Except it's not driverless and will require two personnel on board

[rab]

10 hours ago, woodenhead said:

A local McDonalds that opened in the past 12 months has a separate entry for the delivery drivers so they don't crowd the customer serving area.

In Plymouth Mcdonalds have a separate site just to handle delivery orders.

[idd15]

3 hours ago, Reorte said:

Becoming completely dependent on machines to do fairly basic things for you is better than not being able to do anything at all, that's true. But when that's everything, for everyone, everywhere. No thanks, not in the slightest. If it was just replacing those situations where we no longer can that would be great, and I'd be enthusiastic. But it doesn't make any sense to want to be treated like that, utterly dependent, never doing anything yourself, unless you're left with no choice and it becomes better than nothing?

 

It also beats me why the idea of being dependent on machines is any better than being dependent on our fellow human beings.

We are only talking about a means of travel here, no one is suggesting that all travel will be carried out in this manner. Neither is anyone suggesting your right to choose is being taken away, in fact you are potentially being given a greater range of options to choose from.

 

There are many people for whom driving is not something they want to do, or can do. Autonomous vehicles could give them another option for independent travel.

 

>"It also beats me why the idea of being dependent on machines is any better than being dependent on our fellow human beings."

For me 2 reasons:

1) Relatives who have maintained a high degree of independence into their final years have lived longer fulfilled lives right to the very end.

2) I choose not to be a burden.

 

idd

 

[Michael Hodgson]

10 hours ago, idd15 said:

Neither is anyone suggesting your right to choose is being taken away, in fact you are potentially being given a greater range of options to choose from.

 

Nobody is taking away your right to choose your means of transport?

 

Is your income keeping pace with the rate of increase in congestion charging (not just London - Cambridge is joining the ranks of the cities already using it as a way of balancing their books and Oxford is introducing rules to stop you driving into town if you're not a local), ULEZ zones, resident parking permits?  Or perhaps your increased costs in these areas are being offset by reductions in the price of your food, energy or other essentials? 

 

But you are right if you happen to be one of those are affluent enough not to have difficulty with the current state of the economy - yes you will still have the option of continuing to use your current car.  Rather more of us have decided not to replace the car as often as usual but that we will carry on and run the old banger right into the ground.

[idd15]

58 minutes ago, Michael Hodgson said:

Nobody is taking away your right to choose your means of transport?

 

Is your income keeping pace with the rate of increase in congestion charging (not just London - Cambridge is joining the ranks of the cities already using it as a way of balancing their books and Oxford is introducing rules to stop you driving into town if you're not a local), ULEZ zones, resident parking permits?  Or perhaps your increased costs in these areas are being offset by reductions in the price of your food, energy or other essentials? 

 

But you are right if you happen to be one of those are affluent enough not to have difficulty with the current state of the economy - yes you will still have the option of continuing to use your current car.  Rather more of us have decided not to replace the car as often as usual but that we will carry on and run the old banger right into the ground.

My post is clearly related to this threads topic about automation applied to driving vehicles. 
 

Might be best you open another thread for discussion about congestion charging, ulez etc. 

 

idd

 

 

[Phil Parker]

18 hours ago, Type 2 said:

Bear in mind that once there is damage, that car is out of action, earning no money, until it is fixed.  Do you think the owner will have a hope in hell of getting the full cost of repair plus lost earnings back from your average punter?

 

Since they already have a valid credit card used to pay for the journey, the cost will just be added on to this.

[APOLLO]

14 hours ago, woodenhead said:

In just a few years we will all be living in paradise: no global warming and no jobs but all the rich people who pay little or no tax will somehow be funding our basic income.

 

We will pootle about on little robot personal transports like the passengers in Wall-E; fat and unable to do anything for ourselves

 

Deep down I think all this robot stuff is so that rich people will have no need for us plebs.  At the moment we are the test subjects to get robots and AI working and then we will be priced out of everything and have no work to be able afford anything above sustenance.

 

Agree 100%

 

With the threat of AI eliminating many millions of jobs, along with automated, unmanned everything, and rising world populations (mostly unemployed) I see a very dystopian future for most.

 

Sometimes I'm glad I'm 70 years old, had a good life, and job for life from apprenticeship to retirement in the soon to be defunct / green embargoed etc gas industry.

 

Life, and work, was good while it lasted !!

 

Brit15

[Mike 84C]

Not sure if I missed it but the only comments about driverless trains were at the start of the thread. Surely trains are among  the easiest transport forms to automate?  And I do wonder if the leaders of ASLEF & RMT have worked this out because I'm sure someone in government has.

  Some years ago Mercedes designed a system for HGV's which only had a driver in the first one. Can you imagine what it would be like trying to get onto say the M6 with 10/20 44tonne lorries all in left hand lane doing 56 mph just as you arrive at the end of the slip road?