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Locals reportedly frustrated with Waymo's self-driving cars

cnbc.com

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Re: Locals reportedly frustrated with Waymo's self-driving cars

#21

Post by jclardy »

zamalek wrote: post #12
klodolph wrote: post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm also wondering what part of this is due to them being programmed to follow the letter of the law, instead of driving like other drivers.

As someone who attempts to follow the letter of the law, I experience quite a few incidents of aggressive driving. The complaints here are really just demonstrating how bad humans are at driving - the frustration probably arises due to the fact that they are unable to intimidate the driver in front of them with aggressive behavior. > One woman said that she almost hit one of the company's minivans because it suddenly…

My first thought when reading the "suddenly stopped" quote is that it was probably at a stop light or sign, and the car actually stopped as directed by the law, then proceeded to move forward to turn, versus the progressive rolling stop that nearly everyone does.

Re: Locals reportedly frustrated with Waymo's self-driving cars

#22

Post by scottlegrand2 »

briandear wrote: post #9
crazygringo wrote: post #2

> More than a dozen locals told The Information they they hated the cars I'm sure you could also find more than a dozen locals who hate other human drivers

Totally. On the 280 near the 85 interchange — human drivers apparently think merging involves slowing down to let cars enter rather than the entering cars accelerating to the speed of traffic. Creates this yo-yo effect because Silicon Valley drivers have been badly programmed in how to drive.

And then there are the PITAs on the merging lane who slow down to a stop and wait for an opening. I actually hit someone that way once because this is exactly the opposite of what you're supposeud to do. fortunately, we were both driving big gas guzzler beaters and no damage was done to either car. We joked that they sure don't make them like they used to and went along our merry way.

Ironically, this incident happened on the way to my first day at Google but that's another story. And that story didn't end anywhere near as well when I refused to agree with Jeff Dean that GPUs had no future at Google (2011). Or to paraphrase Jim Croce: "You don't tug on Superman's cape, you don't spit into the wind, you don't pull the mask off that old Lone Ranger and you don't disagree with Jeff."

I am guessing some people think the above story is not relevant to this thread but I note that Waymo is owned by the parent company of Google and that those Waymo cars rely heavily on GPUs.

Re: Locals reportedly frustrated with Waymo's self-driving cars

#23

Post by GreaterFool »

US desperately needs self-driving cars. Desperately. I don't think most people realize how much. Because they've never seen a city with good public transport where most people don't own or care about cars. But achieving good public transport in US is impossible for cultural reasons.

So there's no public transport so most expensive areas will fight to the death to keep population density low. Because more people means more cars means more traffic means whole place becomes terrible. End result: cost of living is too high, commutes too long. Not exactly the way I'd like to live.

Re: Locals reportedly frustrated with Waymo's self-driving cars

#25

Post by dwighttk »

jrockway wrote: post #16

I don't think I've ever heard anyone say they like conservative driving. "I would have risked that left turn, so you should have too. The person with the green light would have slowed down to avoid an accident, probably, and I would have gotten to the next red light 10 seconds sooner!" You will also hear this when talking about less-capable drivers ("get off the road, grandma!") or less-capable vehicles ("I hate havi…

>And of course, nobody ever says "you're going 80, the speed limit is 55! slow down!"

incorrect

Re: Locals reportedly frustrated with Waymo's self-driving cars

#26

Post by dfsegoat »

dwighttk wrote: post #25
jrockway wrote: post #16

I don't think I've ever heard anyone say they like conservative driving. "I would have risked that left turn, so you should have too. The person with the green light would have slowed down to avoid an accident, probably, and I would have gotten to the next red light 10 seconds sooner!" You will also hear this when talking about less-capable drivers ("get off the road, grandma!") or less-capable vehicles ("I hate havi…

>And of course, nobody ever says "you're going 80, the speed limit is 55! slow down!" incorrect

Yeah. Totally incorrect: I say it all the time when I am driving my kids around -- or when idiot teenagers rip through my neighborhood where my kids are playing at 35-45 mph (1).. before kids? - Maybe not.

(1) - It's official: I am now a crotchety old man.

Re: Locals reportedly frustrated with Waymo's self-driving cars

#27

Post by wooshy »

dwighttk wrote: post #25
jrockway wrote: post #16

I don't think I've ever heard anyone say they like conservative driving. "I would have risked that left turn, so you should have too. The person with the green light would have slowed down to avoid an accident, probably, and I would have gotten to the next red light 10 seconds sooner!" You will also hear this when talking about less-capable drivers ("get off the road, grandma!") or less-capable vehicles ("I hate havi…

>And of course, nobody ever says "you're going 80, the speed limit is 55! slow down!" incorrect

Agreed. I say this to people I am riding with all the time that are speeding.

Re: Locals reportedly frustrated with Waymo's self-driving cars

#29

Post by rhacker »

wooshy wrote: post #27
dwighttk wrote: post #25

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>And of course, nobody ever says "you're going 80, the speed limit is 55! slow down!" incorrect

Agreed. I say this to people I am riding with all the time that are speeding.

Same here, but his point is still somewhat correct, while not specifically accurate.

Re: Locals reportedly frustrated with Waymo's self-driving cars

#30

Post by jellicle »

klodolph wrote: post #6
syntaxing wrote: post #3

I'm really curious whether this frustration is truly because of the limitation of the technology(which is totally possible) or because of some sort of cognitive bias/confirmation. Would they feel the same frustration if the van had no decals or visible sensors? Are they more frustrated at the cars more than the other drivers? Community "anger" can be really perplexing like how a community of people were complaining a…

I'm also wondering what part of this is due to them being programmed to follow the letter of the law, instead of driving like other drivers.

Has Google (or any other company) ever said "we are programming our cars to follow the letter of the law"? I don't believe so. This seems to be something that programmers and lazy reporters have inferred to be true, without evidence.

For example, it is required in California to signal lane changes/turns for at least 100 feet before the maneuver. (Other states may have different requirements, so better hope your GPS is functioning.) If little Sally runs out into the road and can only be avoided by swerving, heck, even crossing double yellow lines, the letter of the law would be to strike Sally without swerving since the swerve maneuver can't be legally executed. Is that what is being programmed [Y/N]?

Indeed, they are not being programmed to obey the letter of the law:

https://venturebeat.com/2014/08/19/google-cars-are-designed-...

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