Current Events > Welp Waymo won me over with the first trips*

(+) Yeah! (+)

*when it comes to having to deep into San Francisco.
**as long as the company can stay on top of keeping the cars clean inside.

Drives a million times better than a garbo as Uber/Lyft driver. It has much more peripheral vision than any driver. Does all the small things navigating narrow streets with oncoming cars, left turns in busy traffic, slowing down for speed bumps. doesn't fold to road rage/honking, etc. Even knows how to judge making yellow lights.

Lack of a driver is sketchy in thought, if the protocols are garbage. I'm not the engineer, but there wasn't a point I was uneasy about the decisions/logic this went with. That being said, lack of a driver comes rids of the smells, bullshit of them talking either to you or the phone nonstop, music and AC nuances.

I personally have reservations against automation and AI, and I personally like having my own vehicle to drive, but it is true that a more collectively agreeable traffic infrastructure could be a societal improvement. In a tight city I am down with this. I'm not sure about highway speeds or far distances it's much worse to risk becoming stranded.

It is first world expensive so I won't go crazy with it. This might be the high time to embrace it since it's not entirely accessible to people so, relatively higher chance of always getting a cleaner car and reasonable wait times.

Watch society fuck this up.

Driving will be outlawed for the poor eventually.

The self-driving AI is presented with a situation in which either it hits a pedestrian and kills them or swerves to avoid the pedestrian and kills the passenger. Which one should the AI default to choosing?

TheDurinator posted...

The self-driving AI is presented with a situation in which either it hits a pedestrian and kills them or swerves to avoid the pedestrian and kills the passenger. Which one should the AI default to choosing?

It probably prioritizes the passenger. It has the most control over that, and the state of its physical integrity in such a scenario.

Assuming the passenger is doing nothing to disrupt the driving, it's more likely the pedestrian made an ill decision than the car did. The passenger plays no part in the incident either way.

[LFAQs-redacted-quote]

Nah in this area all the Uber cars and drivers are ass unless you struck gold and landed someone who bought a brand new Lexus or Mercedes.

That being said, lack of a driver comes rids of the smells, bullshit of them talking either to you or the phone nonstop, music and AC nuances.

I'll never use any of these services but this brings up a point I had never thought about or I'm curious about. Is there actually a way to request to alter the temp? Like if you get in on a hot summer day and you are absolutely roasting is there a way to request the AC to be turned up? Or for some weirdo out there who doesn't get hot can they request it be turned off? How does that work?

archizzy posted...

I'll never use any of these services but this brings up a point I had never thought about or I'm curious about. Is there actually a way to request to alter the temp? Like if you get in on a hot summer day and you are absolutely roasting is there a way to request the AC to be turned up? Or for some weirdo out there who doesn't get hot can they request it be turned off? How does that work?

Technically they're supposed to cater more towards the passenger but sometimes they'll do stuff like add liners to the seats, strong car fresheners, just act like turds about preferences in general.
I remember being in one car that was stuffy as hell and the driver closed the window on me. I get we were going like 45mph, but the cabin sucked and I'd rather suffer the buffeting instead of suffocating.

On the flip side, I've heard of some be strict about food/drink/perfume as well. It overall is an annoying human element.

There are some options for the passenger when hailing an Uber but I've seen it not fully honored, and still come with other BS.

I forgot to mention, there's also the option for tips, and some drivers try to hint to it, even putting signs in a car for a review and tip. The app also gets suggestive. Just offputing overall even if they aren't forcing you do to it. Automated system is just shut up and take me there. Rather take a Waymo for the slight premium vs tipping a mediocre Uber drive.

That being said, I'm not trying to crap on Uber/Lyft drivers that really try to do it all right. They're just very, very few and far in between in existence.

[LFAQs-redacted-quote]



KaZooo posted...

Technically they're supposed to cater more towards the passenger but sometimes they'll do stuff like add liners to the seats, strong car fresheners, just act like turds about preferences in general.
I remember being in one car that was stuffy as hell and the driver closed the window on me. I get we were going like 45mph, but the cabin sucked and I'd rather suffer the buffeting instead of suffocating.

On the flip side, I've heard of some be strict about food/drink/perfume as well. It overall is an annoying human element.

There are some options for the passenger when hailing an Uber but I've seen it not fully honored, and still come with other BS.

I forgot to mention, there's also the option for tips, and some drivers try to hint to it, even putting signs in a car for a review and tip. The app also gets suggestive. Just offputing overall even if they aren't forcing you do to it. Automated system is just shut up and take me there. Rather take a Waymo for the slight premium vs tipping a mediocre Uber drive.

That being said, I'm not trying to crap on Uber/Lyft drivers that really try to do it all right. They're just very, very few and far in between in existence.

I'm sorry, I meant in the context of the driverless car. I understand when you have a human driver you just can ask them. I mean in the driverless auto car, how can you make a request about temperature or like ask to hear the radio or something?

archizzy posted...

I'm sorry, I meant in the context of the driverless car. I understand when you have a human driver you just can ask them. I mean in the driverless auto car, how can you make a request about temperature or like ask to hear the radio or something?

You just turn the knobs yourself. Audio I think is limited to their station library, but you can do as you please within the selection

KaZooo posted...

You just turn the knobs yourself. Audio I think is limited to their station library, but you can do as you please within the selection

Ah ok, I was under the impression you sat in the back. I have only ever used a taxi a few times back in the 90's when I was in the military. I guess in my mind I just always assumed people got in the back. I wasn't thinking you could be upfront fiddling with the controls. Makes sense though.

[LFAQs-redacted-quote]


That makes sense. Pretty cool.

TheDurinator posted...

The self-driving AI is presented with a situation in which either it hits a pedestrian and kills them or swerves to avoid the pedestrian and kills the passenger. Which one should the AI default to choosing?

AI will use the same clues you do to determine which person will be missed less: Cost of clothes, haircut, probably check your stock holdings and internet followers before making the decision

archizzy posted...

That makes sense. Pretty cool.

You also get to sit shotgun. A little weird seeing a steering wheel moving itself like its an 80's/90's racing game, but I much prefer it to the back seat in general

Ive ridden in 4 or 5 Waymos and every time its been a better average experience than riding Uber/Lyft

I also really like not having to deal with the awkwardness of being in a car with a stranger. Whether its awkward silence or awkward conversation just being able to be alone in the car is refreshing

I took a few when I went back down to SF to visit. I hope they start back up in Seattle area again. Id honestly buy one if I could.