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Waymo rides cost more than Uber or Lyft and people are paying anyway

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Re: Waymo rides cost more than Uber or Lyft and people are paying anyway

#901

Post by nullc »

socalgal2 wrote: post #556
Simon_O_Rourke wrote: post #176

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Maybe it's my rampant misanthrope leanings, but even in more trivial things like choosing automated kiosks other staffed in CVS, I'm just more comfortable not having to make small talk with a person, worry if they're having a good day or not etc. I'd happily pay 20 percent more to Waymo for that personless experience too.

If the automated systems work I'd use them. Instead, USA systems are designed around trying to prevent theft and they error in the store's favor. I've had those automated systems scream that I haven't put my purchase in the bag. The purchase being single envelope of yeast, too light to measure. So it screams and scream "PLEASE PLACE THE PRODUCT IN THE BAG", "PLEASE PLACE THE PRODUCT IN THE BAG", "PLEASE PLACE THE PRO…

Make it your goal to trip up the machines, then when its losing its mind it's a victory rather than an embarrassment.

Re: Waymo rides cost more than Uber or Lyft and people are paying anyway

#902

Post by tech_ken »

black3r wrote: post #49

my eastern european mind cannot comprehend 2 things: - if the average price per ride is $20.43 and average price per km is $11.22 does it mean that the average ride length is 1.8km? that seems kinda low..., like that's something I would walk if I didn't hurry.. - if the higher prices are really influenced by costs of operating AV and not simple greed fueled by "offering a better product", how long it's gonna take to…

> does it mean that the average ride length is 1.8km? that seems kinda low..., like that's something I would walk if I didn't hurry..

Like 95% of the US is setup to actively discourage walking. As a result the average USian thinks walking to your destination is fundamentally undignified or at best an act of desperation (outside of a few particular circumstances such as being on a college campus or at Disney World). I have once seen a friend (of a friend) call an Uber for a .3km trip (~2.5 city blocks, longwise).

Re: Waymo rides cost more than Uber or Lyft and people are paying anyway

#903

Post by harmmonica »

sagarm wrote: post #887
harmmonica wrote: post #394

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Can you expand on that? Why is it that a vehicle being bigger vs smaller is the distinction? I’m one person but I care about some combo of money/time/distance/comfort. If I could get a cheaper ride from say Houston up to the park rather than having to drive it myself the value prop to me is the same—I don’t have to drive. Heck if the seat on the bike was comfortable enough like a laid-back sport seat in a car I might…

Sounds like you might enjoy a recumbent bicycle. For a "bike" to balance you need a certain level of physical/mental engagement. How much value are you really getting from the self driving aspect, even if it were feasible, at that point? At some point smart-car esque self driving vehicles will likely be possible, but self-driving unenclosed two wheelers? Pointless IMO.

Yeah, you're right, uncle. How about some kind of conveyance that just costs a lot less than a conventional US car? Rhetorical. Not expecting a reply to that.

Re: Waymo rides cost more than Uber or Lyft and people are paying anyway

#904

Post by tech_ken »

eesmith wrote: post #58
black3r wrote: post #49

my eastern european mind cannot comprehend 2 things: - if the average price per ride is $20.43 and average price per km is $11.22 does it mean that the average ride length is 1.8km? that seems kinda low..., like that's something I would walk if I didn't hurry.. - if the higher prices are really influenced by costs of operating AV and not simple greed fueled by "offering a better product", how long it's gonna take to…

I and a friend visited California, ending in San Diego. We figured out we didn't need the rental car for the last few days, so we asked the hotel clerk how to get back from the car dropoff at the airport. "You could Uber ..." but had no suggestion for an alternative. We then looked at the map - https://www.brouter.de/brouter-web/#map=15/32.7236/-117.1779... . It was 2km, all on sidewalks. My friend dropped off the ca…

Walking 2 miles home from the club at 1:45am is such a lovely recovery time for the soul, and it's sad to me that it's so unsafe for much of the population to experience.

Re: Waymo rides cost more than Uber or Lyft and people are paying anyway

#905

Post by jonny_eh »

alistairSH wrote: post #880
jonny_eh wrote: post #754

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You need to enable it on your account.

Exactly - I believe it should be required for safety, limits shenanigans, etc. Apparently, it is required in Puerto Rico, but I don't know if drivers have to enable it themselves or if the app knows where the driver is operating. Are you saying the rider can also turn it on all the time? If so, that's good - I've only ever it seen driver's request it (all in PR, and one in mainland US, everywhere else, no PIN).

Right, YOU need to enable it. I assumed it was always up to the rider, since they're the beneficiary of it.

Re: Waymo rides cost more than Uber or Lyft and people are paying anyway

#906

Post by ghushn3 »

Nasrudith wrote: post #871
ghushn3 wrote: post #450

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why? Why is not "everyone has access" and "wellbeing for everyone" the reward for inventing the future? Why is "that person gets to be extraordinarily wealthy" for inventing the future rather than "we all chipped in so we could all benefit" for inventing the future? If Waymos make the world better and safer and more convenient, why are they not simply something we figure out how to make a public good? In Star Trek yo…

You are referencing fiction unironically as an argument which is a rather worrying sign for your connection to objective reality. You also don't have to worry about logistics in RTSes, but that isn't an argument for revolutionizing military strategy. As for why it isn't something you can figure out how to make a public good? In order for it to truly be a public good you have to either make it as one in the first plac…

> You are referencing fiction unironically as an argument which is a rather worrying sign for your connection to objective reality.

From the parent post: > - this is literally science fiction come to life

Of course I'm going to reference fiction when I'm addressing a comment about how this is science fiction come to life. What are you on about?

Re: Waymo rides cost more than Uber or Lyft and people are paying anyway

#907

Post by throw45643e »

cwalv wrote: post #553
gavinray wrote: post #226

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Exactly, I will pay a premium for not having to deal with a human being in the car with me. It's a dice roll: you could get a very extroverted driver who won't leave you alone, or someone who smells bad, or someone rude, or a distracted driver... Just let me sit in peace, alone with a robot.

How do you feel about public transportation?

They are two different things.

There are enough people on the bus or subway to be able to enforce some type of standard behavior. And if you encounter an unruly person, you can get off at the next stop.

With Uber and Lyft, it’s just you and the driver. You are also limited when you can exit the vehicle.

Re: Waymo rides cost more than Uber or Lyft and people are paying anyway

#908

Post by throw4f543w »

kortilla wrote: post #719
StableAlkyne wrote: post #390

Earlier quoted context omitted.

[Caveat: there aren't many Lyft drivers in my town, so I have only used Uber] The problem is their system extorts you into tipping. If you don't tip, the driver will give you a 1/5 rating. If your rating averages low enough, nobody will pick you up. It's more of a bribe you pay for a good passenger rating than an actual tip. As a result, you're forced to tip if you want to use it long term. Personally, I'm hoping Way…

They have to rate long before you tip/rate.

Drivers have up to two weeks to change passenger ratings. A petty driver could see their passenger tipped and then go back and change the ratings.

Re: Waymo rides cost more than Uber or Lyft and people are paying anyway

#909

Post by fnordpiglet »

rangestransform wrote: post #877
roughly wrote: post #774

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> one has to pay to enter the toilet. I’m not sure what people were expecting when they implemented this policy. There’s plenty of places to pee in the world, a restroom is a request it happens in one particular place.

I would pay for restrooms if they were regularly cleaned and excluded homeless by virtue of their price

The challenge of excluding homeless from bathrooms is they still have to go to the bathroom. I’d rather them use a toilet than on the sidewalk. In SF they had self cleaning bathrooms that would cycle cleaning to ensure it was always sanitary and people couldn’t stay in the bathrooms (I.e., sleep in them).

There often seems to be the idea that if you exclude homeless people from services and accommodation they disappear. They don’t - their impacts on the city become worse.

Re: Waymo rides cost more than Uber or Lyft and people are paying anyway

#910

Post by wooger »

cyberax wrote: post #761
klabb3 wrote: post #699

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> I will likely have my own personal self-driving vehicle. The self-driving car ”utopia” (or rather moderate improvement) very much hinges on the space savings on roadways and parking, to increase utilization, reduce congestion and allow dead space to be reclaimed. If people think like you (no value judgment, I suspect this might be the future norm), then you’ll see almost no change to the urban landscape as a whole.…

Nah. Transit is already a bankrupt transportation mode, cars and a good city design are already superior to transit. The US is far ahead of the curve, it has not fucked itself like Europe with insane housing density. This is clearly seen in the birth rates. Compare the US, Europe, and Japan.

Do you know how many cities and towns in the US and worldwide have been bankrupted by road maintenance costs? It's car-centric design that is not economically viable, but it's subsidised to the hilt by governments, at the expense of far more cost effective transit methods, to the benefit of... Car and oil companies.
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