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I live in a city that has had Waymo's (via Uber) for a while now and I have done a complete 180 on them. Not only are they usually cheaper than a traditional Ub

I live in a city that has had Waymo's (via Uber) for a while now and I have done a complete 180 on them. Not only are they usually cheaper than a traditional Uber, but they drive far more defensively, and don't come with the social baggage associated with a traditional Uber either (tipping, small talk).

udev4096 1y ago
[flagged]
- deepanwadhwa 1y ago
  How does it make us less human?
  - psygn89 1y ago
    The less social interaction part.
- daedrdev 1y ago
  Yeah our humanity relies on worrying about if your uber driver might be a reckless driver or harass you. Driving is a means to an end, self driving cars will one day be cheaper better and safer which is a boon to all consumers at the expense of the comparatively few drivers
- JumpCrisscross 1y ago
  > How it makes us less human Fewer horses, too! There is nothing natural about driving a car. Nothing democratic about a driver in front ferrying one or two in the back, both knowing each will rate the other, one knowing they are working for a tip, all while managing a fleet of apps whose owners run datacenters to rip them off. Human-driven cars were a deadly necessity. But like lead pipes and child labour, we’re better off past it.
  - darkwater 1y ago
    90% of what you said still relates to capitalism, more specifically surveillance capitalism.
    - JumpCrisscross 1y ago
      > 90% of what you said still relates to capitalism It relates to economics. Do you think a central planner would swear off robotics because it feels dehumanizing?
      - rozap 1y ago
        A central planner probably would've built mass transit back in the 50s. And most people wouldn't have cars. And the ones that did would be driving trabants.
      - darkwater 1y ago
        > It relates to economics. Do you think a central planner would swear off robotics because it feels dehumanizing? This is a straw man. There are many shades of grey between big companies, fueled by cheap VC money, that wipe out taxi drivers associated in small companies by operating at loss for many years and a centrally planned economy.
  - Zambyte 1y ago
    Drivers were never a necessity for anyone but automobile manufacturing executives.
  - bombcar 1y ago
    That gives me an idea. Autonomous taxis with cats in them.
- esafak 1y ago
  Do you miss asking the switchboard operator to connect your call? People are trying to get from one place to another, not have a social experience. If they could teleport themselves they would.
  - bombcar 1y ago
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rw01trwmul0 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rw01trwmul0
- deleted 1y ago
  [deleted]
- mabedan 1y ago
  Humans are quite bad at a lot of primarily human tasks... I'm grateful every time I don't have to deal with a secretary behind the phone, bank teller, travel agent, etc thanks to all these functionalities having become automated. One exception was ordering food in Japan at some restaurants which was done on iPads and food was being delivered by robots, because I actually really enjoyed interacting with the delightful and polite people over there. I cannot say the same about people in where I live.
- GoatInGrey 1y ago
  The reason it's illegal to build a small grocery store near where people live (so they don't have to spent so much time and money acquiring groceries) has the complete opposite to do with capitalism.
- 999900000999 1y ago
  It's really complicated. Because even though there might be a bit of friction between you and that rideshare driver, ride-sharing keeps a lot of people off the streets. If this technology really takes off in the next 5 to 10 years, we're going to see a lot of people without the employer of last resort. Eventually gig work might disappear completely. In a lot of cities you'll see people on electric bikes or scooters delivering food. If that's completely automated, sure it'll be a lot quicker and faster, but what's going to happen to people who depend on these jobs. I don't think our economic system is ready for this. And I'm not talking about any particular country either, it's going to be a worldwide issue.
trenchpilgrim 1y ago
Many of my female friends have had bad experiences with ride share drivers, so I think there's a strong market demand.
- boringg 1y ago
  Its funny because when ride sharing first came out -- everyone had a great experience for the most part (early adopters/risk takers). Then the long tail (and VC growth money disappeared) came around and the pay got worse, job was a grind and the quality tanked. I don't doubt that we will have the same thing with all these new options. Maybe the social baggage won't be there but there will be weird new things that pop up...
  - JumpCrisscross 1y ago
    > the long tail (and VC growth money disappeared) came around and the pay got worse, job was a grind and the quality tanked As well as the prices, wait times and ubiquity. I’m not saying it’s a panacea. But I don’t think most people want to go back to when Uber was only black cars.
  - asdff 1y ago
    When it first came out you didn't have people working it full time. It would be like dads making side money after the kid was put to bed.
mostlysimilar 1y ago
> Not only are they usually cheaper than a traditional Uber Enjoy it while it lasts. Uber/Lyft were far cheaper than other options when they launched until they put everything else out of business, then jacked up the price.
- poetril 1y ago
  That's been my attitude as well. I'm not convinced they'll stay cheaper for long, and when I say "cheaper" its marginal. Cost of the ride is the similar, but it seems there is no tip built into the price yet.
- JumpCrisscross 1y ago
  > Uber/Lyft were far cheaper than other options when they launched until they put everything else out of business, then jacked up the price Source? Particularly inflation adjusted? Uber, specifically, started out as black cars only.
  - asdff 1y ago
    Rides were like $4-7. A ride over $10 was rare.
    - JumpCrisscross 1y ago
      I took a ride home two nights ago for under $7. On the other hand, I tend to avoid Ubers in New York (versus taxis), but that’s one part local demand and one part local regulation.
Lionga 1y ago
Or just live in a non retarded country where neither tipping nor small talk is expected when you take a fucking taxi. Plus it will probably just cost half or less by itself

udev4096 1y ago

[flagged]

deepanwadhwa 1y ago
How does it make us less human?
- psygn89 1y ago
  The less social interaction part.
daedrdev 1y ago
Yeah our humanity relies on worrying about if your uber driver might be a reckless driver or harass you. Driving is a means to an end, self driving cars will one day be cheaper better and safer which is a boon to all consumers at the expense of the comparatively few drivers
JumpCrisscross 1y ago
> How it makes us less human Fewer horses, too! There is nothing natural about driving a car. Nothing democratic about a driver in front ferrying one or two in the back, both knowing each will rate the other, one knowing they are working for a tip, all while managing a fleet of apps whose owners run datacenters to rip them off. Human-driven cars were a deadly necessity. But like lead pipes and child labour, we’re better off past it.
- darkwater 1y ago
  90% of what you said still relates to capitalism, more specifically surveillance capitalism.
  - JumpCrisscross 1y ago
    > 90% of what you said still relates to capitalism It relates to economics. Do you think a central planner would swear off robotics because it feels dehumanizing?
    - rozap 1y ago
      A central planner probably would've built mass transit back in the 50s. And most people wouldn't have cars. And the ones that did would be driving trabants.
    - darkwater 1y ago
      > It relates to economics. Do you think a central planner would swear off robotics because it feels dehumanizing? This is a straw man. There are many shades of grey between big companies, fueled by cheap VC money, that wipe out taxi drivers associated in small companies by operating at loss for many years and a centrally planned economy.
- Zambyte 1y ago
  Drivers were never a necessity for anyone but automobile manufacturing executives.
- bombcar 1y ago
  That gives me an idea. Autonomous taxis with cats in them.
esafak 1y ago
Do you miss asking the switchboard operator to connect your call? People are trying to get from one place to another, not have a social experience. If they could teleport themselves they would.
- bombcar 1y ago
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rw01trwmul0 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rw01trwmul0
deleted 1y ago
[deleted]
mabedan 1y ago
Humans are quite bad at a lot of primarily human tasks... I'm grateful every time I don't have to deal with a secretary behind the phone, bank teller, travel agent, etc thanks to all these functionalities having become automated. One exception was ordering food in Japan at some restaurants which was done on iPads and food was being delivered by robots, because I actually really enjoyed interacting with the delightful and polite people over there. I cannot say the same about people in where I live.
GoatInGrey 1y ago
The reason it's illegal to build a small grocery store near where people live (so they don't have to spent so much time and money acquiring groceries) has the complete opposite to do with capitalism.
999900000999 1y ago
It's really complicated. Because even though there might be a bit of friction between you and that rideshare driver, ride-sharing keeps a lot of people off the streets. If this technology really takes off in the next 5 to 10 years, we're going to see a lot of people without the employer of last resort. Eventually gig work might disappear completely. In a lot of cities you'll see people on electric bikes or scooters delivering food. If that's completely automated, sure it'll be a lot quicker and faster, but what's going to happen to people who depend on these jobs. I don't think our economic system is ready for this. And I'm not talking about any particular country either, it's going to be a worldwide issue.

trenchpilgrim 1y ago

Many of my female friends have had bad experiences with ride share drivers, so I think there's a strong market demand.

boringg 1y ago
Its funny because when ride sharing first came out -- everyone had a great experience for the most part (early adopters/risk takers). Then the long tail (and VC growth money disappeared) came around and the pay got worse, job was a grind and the quality tanked. I don't doubt that we will have the same thing with all these new options. Maybe the social baggage won't be there but there will be weird new things that pop up...
- JumpCrisscross 1y ago
  > the long tail (and VC growth money disappeared) came around and the pay got worse, job was a grind and the quality tanked As well as the prices, wait times and ubiquity. I’m not saying it’s a panacea. But I don’t think most people want to go back to when Uber was only black cars.
- asdff 1y ago
  When it first came out you didn't have people working it full time. It would be like dads making side money after the kid was put to bed.

mostlysimilar 1y ago

> Not only are they usually cheaper than a traditional Uber Enjoy it while it lasts. Uber/Lyft were far cheaper than other options when they launched until they put everything else out of business, then jacked up the price.

poetril 1y ago
That's been my attitude as well. I'm not convinced they'll stay cheaper for long, and when I say "cheaper" its marginal. Cost of the ride is the similar, but it seems there is no tip built into the price yet.
JumpCrisscross 1y ago
> Uber/Lyft were far cheaper than other options when they launched until they put everything else out of business, then jacked up the price Source? Particularly inflation adjusted? Uber, specifically, started out as black cars only.
- asdff 1y ago
  Rides were like $4-7. A ride over $10 was rare.
  - JumpCrisscross 1y ago
    I took a ride home two nights ago for under $7. On the other hand, I tend to avoid Ubers in New York (versus taxis), but that’s one part local demand and one part local regulation.

Lionga 1y ago

Or just live in a non retarded country where neither tipping nor small talk is expected when you take a fucking taxi. Plus it will probably just cost half or less by itself