The lovely Ms engatwork and I recently spent a week in Austin, Tx visiting the daughter and sil. We stayed about .2 mile from their apts (thanks airbnb) and utilized Lyft the whole time we were there. We never waited more than about 5 minutes for a ride.

Earlier this year I had the opportunity to drive a 2014 E250 with the distronic, self braking, lane maintain option. Very impressive car and I have it on the list of one I'd own.

Now I read the write up below and I can't wait for the day that I can summon a self driving car on my camera (I mean phone) and have it there in short order. Right now Lyft cars don't even show up if I search around Soperton but man, I have caught a glimpse of the future and I like it.

autonomous Lyft

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Jim

The future in metropolitan areas will be companies like Lyft and Uber maintaining or leasing self driving cars. Want a ride hail it just like you do now, the only difference is their will be no driver.

If I was 18 I would not be getting into the taxi business.

I was talking to an Uber driver and I can already see what they are talking about in that article. He said he does most of his business in more upscale semi rural areas like Darien, Trumbull, etc. Most of his business is driving teenagers around who are either to young to drive or don't have there licenses yet. They don't want to buy cars, most don't get licenses until they are in their late teens or early 20's.

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1999 SL500
1969 280SE
2023 Ram 1500
2007 Tiara 3200

I've been fed up with crappy traffic for years. I often use public transport to avoid it.

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1992 W201 190E 1.8 171,000 km - Daily driver
1981 W123 300D ~ 100,000 miles / 160,000 km - project car stripped to the bone
1965 Land Rover Series 2a Station Wagon CIS recovery therapy!
1961 Volvo PV544 Bare metal rat rod-ish thing

I'm here to chat about cars and to help others - I'm not here "to always be right" like an internet warrior



Don't leave that there - I'll take it to bits!

This kind of thing will fundamentally serve to eliminate the personal vehicle for the overwhelming majority, the world over. The results will be mixed but overall consider the positive impact on everything if there isn’t a need for a personal vehicle. Smaller or no parking lots, less traffic, less pollution smaller houses and smaller foot print for buildings of all types lower hiway maintenance, the end of the ever increasing amount of expense for roads; fewer vehicle repair, fuel, and sales facilities, and on and on and on.

The bad news will be a great reduction in jobs due to many drives and support folk of all types of vehicle related services being effectively kicked to the kerb.

The change has already started and the debate will become center stage within about the next decade. Of course the advance of business profits over legacy jobs will win.

Oh for a brave new world....

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Toyota is a leader only because their drivers block everyone behind them. Oh what a feeling.

It might eliminate the personal vehicle in the city, not everywhere else in the US.

(a) people are germ/dirt phobes and shared vehicles tend to be dirtier than private cars
(b) people tend to use vehicles as an extension of their bags, storing personal items as they go about their business

What we'll see is more fat slobs. Their personal computer-driven vehicle will drop them off, door to door. Literally. Not even a walk across a parking lot, which is all the exercise that a lot of Americans get in a day. Yuck.

And social isolation will increase since you'll be "driven" everywhere in your personal isolation bubble, only meeting people in planned activities and circumstances. Not to mention, more bums wanting to commute 100 miles round trip, since they can play with their fondleslabs whilst doing so. Hope the future is slow in coming. Glad I live in the city where people still deign to walk, bike, and public transit isn't going anywhere any time soon. The suburbs and rural areas are about to become even more socially hellish and unlivable.

That scenario only works with single professional types who don't have family or "group" comittments of any sort. So they can afford to ignore reality and just have their servants move them around when they require it.

- Peter.

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2021 Chevrolet Spark
Formerly...
2000 GMC Sonoma
1981 240D 4spd stick. 347000 miles. Deceased Feb 14 2021
2002 Kia Rio. Worst crap on four wheels
1981 240D 4spd stick. 389000 miles.
1984 123 200
1979 116 280S
1972 Cadillac Sedan DeVille
1971 108 280S

Technology should be reliable just as soon as i reach retirement. Excellent

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