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i'm not opposed to spending or investing billions into mass transit such as high speed rail that connects all major cities. And subways to further reduce congestion in the cities.
But private cars, autonomous or not, will always be here.
I have a corvette, others have Porsche or trucks. We are not going to give up our POVs for some ugly ass autonomous vehicle, ever.
There is nothing sacred about being able to own a car. It's not in the US Constitution.
In this era of mass transit, Uber, Lyft, etc. the private car is on its way to being obsolete. All that is needed is a good legislative kick in the pants to send the privately-owned vehicle on its way.
The benefits would be multifarious. We would not need to have scores of different models and makes. Young males would no longer feel a need to have a model that can do 200 MPH to impress the ladies. It would generally eliminate the 'keeping up with the Joneses' problem when it comes to vehicles. Instead, automobiles could be engineered for maximum environmental friendliness.
We have already as a country seen fit to highly regulate cars. Airbags, seatbelts, etc. are now mandatory. Police spend much of their time issuing tickets for driving violations. This would just be taking the next step.
I am not an engineer, but it seems obvious that when autonomous vehicles come along, it will be much better if today's non-autonomous vehicles can be eliminated. The AVs will be able to readily able to communicate with each other, as machines, but the non-AVs will present a problem. They will be like beetles in an ant colony, causing nothing but problems. What do you think?
Young males “ feel a need to have a model than can do 200mPH to impress the ladies” ?
Rural areas are served by publicly-owned roads. Why not also publicly-owned vehicles? Does the fact that the roads are publicly-owned inhibit your travel? If not then why would publicly owned vehicles too?
But this is why I included option 2 of the poll. If you can show a need, you could still get a permit to own a private vehicle. I am not averse to reasonable compromise on these things.
Part of me is curious what you think about privately owned and operated aircraft. Another part of me doesn’t care.
They will be like beetles in an ant colony, causing nothing but problems. What do you think?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Workin_Hard
I don’t wish to live in an ant colony, even a well functioning one.
Is that what you aspire to?
No, that is just an analogy. Analogies are not meant to be taken literally.
Once autonomous vehicles come along (and they are already in service for industrial use), manually operated vehicles will be a problem. The AVs, as computerized machines, will be readily able to communicate with each other and cooperate. Human-driven vehicles, not so much. What are we going to do, surgically implant a USB connector into our heads?
When AV's come along, your vehicle will just be another cog in the grid, and there will be no more need for a privately-owned vehicle, any more than there is now a need for privately-owned roads. I for one find the prospect incredibly liberating.
They just shouldn't be given so much preference in infrastructure spending.
To drive my car on the road I pay:
Fuel taxes, part of which goes to mass transit at both the federal and state level. In my state it's also used for substantial portion of the State Police budget.
Registration fees.
License fees
Title transfer fees
Sales tax on the vehicle which could rival the fuel tax if it's bought and sold three times.
If I park my car in Philly at public parking half the money is equally split between the city and school district.
Then there is $25 speeding ticket that morphs into $150 after all the fees are added on.
Those are some of the things I directly contribute. Indirectly there is the tax revenue from the parts store, garage, dealerships, car manufactures, oil companies and all of their employees.
In total this is an enormous revenue stream and the infrastructure required to drive my car should get preference.
There is nothing sacred about being able to own a car. It's not in the US Constitution.
In this era of mass transit, Uber, Lyft, etc. the private car is on its way to being obsolete. All that is needed is a good legislative kick in the pants to send the privately-owned vehicle on its way.
The benefits would be multifarious. We would not need to have scores of different models and makes. Young males would no longer feel a need to have a model that can do 200 MPH to impress the ladies. It would generally eliminate the 'keeping up with the Joneses' problem when it comes to vehicles. Instead, automobiles could be engineered for maximum environmental friendliness.
We have already as a country seen fit to highly regulate cars. Airbags, seatbelts, etc. are now mandatory. Police spend much of their time issuing tickets for driving violations. This would just be taking the next step.
I am not an engineer, but it seems obvious that when autonomous vehicles come along, it will be much better if today's non-autonomous vehicles can be eliminated. The AVs will be able to readily able to communicate with each other, as machines, but the non-AVs will present a problem. They will be like beetles in an ant colony, causing nothing but problems. What do you think?
Says the person not from this country, let alone continent...
There is nothing sacred about being able to own a car. It's not in the US Constitution.
In this era of mass transit, Uber, Lyft, etc. the private car is on its way to being obsolete. All that is needed is a good legislative kick in the pants to send the privately-owned vehicle on its way.
The benefits would be multifarious. We would not need to have scores of different models and makes. Young males would no longer feel a need to have a model that can do 200 MPH to impress the ladies. It would generally eliminate the 'keeping up with the Joneses' problem when it comes to vehicles. Instead, automobiles could be engineered for maximum environmental friendliness.
We have already as a country seen fit to highly regulate cars. Airbags, seatbelts, etc. are now mandatory. Police spend much of their time issuing tickets for driving violations. This would just be taking the next step.
I am not an engineer, but it seems obvious that when autonomous vehicles come along, it will be much better if today's non-autonomous vehicles can be eliminated. The AVs will be able to readily able to communicate with each other, as machines, but the non-AVs will present a problem. They will be like beetles in an ant colony, causing nothing but problems. What do you think?
You want the government - the same government that is incapable of balancing a budget, the same government that is filled with extraneous and useless personnel - to be in charge of transportation for the entire country?
No, that is just an analogy. Analogies are not meant to be taken literally.
Once autonomous vehicles come along (and they are already in service for industrial use), manually operated vehicles will be a problem. The AVs, as computerized machines, will be readily able to communicate with each other and cooperate. Human-driven vehicles, not so much. What are we going to do, surgically implant a USB connector into our heads?
When AV's come along, your vehicle will just be another cog in the grid, and there will be no more need for a privately-owned vehicle, any more than there is now a need for privately-owned roads. I for one find the prospect incredibly liberating.
So you're telling me that some little glorified prius is going to come over pick up me and my saw, take me up in the woods and come back with a cord of firewood?
Or when I want to load up my M1 carbine and my M1 "Grande" and go shooting, I have to take my truck or the Jeep, the prius wouldn't make it 25 feet. Besides it would get lost on those dirt trails and end up driving off a cliff, and I'll have to walk home. I don't think I will be buying a ticket for that crazy train.
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