XPost: rec.arts.sf.written, rec.arts.sf.science   
   From: droleary@8usenet2013.subsume.com   
      
   In article ,   
    "Leszek Karlik"  wrote:   
      
   > On Sun, 12 Jan 2014 18:47:42 +0100, Doc O'Leary   
   >  wrote:   
   >   
   > [...]   
   > > I don't even understand the analogy you're trying to make.  Self-driving   
   > > cars *are* a virtual train.   
   >   
   > No, self-driving cars are, basically, taxis with robot drivers instead of   
   > human drivers, which makes them cheaper, so people will be better able   
   > to afford them.   
      
   Afford them?  Why would we even buy them?  My whole point is that I'm   
   abstracting the problem of moving people from point A to point B.   
   Currently, that is done with a dedicated vehicle when you want to   
   reliably have it at your disposal.  Adding a human driver to that is   
   rather expensive but, as you note, it allows you to re-examine the root   
   problem and, as a result, you can offer a redundant array of inexpensive   
   vehicles (RAIV, aka taxi) to achieve the same A to B service.   
      
   To make a car self-driving doesn't change that, other than probably   
   lowering the cost.  Whereas a family now might have 2 or 3 vehicles to   
   shuttle everyone around, their needs could likely be met by just 1   
   chauffeured vehicle.  It makes you pause to think about what is going to   
   be in it for the car makers.   
      
   And, like I said, even then it might make more sense to further expand   
   the sharing of a vehicle beyond a family.  As I have written about   
   previously (maybe not here), it might make sense to have a neighborhood   
   shuttle that does nothing but take people from their houses to the   
   closest mass transit station.  That's becomes even easier to provide   
   when you introduce a self-driving vehicle.  The simply fact is that *so*   
   much can and will change with such a technology that it is just silly to   
   project current social norms out into the future.   
      
   > A limousine with a driver is a self-driving car from the point of view   
   > of a CEO and it's nothing like a virtual train.   
      
   Only because said CEO is a rich 1%-er.  A self-driving car to many other   
   people can be seen as a dedicated taxi asset/employee.  Not service,   
   because you *own* it, and it can go out and make you money while you're   
   either doing your regular job, or just relaxing.  Even that aspect has a   
   social equilibrium, as noted above.  Think things through beyond just   
   the knee-jerk attack on one minor feature (virtual trains) that   
   self-driving vehicles can provide.  That's what world building is all   
   about.   
      
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