is not getting out (with the possible exception of Tesla.

I will end  this post with one of my favorite  quotes from  President Lincoln (because  wasn’t  he the inventor of the Lincoln Continental?).  “if you have  eight hours to chop down a tree—you should spend seven hours  of your time sharpening  the axe.”  Well we have some time to get  this new transportation concept  in place and functioning  well…but I don’t  hear any axe sharpening right now.

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