Driverless Vehicle Craze and WHY??? - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

Caroline13 · 05-09-2023, 03:13 PM

Time to post a big topic in our country.

Talking to a friend last night and she was telling me a family in her area are moving to Silly Valley (Mountain View) and the dad will go to work for Google to work on the Driverless Vehicle madness...Silly Valley aka Silicon Valley...the name coined by residents of San Jose when tech moved in.

I lived up there for 5 yrs due to a job transfer and met many from the tech industry and longtime San Jose residents...My friend and I kinda got into heated discussion on this driverless B.S. She is way more tech inclined and still very stuck in the gubmint World....that I'm not. She is way more trusting.

Anyone have some sensible comments on this never ending search by TECH to do more boondoggles...

I see NOTHING valuable about this senseless driverless vehicle crap.

Thanks anyone.... what am I missing.

I received one comment from a member of another Forum where I posted this: Here is what the member said...

Insurance companies and corporate greed.

Insurance companies are interested because they think driverless cars can be less accident prone than people are (not sure why they believe that) and they can reduce costs of payouts. Mining, some trucking companies, keep eyeballing eliminating drivers as a way of cutting costs and increasing productivity.

Steve_uk · 05-09-2023, 03:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Caroline13

Time to post a big topic in our country.

Talking to a friend last night and she was telling me a family in her area are moving to Silly Valley (Mountain View) and the dad will go to work for Google to work on the Driverless Vehicle madness...Silly Valley aka Silicon Valley...the name coined by residents of San Jose when tech moved in.

I lived up there for 5 yrs due to a job transfer and met many from the tech industry and longtime San Jose residents...My friend and I kinda got into heated discussion on this driverless B.S. She is way more tech inclined and still very stuck in the gubmint World....that I'm not. She is way more trusting.

Anyone have some sensible comments on this never ending search by TECH to do more boondoggles...

I see NOTHING valuable about this senseless driverless vehicle crap.

Thanks anyone.... what am I missing.

I received one comment from a member of another Forum where I posted this: Here is what the member said...

Insurance companies and corporate greed.

Insurance companies are interested because they think driverless cars can be less accident prone than people are (not sure why they believe that) and they can reduce costs of payouts. Mining, some trucking companies, keep eyeballing eliminating drivers as a way of cutting costs and increasing productivity.

I don't mind paying drivers a fair wage, but not being ripped off by paying the highest train fares in Europe. If driverless trains means cheaper fares I'm all for it.

Caroline13 · 05-09-2023, 03:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Steve_uk

I don't mind paying drivers a fair wage, but not being ripped off by paying the highest train fares in Europe. If driverless trains means cheaper fares I'm all for it.

I have no clue on train fares in the UK, I was on one when I was in England for a week, but it had to be so minimal. What I enjoyed most about the train ride to Dover, were all the foreigners speaking in their tongues...That was in April 1985 and I'm in the process of purging a lifetime of photos and albums, can't take them with me....

Steve_uk · 05-09-2023, 04:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Caroline13

I have no clue on train fares in the UK, I was on one when I was in England for a week, but it had to be so minimal. What I enjoyed most about the train ride to Dover, were all the foreigners speaking in their tongues...That was in April 1985 and I'm in the process of purging a lifetime of photos and albums, can't take them with me....

We have privatized the railways since then, but it's only a de facto privatization because the trains still run on government subsidy. I'm all for paying drivers of any description a fair wage, but the prices on the network per mile have become exorbitant.

stevea · 05-10-2023, 10:40 AM

Here it is called Amtrak and it's the same situation--sort of privatized but still subsidized. Kind of like the U. S. Postal Service.

As far as driverless automobiles goes, I don't see the purpose either. I'm not sure how AI could cover all the things that can come up. What if the traffic signal is out? Probably a lot of other what ifs.

I suppose it could take over the Uber/Lyft/taxi thing.

Caroline13 · 05-10-2023, 01:30 PM

Oh as I also see it all, it's more companies keeping the public in chaos.

Caroline13 · 05-10-2023, 02:03 PM

And it's true the more and more computers in all the great modern conveniences, the more and more computers that break down and need fixed....a vicious cycle of chaos.

I live in an old apt and the most modern convenience is a garbage disposal, that one can't put too much stuff in for fear of jams....I have NO repair products to fix stuff with computers in them ,, except my desk top now and then.... Old is Good, built to last "forever".... but this is not in today's developers, broken throw it away and get a new one, is their motto.

Caroline13 · 05-10-2023, 02:35 PM

Off topic, but along the lines of needing fixed....my friend has had a broken door lock on her Lexus for about 2 yrs, she's been using key to get in car,,,she got an estimate from Lexus for $800 and she passed, then somewhere got a $600 estimate and passed and she asked me about a good mechanic and I know of one and sent her his name and she got the lock fixed for $285......

Yong Fang · 05-10-2023, 02:44 PM

I might be dumb (and I am for you long time readers here) but I don’t know how “driverless” vehicles can even work. Even if the technology is in place and a computer can be made for a free wheel vehicle to be on the road operated by so called “artificial intelligence”, it is still a machine and machines break down. What if the computer on the car just decides to automatically accelerate, or wrongly turns into oncoming traffic. Or be able to stop or avoid an errant child or animal darting in the road. What does the computer do?

We sort of have a form of driverless cars now and have had it for thirty plus years. I have had cars and driven cars with “cruise control” and I never ever use it. I want to drive the car and not have the car drive me. I know that there is a side control to the “cruise control” where I can vary the speed and can always put my foot on the brake to disengage it, but I just don’t like it. The only time I can see using it if I am on a long, straight, flat desert highway or prairie road (or being out in Eastern Montana, Dakotas, Nebraska). Even then, I don’t like it because even then, wildlife can jump in front of your car or maybe something else. Cruise control to me just makes the driver complacent and lazy when the driver needs to be alert. I talked to a friend of mine about cruise control and he is totally the opposite position, he uses it all the time. I remember years ago (for some reason) driving a friend’s car and he about demanding me to use the cruise control because it “saves gas” (and it might). Again, I like being proactive when I drive a vehicle.

Yong Fang · 05-10-2023, 02:52 PM

Trains!

Caroline13 · 05-10-2023, 04:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Yong Fang

Trains!

What about trains?

On cruise control I may have used it 2 times in the 60 yrs of driving and that was in Washington state where they stop you for going a mile over speed limit, I found that out when I did sales and in WA.

I am a sensible conservative driver and avoid paying the states more money for their rules...

05-09-2023, 03:13 PM	#1
Caroline13 Member Forum Star Join Date: Jan 30, 2021 Location: So Calif Posts: 14,483	Driverless Vehicle Craze and WHY??? Time to post a big topic in our country. Talking to a friend last night and she was telling me a family in her area are moving to Silly Valley (Mountain View) and the dad will go to work for Google to work on the Driverless Vehicle madness...Silly Valley aka Silicon Valley...the name coined by residents of San Jose when tech moved in. I lived up there for 5 yrs due to a job transfer and met many from the tech industry and longtime San Jose residents...My friend and I kinda got into heated discussion on this driverless B.S. She is way more tech inclined and still very stuck in the gubmint World....that I'm not. She is way more trusting. Anyone have some sensible comments on this never ending search by TECH to do more boondoggles... I see NOTHING valuable about this senseless driverless vehicle crap. Thanks anyone.... what am I missing. I received one comment from a member of another Forum where I posted this: Here is what the member said... Insurance companies and corporate greed. Insurance companies are interested because they think driverless cars can be less accident prone than people are (not sure why they believe that) and they can reduce costs of payouts. Mining, some trucking companies, keep eyeballing eliminating drivers as a way of cutting costs and increasing productivity.
	__________________ Inexpensive Health Insurance = Grape Seed Extract Keep It Simple

05-10-2023, 10:40 AM	#5
stevea 22 Years On Sitcoms Moderator Forum Legend Join Date: Aug 13, 2003 Location: Indy Posts: 45,257	Here it is called Amtrak and it's the same situation--sort of privatized but still subsidized. Kind of like the U. S. Postal Service. As far as driverless automobiles goes, I don't see the purpose either. I'm not sure how AI could cover all the things that can come up. What if the traffic signal is out? Probably a lot of other what ifs. I suppose it could take over the Uber/Lyft/taxi thing.

05-10-2023, 01:30 PM	#6
Caroline13 Member Forum Star Join Date: Jan 30, 2021 Location: So Calif Posts: 14,483	Oh as I also see it all, it's more companies keeping the public in chaos.

05-10-2023, 02:03 PM	#7
Caroline13 Member Forum Star Join Date: Jan 30, 2021 Location: So Calif Posts: 14,483	And it's true the more and more computers in all the great modern conveniences, the more and more computers that break down and need fixed....a vicious cycle of chaos. I live in an old apt and the most modern convenience is a garbage disposal, that one can't put too much stuff in for fear of jams....I have NO repair products to fix stuff with computers in them ,, except my desk top now and then.... Old is Good, built to last "forever".... but this is not in today's developers, broken throw it away and get a new one, is their motto.

05-10-2023, 02:35 PM	#8
Caroline13 Member Forum Star Join Date: Jan 30, 2021 Location: So Calif Posts: 14,483	Off topic, but along the lines of needing fixed....my friend has had a broken door lock on her Lexus for about 2 yrs, she's been using key to get in car,,,she got an estimate from Lexus for $800 and she passed, then somewhere got a $600 estimate and passed and she asked me about a good mechanic and I know of one and sent her his name and she got the lock fixed for $285......

05-10-2023, 02:44 PM	#9
Yong Fang Member Forum 3000 Club Member Join Date: Aug 04, 2009 Location: Memphis Tennessee Posts: 3,072	I might be dumb (and I am for you long time readers here) but I don’t know how “driverless” vehicles can even work. Even if the technology is in place and a computer can be made for a free wheel vehicle to be on the road operated by so called “artificial intelligence”, it is still a machine and machines break down. What if the computer on the car just decides to automatically accelerate, or wrongly turns into oncoming traffic. Or be able to stop or avoid an errant child or animal darting in the road. What does the computer do? We sort of have a form of driverless cars now and have had it for thirty plus years. I have had cars and driven cars with “cruise control” and I never ever use it. I want to drive the car and not have the car drive me. I know that there is a side control to the “cruise control” where I can vary the speed and can always put my foot on the brake to disengage it, but I just don’t like it. The only time I can see using it if I am on a long, straight, flat desert highway or prairie road (or being out in Eastern Montana, Dakotas, Nebraska). Even then, I don’t like it because even then, wildlife can jump in front of your car or maybe something else. Cruise control to me just makes the driver complacent and lazy when the driver needs to be alert. I talked to a friend of mine about cruise control and he is totally the opposite position, he uses it all the time. I remember years ago (for some reason) driving a friend’s car and he about demanding me to use the cruise control because it “saves gas” (and it might). Again, I like being proactive when I drive a vehicle.

05-10-2023, 02:52 PM	#10
Yong Fang Member Forum 3000 Club Member Join Date: Aug 04, 2009 Location: Memphis Tennessee Posts: 3,072	Trains!