XPost: rec.arts.sf.written, rec.arts.sf.science   
   From: rod.speed.aaa@gmail.com   
      
   Rod Speed  wrote   
   > Bernard Peek  wrote   
   >> J. Clarke wrote   
      
   >>>> No, I'm using a pod for a single delivery. A pod is closer to an   
   >>>> envelope than it is to a vehicle.   
      
   >>> An envelope doesn't have wheels, an engine, or a control system.  Or are   
   >>> you just using the word "pod" to refer to what is currently called a   
   >>> "box"?  If so, how does your "pod" system change anything?   
      
   >> A pod doesn't have any of those either.   
      
   >> There's no reason in principle that a pod couldn't be the size of a box   
   >> or an envelope. While we're replacing the transport industry it's not   
   >> much more effort to replace the postal services too.   
      
   > What works best for pods that humans can sit in doesn't for a postal   
   > system.   
      
   > I can't see that pods will ever fly, essentially because of the immense   
   > infrastructure cost require and how that has to be funded at a time   
   > when everyone has realised the downsides of immense govt deficits.   
   >   
   > The big advantage of robot cars is that they use the infrastructure   
   > that we already have and we can gradually move from no robot   
   > cars to as many as turns out to be useful with everyone deciding   
   > for themselves if they prefer a robot car or to drive it themselves.   
      
   And it has the massive advantage over public transport that is   
   MUCH more flexible because you can go where you want whenever   
   you want, door to door, particularly when the robot car can deliver   
   you right to the door and park itself somewhere else and come   
   back to the door when you want to use it again.   
      
   I bet that last will completely eliminate the bulk of public transport   
   at the local level and for the daily commute etc combined with a lot   
   more telecommuting and online shopping and robot delivery vans.   
      
   We will still see planes used for longer distance travel, and high speed   
   trains in some of the higher density inter city shorter distance travel,   
   but with robot cars used at each end of the trip.   
      
   And still some use of cruise ships, but not for normal travel.   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)