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Waymo robotaxis are now giving rides on freeways in LA, SF and Phoenix

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Re: Waymo robotaxis are now giving rides on freeways in LA, SF and Phoenix

#281

Post by Yizahi »

gs17 wrote: post #38
tintor wrote: post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

[flagged]

That's a great way to make them targets for vandalism. I'm in a city they're about to get in to (Nashville), and if the snitch-mobile tattled on everyone (the highways here that are officially 55 are "really" 75 with some exceptions, and going the speed limit can end up being more dangerous), sensors would start getting bullet holes. Of course, unlike the normal car break-ins here, the cops might do something about t…

Does speed cameras not exist in the USA? If I were to drive 30% faster above the limit regularly, I would go broke over here, across the pond.

Re: Waymo robotaxis are now giving rides on freeways in LA, SF and Phoenix

#282

Post by jsbg »

proee wrote: post #258
mmmlinux wrote: post #28

I was in SF a few weekend ago and rode both Waymo and normal Lyft style taxi cars. the Waymo was a better experience in every single way. One of the Lyfts i was in drove on the shoulder for a while like it was a lane. The Waymos were just smooth consistent driving. No aggressive driving to get you dumped off so they can get to the next fair.

So it might come down to how many "9s" you're comfortable with. The experience is really good 99.999% of the time until it's not, and that "not" could be catastrophic. I suppose the data engineers are quite confident in the 9s.

How many 9s does lyft guarantee?

Re: Waymo robotaxis are now giving rides on freeways in LA, SF and Phoenix

#283

Post by jimmydddd »

dec0dedab0de wrote: post #228
mmmlinux wrote: post #28

I was in SF a few weekend ago and rode both Waymo and normal Lyft style taxi cars. the Waymo was a better experience in every single way. One of the Lyfts i was in drove on the shoulder for a while like it was a lane. The Waymos were just smooth consistent driving. No aggressive driving to get you dumped off so they can get to the next fair.

I feel like I won the lottery whenever I have an aggressive driver that knows the city well. It makes me wonder if breaking the law will be the main value proposition of human drivers at some point.

In NY city, I've noticed that taxi drivers will get agressive when we are stuck in traffic. They will start honking, yelling, or changing from one almost stopped lane to another almost stopped lane. I always thought it was theatrical, to show me that they were trying hard, and not just letting the fee increase while they sat stopped in traffic.

Re: Waymo robotaxis are now giving rides on freeways in LA, SF and Phoenix

#284

Post by mdorazio »

holler wrote: post #65
mmmlinux wrote: post #28

I was in SF a few weekend ago and rode both Waymo and normal Lyft style taxi cars. the Waymo was a better experience in every single way. One of the Lyfts i was in drove on the shoulder for a while like it was a lane. The Waymos were just smooth consistent driving. No aggressive driving to get you dumped off so they can get to the next fair.

I had my first waymo ride in Austin recently and it suddenly slowed down to 20mph in 40mph zone for 5+ mins before returning to normal speed. Cars were passing around us and it felt like the car was glitching out, which felt very sketchy.

Are you sure it was actually a 40mph zone in that section? Austin has plenty of school and construction zones with lower speed limits that most drivers completely ignore.

Re: Waymo robotaxis are now giving rides on freeways in LA, SF and Phoenix

#285

Post by HPsquared »

treis wrote: post #179
ericmcer wrote: post #60

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It must be interesting being an Uber driver right now and literally watching the robots that will replace you driving around with you. This has been a 15+ year process and will probably take a few more years. I don't feel too bad if they didn't manage to pivot in that time period.

It's interesting that we're on the cusp of a major change in our world and no one is really talking about it. Self driving cars will have a profound impact on society. Everything from real estate to logistics will be impacted.

Looking forward to when they get rid of traffic lights and the networked cars just whiz through and avoid hitting each other. They'll also seamlessly zip lanes together on the highway, and traffic waves will be a thing of the past. Maybe China will do it first.

Re: Waymo robotaxis are now giving rides on freeways in LA, SF and Phoenix

#286

Post by jeffbee »

macintux wrote: post #239
JumpCrisscross wrote: post #209

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Normal human drivers tend to lift off the gas and only brake when they decide that just lifting won't do Don't EVs light up the brake lights when regenerative braking engages?

As best as I can tell, not universally. I'm rather obsessive about watching brake lights around me; my state doesn't have safety inspections, so I try my best to alert other drivers when they have brake lights out. I've definitely observed Teslas coming to a halt, and the brake lights only kick on at the very end. I don't know how widespread the problem is, but it's very annoying.

Yes this unfortunately varies by make and model. My Honda pretty much hits the lights whenever the vehicle decelerates. Others can come to a dead halt without the lights.

Re: Waymo robotaxis are now giving rides on freeways in LA, SF and Phoenix

#287

Post by nradov »

SoftTalker wrote: post #262
nradov wrote: post #224

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Really? I fly a lot and Part 121 commercial airliners seem to be pretty well maintained.

Very few airliners depart in perfect working order. There is a "MEL" (minimum equipment list) that details which systems can be inop and still operate the flight.

None of that stuff really impacts safety. They're not leaving the gate with under inflated tires or expired engine oil.

Re: Waymo robotaxis are now giving rides on freeways in LA, SF and Phoenix

#288

Post by tialaramex »

SoftTalker wrote: post #262
nradov wrote: post #224

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Really? I fly a lot and Part 121 commercial airliners seem to be pretty well maintained.

Very few airliners depart in perfect working order. There is a "MEL" (minimum equipment list) that details which systems can be inop and still operate the flight.

Sure, however that's why there's a minimum. The problem is that lots of GA aeroplanes aren't that well maintained.

People aren't on the whole suicidal, they're not going to go up in a plane they expect to kill them, but they absolutely will push their luck in privately owned planes and statistically that doesn't end well. Go see the figures for yourself, inadequate maintenance isn't first on the list for why GA crash rates are too high, but it's on there.

Re: Waymo robotaxis are now giving rides on freeways in LA, SF and Phoenix

#289

Post by andsoitis »

astrange wrote: post #226
Swizec wrote: post #59

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> I don't know if I trust Waymo cars with my life, but at least there are SOME standards, compared to the natural variance of humans I’ve ridden in a lot of Waymos – 800km I’m told! – and they’re great. The bit that impresses me most is that they drive like a confident city driver. Already in the intersection and it turns red? Floor it out of the way! Light just turned yellow and you don’t have time to stop? Continue…

I did have one drive straight through a big pothole in LA once, and I also felt like it chose extremely boring routes. But neither of those are very surprising. Oh, and it doesn't like to pull into hotel entrances but instead stops randomly on the street outside it.

> and I also felt like it chose extremely boring routes

$$ opportunity: pay $10 extra and Waymo will choose more exciting route.

Re: Waymo robotaxis are now giving rides on freeways in LA, SF and Phoenix

#290

Post by saalweachter »

s1mon wrote: post #10

How will Waymos handle speed limits on highways? In the city, they seem to stick to the rules. A large percentage of drivers in the bay area, including non-emergency police, drive well above the legal limit regularly. Unless Waymo sticks to the slow lane, it's going to be a weird issue.

It always blows my mind how aghast some people are at the idea of driving the speed limit. How dangerous they make it sound!

My dudes, I have been driving the speed limit, even on freeways, for decades.

Nothing bad happens. Your car doesn't explode. You don't instantly create thousand-car pileups.

You get passed slightly more often than when you are speeding. You pass fewer cars. You get to your destination a few minutes later.

A car going the speed limit on the freeway is not a problem.

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