What do you want your self-driving car to have?

[RoryN]

They're going to be mainstream, most likely within our lifetime.*

How do you want yours to be outfitted? There are endless possibilities.

I'd like an easy chair in mine, which can convert into a small bed, small workdesk, coffee maker, stuff like that. I want to be able to decide if I do work or snooze during the morning commute. Mini-fridge with alcohol (of course).

I envision something that looks a little like a capsule when it comes to the windows - full, panoramic view, but able to be shaded if I want to rest. A "weekend mode" would be fun, too.

Company cars could be built like limos, and encorporate a mobile boardroom.

And, for yuks, Yellow Cab ought to create a couple of Johnny Cabs a la Total Recall.

(*vetteman, JAMESBJOHNSON, amicus and the like excluded.)

 

[Johnny_Ray_Wilson]

For starters, I want my self-driving car to be self-driving. Like a Johnny cab.

 

[RoryN]

For starters, I want my self-driving car to be self-driving. Like a Johnny cab.

Lupus strikes again.

 

[blobfish]

If they do come out with such a car in our lifetimes, it'll be prohibitively expensive. Only people with Twilight Zone pinball machines will be able to afford them.

 

[sweepthefloor]

I want mine to have a man inside of it pretending to drive me around.

 

[rosco rathbone]

It's 100% certain that our grandchildren will think it's very weird that we ever did anything as dangerous and uncybernetic as steer a multi ton vehicle at highway speed with no computer oversight at all. Pure human error waiting to happen. It will be regarded with roughly the same emotions we have for the dangerous deeds of our ancestors, like travelling the wild west in a conestoga wagon. "How the hell did they survive???" we wonder.

 

[RoryN]

If they do come out with such a car in our lifetimes, it'll be prohibitively expensive.

Why? .

 

[blobfish]

Why? .

Most new technologies are.

 

[oggbashan]

At my age, apart from everything else, it should have a toilet.

 

[orpreflog]

I would want it to provide its own insurance and cover its own deductibles and court costs and damages when the inevitable happens and it smashes into some, destroys property and more than likely injuries or maims someone, so I wouldn't be held accountable seeing I wasn't 'driving'
It's just a massive lawsuit waiting to happen, but if you look in the yellow pages in any city in USA you have 100 pages worth of lawyers to select from

 

[phrodeau]

Just a pillow, thanks.

 

[RoryN]

Most new technologies are.

...while they're new. Not a problem a few years later.

 

[phrodeau]

...while they're new. Not a problem a few years later.

Hah. Have you needed your typewriter repaired lately?

 

[RoryN]

I would want it to provide its own insurance and cover its own deductibles and court costs and damages when the inevitable happens and it smashes into some, destroys property and more than likely injuries or maims someone, so I wouldn't be held accountable seeing I wasn't 'driving'
It's just a massive lawsuit waiting to happen, but if you look in the yellow pages in any city in USA you have 100 pages worth of lawyers to select from

You think a car driving itself is more dangerous than a human driving it?

Seriously?

Hah. Have you needed your typewriter repaired lately?

What's a typewriter?

 

[Johnny_Ray_Wilson]

It's 100% certain that our grandchildren will think it's very weird that we ever did anything as dangerous and uncybernetic as steer a multi ton vehicle at highway speed with no computer oversight at all. Pure human error waiting to happen. It will be regarded with roughly the same emotions we have for the dangerous deeds of our ancestors, like travelling the wild west in a conestoga wagon. "How the hell did they survive???" we wonder.

I believe you are correct. Yet another reason I firmly believe schools should not stop teaching History. If there are history classes in schools years from now, assuming we have schools then, they will know how we evolved from our current state of modern era to what they will consider primitive.

 

[RoryN]

I believe you are correct. Yet another reason I firmly believe schools should not stop teaching History.

JRW's other hard stances include "Fish should not stop swimming" and "Airplanes should not be built without wings".

 

[Johnny_Ray_Wilson]

You think a car driving itself is more dangerous than a human driving it?

Seriously?

The newbie has a valid point. You don't want an automated self-driving car to have a manual control option when it fucks up and could kill your silly ass? No wait....you deserve a self-driving car.

 

[oggbashan]

Hah. Have you needed your typewriter repaired lately?

I do it myself, as I always have done.

I have a typewriter as part of a mini-museum in our Town's festival. Grandparents like to show children how life used to be, but they have usually forgotten how hard you had to hit the keys.

Younger people are fascinated by actually trying to type.

 

[RoryN]

The newbie has a valid point. You don't want an automated self-driving car to have a manual control option when it fucks up and could kill your silly ass?

Where did I say that? Where did he say that?

Lupus strikes again.

 

[phrodeau]

I do it myself, as I always have done.

I have a typewriter as part of a mini-museum in our Town's festival. Grandparents like to show children how life used to be, but they have usually forgotten how hard you had to hit the keys.

Younger people are fascinated by actually trying to type.

I've got a Selectric, but my ribbons are all dry.

 

[Johnny_Ray_Wilson]

Sorry I keep rewording your posts to impress my make believe friends from the Twilight Zone of pinball wizard games.

Not a problem. Your obsession with me and Lupus is understandable.

 

[Tryharder62]

Gas in it!

 

[RoryN]

Not a problem. Your obsession with me and Lupus is understandable.

Where did I re-word your post?

Lupus strikes again.

 

[oggbashan]

I've got a Selectric, but my ribbons are all dry.

I still have a dozen or so sealed typewriter ribbons, and can buy more on eBay.

One of my friends has an IBM golfball typewriter. When displayed in my museum people were amazed by its weight, and the clumsy way to change fonts. At least you could change fonts. My manual typewriter only does Courier.

 

[Johnny_Ray_Wilson]

I still have a dozen or so sealed typewriter ribbons, and can buy more on eBay.

One of my friends has an IBM golfball typewriter. When displayed in my museum people were amazed by its weight, and the clumsy way to change fonts. At least you could change fonts. My manual typewriter only does Courier.

IBM Selectrics are museum pieces now? Fuck, I am really feeling old now.