5 ms·

I think the self driving car will finally be the death of the car. What's the point of owning a car, if you don't drive it? You are put out of control, the fun

I think the self driving car will finally be the death of the car. What's the point of owning a car, if you don't drive it? You are put out of control, the fun is gone, so why pay for it instead of using public transport? (I write this from a european perspective, where public transport is available). The only thing I think will make it worth while is this: I drove the car (I drove!) to my destination, get out and then I can tell the car: 'find a parking'. Owning a car stopped being fun 20 years ago (at least). Today, in a big city, it only enhances the stress level. So as a consequence it makes sense not to own one (let alone the costs). And it also makes sense that people buy vintage cars. This can be fun, if you like to tinker and don't have to rely on this thing to bring you somewhere and in time.

mdorazio 11y ago
Out of curiosity, when is the last time you actually had fun driving your car? I live in California where 99% of my driving is dealing with traffic and road hazards. The last time I had fun behind the wheel was when I went to New Zealand on vacation. I suspect that most people in major metropolitan areas would have more fun browsing facebook on their daily commutes than they actually do driving.
- mironathetin 11y ago
  "when is the last time you actually had fun driving your car" I usually have fun looking forward to driving a longer distance. Once I am in the car, stuck in the usual jam while trying to leave the city, the fun is gone. And it doesn't come back when the road finally gets empty late in the evening. I used to own a convertible. It was fun using it on summer evenings and nights, in the countryside.
  - mdorazio 11y ago
    I'd say that matches a lot of people's experiences as well. I personally think we'll see "driving" split into two categories: your regular errands and commute you offload to your self-driving car. Your "fun" driving you plan ahead for and go to designated areas/roads where you can take the wheel and drive to your heart's content (without endangering anyone).
- joshyeager 11y ago
  I live and work in a suburb of a small city with fairly rural areas around it. I have fun driving at least half of my car trips.
- BrainInAJar 11y ago
  even without the tolls & limits and what have you... I went on a roadtrip through the Southwest ( miles of open road and few limits, ripe for enjoying the drive ) and still the whole time I was bored & rather be on Facebook or reading a book
jules 11y ago
Most people drive cars because it's much faster, cheaper and more reliable than public transport.
- woofyman 11y ago
  I live in Atlanta 1 block from a train station and the only time I use the train is to get to the airport or dinner in the nearby city of Decatur. I do live in a highly walkable neighborhood and work is a 10 minute drive. It's a 45 minute walk which I'll do in the fall.
  - jules 11y ago
    University is 1 hour from my house by public transport or walking, 15 mins by bicycle and 10 mins by car. My parents' house is ~4 hours by public transport and <2 hours by car. That is why people prefer other forms of transport. I do like use the train because you can work while riding, and they have a lower CO2 footprint, but neither reason really applies to most people.
- ska 11y ago
  I agree with this if you amend it to "... they believe it is much ..." It is usually faster (some metros excepted) and usually more reliable, but people seem to consistently underestimate how much they spend on their cars. If you live in a major metro area (not its suburbs) my guess is that public transit is usually much cheaper. It certainly is in the ones I have lived in. If you've got a decent transit system (and that's a big if in North America), of course. On the other hand, there are plenty of living arrangements that make transit impractical.
  - mironathetin 11y ago
    Here are my numbers: Since I don't own a car any more and use public transport, I have 500 Euros a month more in my pocket. That does not account for the savings I need to buy a new car every few years. Only insurance, fuel and repairs/inspections. Public transport is 60 a month.
zyxley 11y ago
I think self-driving cars won't stop car ownership, because if your car drives itself it's basically a very small moving home. If you're 'living in' instead of 'driving' your car, you'll want it even more customized than if your attention was mostly on driving. Take a look at the rear seats of executive towncars, for examples of this kind of thing. People who can be driven everywhere in their own cars will go to substantial lengths to get them just the way they like them, whether that's for working, entertainment, napping, or whatever else.
Merad 11y ago
Eh, you're making the wildly incorrect assumption that everyone lives in the middle of a major city with quality public transport. I would guess that 75+% of Americans either have no access to public transport or the public transport available does not fulfill their needs. This isn't going to change anytime soon in the US, and the car will not die in the foreseeable future.
- nucleardog 11y ago
  With the public transit in my city you're limited to a very restrictive set of hours, many stops are only serviced once an hour so you're restricted in how you go about your day (and every stop you make takes at minimum an hour!), and the travel itself can take upwards of an hour for a trip that takes ten minutes by car... during rush hour. There is no Uber. Taxis are expensive and unreliable. It's too cold to run or bike most of the year. Everyone owns cars or has someone who does drive them around. These articles always love to talk about Uber and public transit as eating away at the car market... But outside of the major centers where people are writing these articles, the car is still often king.
gambiting 11y ago
Even if I won't drive my car, I would still like to own it to keep it personal. To keep my stuff in it. To not have to pair my phone every time I go somewhere. To be hygienic(I hate public transport because of this). And yeah, I drive in a large-ish city. Still enjoy the experience. Most of the time don't even have the radio on, just listen to the engine rumbling.
NDizzle 11y ago
What is the point of owning a car? You ask this as I sit here looking to see if Ford has opened the books on ordering a Focus RS... There are more uses for cars than A to B devices. Watch this video. I saw it when I was around age 16 and it's stuck with me ever since. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PZ5J3GLSYI https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PZ5J3GLSYI
- RodrigoT 11y ago
  Ironically, they have put asphalt to the top of the Pikes Peak now...
- anon4 11y ago
  As a vehicle for entertainment, sure. As a professional sport, yes. Grandparent meant it more as "what's the point of owning a car if you have 5 vacation days per year and never leave the city and all your commute each day is home->work->the store->home".
anonymousab 11y ago
Silence, isolation, speed. But maybe the lack of these in public transportation is simply because they can be found elsewhere, I.e. a demand issue that would be solved naturally.

mdorazio 11y ago

Out of curiosity, when is the last time you actually had fun driving your car? I live in California where 99% of my driving is dealing with traffic and road hazards. The last time I had fun behind the wheel was when I went to New Zealand on vacation. I suspect that most people in major metropolitan areas would have more fun browsing facebook on their daily commutes than they actually do driving.

mironathetin 11y ago
"when is the last time you actually had fun driving your car" I usually have fun looking forward to driving a longer distance. Once I am in the car, stuck in the usual jam while trying to leave the city, the fun is gone. And it doesn't come back when the road finally gets empty late in the evening. I used to own a convertible. It was fun using it on summer evenings and nights, in the countryside.
- mdorazio 11y ago
  I'd say that matches a lot of people's experiences as well. I personally think we'll see "driving" split into two categories: your regular errands and commute you offload to your self-driving car. Your "fun" driving you plan ahead for and go to designated areas/roads where you can take the wheel and drive to your heart's content (without endangering anyone).
joshyeager 11y ago
I live and work in a suburb of a small city with fairly rural areas around it. I have fun driving at least half of my car trips.
BrainInAJar 11y ago
even without the tolls & limits and what have you... I went on a roadtrip through the Southwest ( miles of open road and few limits, ripe for enjoying the drive ) and still the whole time I was bored & rather be on Facebook or reading a book

jules 11y ago

Most people drive cars because it's much faster, cheaper and more reliable than public transport.

woofyman 11y ago
I live in Atlanta 1 block from a train station and the only time I use the train is to get to the airport or dinner in the nearby city of Decatur. I do live in a highly walkable neighborhood and work is a 10 minute drive. It's a 45 minute walk which I'll do in the fall.
- jules 11y ago
  University is 1 hour from my house by public transport or walking, 15 mins by bicycle and 10 mins by car. My parents' house is ~4 hours by public transport and <2 hours by car. That is why people prefer other forms of transport. I do like use the train because you can work while riding, and they have a lower CO2 footprint, but neither reason really applies to most people.
ska 11y ago
I agree with this if you amend it to "... they believe it is much ..." It is usually faster (some metros excepted) and usually more reliable, but people seem to consistently underestimate how much they spend on their cars. If you live in a major metro area (not its suburbs) my guess is that public transit is usually much cheaper. It certainly is in the ones I have lived in. If you've got a decent transit system (and that's a big if in North America), of course. On the other hand, there are plenty of living arrangements that make transit impractical.
- mironathetin 11y ago
  Here are my numbers: Since I don't own a car any more and use public transport, I have 500 Euros a month more in my pocket. That does not account for the savings I need to buy a new car every few years. Only insurance, fuel and repairs/inspections. Public transport is 60 a month.

zyxley 11y ago

I think self-driving cars won't stop car ownership, because if your car drives itself it's basically a very small moving home. If you're 'living in' instead of 'driving' your car, you'll want it even more customized than if your attention was mostly on driving. Take a look at the rear seats of executive towncars, for examples of this kind of thing. People who can be driven everywhere in their own cars will go to substantial lengths to get them just the way they like them, whether that's for working, entertainment, napping, or whatever else.

Merad 11y ago

Eh, you're making the wildly incorrect assumption that everyone lives in the middle of a major city with quality public transport. I would guess that 75+% of Americans either have no access to public transport or the public transport available does not fulfill their needs. This isn't going to change anytime soon in the US, and the car will not die in the foreseeable future.

nucleardog 11y ago
With the public transit in my city you're limited to a very restrictive set of hours, many stops are only serviced once an hour so you're restricted in how you go about your day (and every stop you make takes at minimum an hour!), and the travel itself can take upwards of an hour for a trip that takes ten minutes by car... during rush hour. There is no Uber. Taxis are expensive and unreliable. It's too cold to run or bike most of the year. Everyone owns cars or has someone who does drive them around. These articles always love to talk about Uber and public transit as eating away at the car market... But outside of the major centers where people are writing these articles, the car is still often king.

gambiting 11y ago

Even if I won't drive my car, I would still like to own it to keep it personal. To keep my stuff in it. To not have to pair my phone every time I go somewhere. To be hygienic(I hate public transport because of this). And yeah, I drive in a large-ish city. Still enjoy the experience. Most of the time don't even have the radio on, just listen to the engine rumbling.

NDizzle 11y ago

What is the point of owning a car? You ask this as I sit here looking to see if Ford has opened the books on ordering a Focus RS... There are more uses for cars than A to B devices. Watch this video. I saw it when I was around age 16 and it's stuck with me ever since. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PZ5J3GLSYI https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PZ5J3GLSYI

RodrigoT 11y ago
Ironically, they have put asphalt to the top of the Pikes Peak now...
anon4 11y ago
As a vehicle for entertainment, sure. As a professional sport, yes. Grandparent meant it more as "what's the point of owning a car if you have 5 vacation days per year and never leave the city and all your commute each day is home->work->the store->home".

anonymousab 11y ago

Silence, isolation, speed. But maybe the lack of these in public transportation is simply because they can be found elsewhere, I.e. a demand issue that would be solved naturally.