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> Also, I have bad news for you. You know that human you see sitting at the front of buses, trains, and subways? They aren’t just there to collect your fare. I
by throwitaway1123 3y ago
> Also, I have bad news for you. You know that human you see sitting at the front of buses, trains, and subways? They aren’t just there to collect your fare.
It's probably much easier to construct a self driving train/subway than it is to build a self driving car. Driving a vehicle on rails is so simple that people use the phrase "on rails" to indicate simplicity (e.g. Ruby on Rails). Buses of course don't get to reap the benefits of this simplicity though since they drive on roads rather than on rails.
- madaxe_again 3y agoPeople also use “on rails” to indicate inflexibility and rigidity. It’s easier for a reason - the utility is diminished.
- throwitaway1123 3y agoI wouldn't necessarily say the utility is diminished — it's more like a tradeoff. If you want to repeatedly transport people in bulk, you need to follow a predetermined path. Even buses tend to follow fixed routes, despite not operating on rails. Commuters would be disoriented if the E train in NYC took a different path each day for example. So if you're following the same path every day, you probably don't need a complicated steering system, rubber tires that constantly wear out, and a large expensive battery. It's simpler to just have the vehicle operate on rails, and supply power through the third rail. Otherwise you end up with a bizarre situation like the "Vegas Loop", where you have cars driving back and forth along a predetermined path, lugging heavy batteries around with them.