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USA also has chauffers and Uber drivers. So self driving cars are real? Your argument is as stupid as it comes. Not everyone is upper class and can hire a driv

USA also has chauffers and Uber drivers. So self driving cars are real? Your argument is as stupid as it comes. Not everyone is upper class and can hire a driver.

rlpb 8y ago
I don't think you understand my point. In India, if you can afford to hire a car, it essentially comes with a driver because of the ratio between the cost of the rental and the cost of the driver. There is therefore far less of an economic benefit to having a self driving car if the purpose is to be cheaper than hiring a driver. India (and other places where the ratio of cost of labour to cost of cars is similar) will be one of the last places where self driving cars will make economic sense.
vivekseth 8y ago
Are drivers in India limited to just the upper class? Whenever I visit India it feels like anyone who’s not lower class can afford to hire a driver.
- pthomas551 8y ago
  If you are a typical American you are likely to be interacting exclusively with the upper class. Even if they don't feel upper class to you, by local standards they are at worst upper middle class.
- truncate 8y ago
  I'm from a middle class family in Delhi, and we never had (or could have) afforded a driver full time. Maybe now, my father can, but it is still expensive and not worth it. Most middle class families don't have a driver IMO. Much more common with upper middle class. However, we did hire driver for couple of days in rural areas every now and then.
  - manquer 8y ago
    if you rent a car, getting the drive is never that expensive. Getting a FT driver for your own car is of course different. Rental cost + driver cost is not that much higher even without uber/ola
  - vivekseth 8y ago
    Do you guys hire other kinds of servants for things like cooking/cleaning/laundry?
coldtea 8y ago
That's the thing, in India you don't need to be upper class to hire a driver. Not everything all around the world is the same as your rural corner in Iowa or whatever.

USA also has chauffers and Uber drivers. So self driving cars are real? Your argument is as stupid as it comes. Not everyone is upper class and can hire a driver.

rlpb 8y ago

I don't think you understand my point. In India, if you can afford to hire a car, it essentially comes with a driver because of the ratio between the cost of the rental and the cost of the driver. There is therefore far less of an economic benefit to having a self driving car if the purpose is to be cheaper than hiring a driver. India (and other places where the ratio of cost of labour to cost of cars is similar) will be one of the last places where self driving cars will make economic sense.

vivekseth 8y ago

Are drivers in India limited to just the upper class? Whenever I visit India it feels like anyone who’s not lower class can afford to hire a driver.

pthomas551 8y ago
If you are a typical American you are likely to be interacting exclusively with the upper class. Even if they don't feel upper class to you, by local standards they are at worst upper middle class.
truncate 8y ago
I'm from a middle class family in Delhi, and we never had (or could have) afforded a driver full time. Maybe now, my father can, but it is still expensive and not worth it. Most middle class families don't have a driver IMO. Much more common with upper middle class. However, we did hire driver for couple of days in rural areas every now and then.
- manquer 8y ago
  if you rent a car, getting the drive is never that expensive. Getting a FT driver for your own car is of course different. Rental cost + driver cost is not that much higher even without uber/ola
- vivekseth 8y ago
  Do you guys hire other kinds of servants for things like cooking/cleaning/laundry?

coldtea 8y ago

That's the thing, in India you don't need to be upper class to hire a driver. Not everything all around the world is the same as your rural corner in Iowa or whatever.