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Except the kill switch isn't already there unless you think that there's a way for the government to shutdown every road. If you're fine with governments havin

Except the kill switch isn't already there unless you think that there's a way for the government to shutdown every road. If you're fine with governments having real kill switches, then please make that argument, but please don't make these silly comparisons that are obviously false.

seanmcdirmid 12y ago
> unless you think that there's a way for the government to shutdown every road. Isn't that what they* did in NYC during 9/11? And whenever the president comes to town, they'll shut down whole corridors. Now, it is inconvenient (not to mention expensive), and so they don't do it often. Also, our road systems are pretty fragile outside of cities, there are very few corridors where your car becomes basically useless if they happen to be shut. * I assume you are being US-centric here, correct me if I'm wrong.
- mikerichards 12y ago
  I assume you're being very non-US-centric since you brought up Beijing. But you're still not getting it. This isn't about martial law, which is what you're essentially describing. Even with martial law, the U.S. way too many road, way too many people, for that to be effective, but that's besides the point, so let's focus on the kill switch. Assume that self-driving cars would be not be really autonomous in the sense that you would have a very detailed local map or GPS that the government doesn't have their hands in. I think that's pretty reasonable considering what we know about government (at least the U.S. government and many other western governments). If that's a reasonable assumption say 45-50 years from now, then any individual, groups of individuals, any area (big or small), any groups of area can be kill-switched with the press of a button. That is not ANYTHING like what you are describing as possible now with "roadblocks". Don't you find that in the least bit disturbing, in that a fundamental of travel is very easily disabled for just about everybody and anybody? I love the idea of self-driving cars. Driving is a nuisance for me as well as most people out of their teens, but for people that value freedom, you have to take a realistic look at what the cost will likely be.

seanmcdirmid 12y ago

> unless you think that there's a way for the government to shutdown every road. Isn't that what they* did in NYC during 9/11? And whenever the president comes to town, they'll shut down whole corridors. Now, it is inconvenient (not to mention expensive), and so they don't do it often. Also, our road systems are pretty fragile outside of cities, there are very few corridors where your car becomes basically useless if they happen to be shut. * I assume you are being US-centric here, correct me if I'm wrong.

mikerichards 12y ago
I assume you're being very non-US-centric since you brought up Beijing. But you're still not getting it. This isn't about martial law, which is what you're essentially describing. Even with martial law, the U.S. way too many road, way too many people, for that to be effective, but that's besides the point, so let's focus on the kill switch. Assume that self-driving cars would be not be really autonomous in the sense that you would have a very detailed local map or GPS that the government doesn't have their hands in. I think that's pretty reasonable considering what we know about government (at least the U.S. government and many other western governments). If that's a reasonable assumption say 45-50 years from now, then any individual, groups of individuals, any area (big or small), any groups of area can be kill-switched with the press of a button. That is not ANYTHING like what you are describing as possible now with "roadblocks". Don't you find that in the least bit disturbing, in that a fundamental of travel is very easily disabled for just about everybody and anybody? I love the idea of self-driving cars. Driving is a nuisance for me as well as most people out of their teens, but for people that value freedom, you have to take a realistic look at what the cost will likely be.