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Please make a dumb car

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Re: Please make a dumb car

#501

Post by semi-extrinsic »

khazhoux wrote: post #74

Our Volvo doesn't let you adjust the volume when you're in reverse. That means if you're backing out of the garage and the music is blaring -- you can't turn it off! The Volvo UI pops up an almost full-display warning when it can't connect to the phone over bluetooth on startup. This UI takes priority over the rear camera . So I guess it's better to hit Timmy and his puppy when I'm backing out, so long as I know my p…

I had a rental Camaro a couple years ago that would pop up a notification if you were driving a bit spirited that said "Sport Shifting Mode Engaged" or something to that effect. Which was prominently displayed on top of the speedometer.

Re: Please make a dumb car

#502

Post by voakbasda »

titzer wrote: post #491
da_chicken wrote: post #470

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> The only outstanding problem, however, is that American infrastructure has been deliberately designed solely around the car. The problem is that "infrastructure" doesn't just mean roads. It's where houses are. Where schools are. Where food is transported. It's where water and electrical service runs. It's how property is zoned. It's how police, fire, and hospitals are located. It's how municipalities design snow re…

> In many ways, fixing the infrastructure problem in the US means razing the whole continent and starting over. In some places, particularly cities designed around cars (i.e. the last 100 years). Other cities just need things to be upgraded . E.g. I recently moved to Pittsburgh. It's pretty dense in terms of housing and infrastructure--not suburban with big lawns. That's partly because it's hilly. Around here the inv…

One problem with implementing all of those upgrades is that they will be unaffordable for the City, unless they take tax revenues from other areas. But those other areas have their own crumbling infrastructure, so “upgrade” is not a solution that can be applied everywhere equally.

Re: Please make a dumb car

#503

Post by zestyping »

sinab wrote: post #460
afloyd wrote: post #444

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I would absolutely love to ride a bike or say, roller skate to work, but as i live in a stroad infested car dependent mess of a town, that is sadly impractical at best and outright deadly at worst.

I share the same sentiment. Something I've realized recently is that people who complain about car-centrism (myself) often fail to identify ways to start solving these problems. To remedy this, I've been thinking of writing a set of practical posts, sort of a how-to, in which I explore ways to solve these problems. Is that something that would interest you?

I'm quite curious to see what you would have to say! If you do this, please consider commenting again here so I can find it.

Re: Please make a dumb car

#504

Post by milkytron »

mminer237 wrote: post #499
sinab wrote: post #440

What I hate about "car discourse" like this is the apparent blindness to public transportation. Trains, bikes, buses, and street cars solve almost every problem that the author complains about. The only outstanding problem, however, is that American infrastructure has been deliberately designed solely around the car. Those who suggest alternative modes of public transportation are immediately written off as "impracti…

Most people in America want to live in low-traffic suburbs, where public transport absolutely is impractical. The first step to get most people to stop having cars is to convince people that they're wrong for not wanting to raise a family in the inner city.

> Most people in America want to live in low-traffic suburbs

Most people in America also don't know of alternatives because they've been taken away. We don't have to make people want to live in the inner city. We have to show them that driving isn't the only solution to transportation problems.

If you could have a small market in a neighborhood that provides basic necessities, we could probably eliminate a lot of vehicular traffic. But zoning and parking minimums don't allow for that.

Re: Please make a dumb car

#506

Post by tinversenorm »

sinab wrote: post #440

What I hate about "car discourse" like this is the apparent blindness to public transportation. Trains, bikes, buses, and street cars solve almost every problem that the author complains about. The only outstanding problem, however, is that American infrastructure has been deliberately designed solely around the car. Those who suggest alternative modes of public transportation are immediately written off as "impracti…

Agreed, the best way to fix our problems with cars is to invest in public transportation and shifting car users to use bikes/e-bikes.

Re: Please make a dumb car

#507

Post by asdff »

laputan_machine wrote: post #92
viburnum wrote: post #68

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The steering wheel in an F1 car only goes about 220 degrees in either direction (drivers have to keep their hands on the wheel and their arms aren't made of rubber). The steering in a regular car goes about 540 degrees in either direction (one and a half times around). When parallel parking you often have to turn the wheel three whole revolutions. F1 steering https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RVz6IW_wegs&t=45s Tesla st…

Touch-based buttons feels like a huge step backwards. Have we learned nothing from having to use touch phones for the last 12 years, either that or everyone is much better than me at not missing touch inputs

I literally grew up along side ios and I still struggle to select text, copy, and paste. It's just a fundamentally crappy interface.

Re: Please make a dumb car

#508

Post by thaumasiotes »

hahamrfunnyguy wrote: post #476
jhoechtl wrote: post #462

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I do not like to ride a bike at 0 °C. Buses are fine, waiting for the bus at 0 °C not so. But yeah, owning a car which is only used 1% of it's lifetime is pretty laughable and actually prohibitive.

What's wrong with riding a bike in 0 °C weather? When dressed for the weather riding in the cold weather can be quite enjoyable as long as the roads are clear or your bike has appropriate tires.

You need some pretty thick gloves at 0°C.

Also, if you're traveling by bike in freezing weather, you have to be dressed for freezing weather, and you'll be stuck with that during the entire time you spend at your destination.

Re: Please make a dumb car

#509

Post by tinversenorm »

loudtieblahblah wrote: post #478
sinab wrote: post #440

What I hate about "car discourse" like this is the apparent blindness to public transportation. Trains, bikes, buses, and street cars solve almost every problem that the author complains about. The only outstanding problem, however, is that American infrastructure has been deliberately designed solely around the car. Those who suggest alternative modes of public transportation are immediately written off as "impracti…

Trains, bikes, buses, and street cars only solve urban problems. And I know urban environments are overall better for the environment, but they're not better for people's psyche. They're crime ridden. Theyre smog ridden. Theyre awful environments to live in during a pandemic. People were moving into cities until a pandemic struck and riots became commonplace. Then they started to leave with the speed in which they ar…

I think they can also solve quite a few suburban problems. There are many examples of other countries whose suburbs are connected via public transit. And many trips can be done via bike instead of car.

Re: Please make a dumb car

#510

Post by zestyping »

spandrew wrote: post #493

Personally I don't buy this argument to the degree the journalist is spinning it. "No screens anywhere!" is an extreme stance. I enjoy how well CarPlay merges my phone with the display screen (and I enjoy easy music control and turn-by-turn for distance trips). I do overall agree that the controls of modern cars just don't feel 'balanced'. But I don't think an extreme stance like this is going to improve car UX.

What's extreme about it? When you're driving a vehicle you need to keep your eyes on the road.

Putting a screen in the vehicle seems like an extreme stance. It's borderline nuts, even — we have massive campaigns trying to get people to stop looking at their phones while driving.

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