XPost: rec.arts.sf.written, rec.arts.sf.science   
   From: sna6345@gmail.com   
      
   "Doc O'Leary"  wrote in message   
   news:droleary-7BAC71.11543715012014@news.eternal-september.org...   
   > In article ,   
   > "sna"  wrote:   
   >   
   >> "J. Clarke"  wrote in message   
   >> news:MPG.2d3b71dbee74782498a35e@news.newsguy.com...   
   >> >   
   >> > When the train can take me from my garage to my office and stop off for   
   >> > groceries on the way home, all on my schedule, without my having to   
   >> > walk   
   >> > several blocks in the snow at each end or make several transfers, get   
   >> > back to me.   
   >>   
   >> Yeah, that one is never going to happen, even with the pod system.   
   >   
   > Only a fool would imagine that's a good idea in the first place.  Part   
   > of the beauty of a "pod" system is that it can not only abstract a   
   > transporter, but a replicator as well.  You need groceries?  You push a   
   > few buttons and it all gets sent *to* you!  Hell, we already have   
   > approximations of this with companies like Amazon.  The main thing   
   > stopping progress on improved logistics are the dopes who keep thinking   
   > they need to drive everywhere in cars to do things manually.   
   >   
   >> When I can park the plane in the lower level of a   
   >> > multilevel underground parking garage get back to me.   
   >>   
   >> That one might be possible if a flying car can be a normal   
   >> car too. The cost of getting the wings stowed well enough   
   >> so it can operate like a normal car in the highest density   
   >> situations like a parking garage would be a real challenge tho.   
   >   
   > Again, such a future is a fool's dream.  Like I said, if I work on the   
   > 20th floor, it makes no sense for me to have a flying car that forces me   
   > land it and park some distance away, walk to my building, and then get   
   > in an elevator to get me back up into the sky.  That's stupid thinking   
   > that fails to actually do the world building exercises that create a   
   > believable future.   
      
   A much more believable future for the work situation would   
   be full telecommuting where you never actually leave home   
   at all even for full 'meetings' of lots of people at work etc.   
      
   Same for the shopping, no need to ever visit any store,   
   even to make sure the item fits etc.   
      
   Tho presumably most would still want to leave home   
   occasionally even say for just a meal out etc.   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)