I will note that the emphasis has been to make taxis self driving, which they are manifestly not ready for. City traffic is too complicated and unpredictable for an algorithm to safely navigate. OTOH, long distance trucking over interstates, with it's more controlled environment, and attention sapping distances are much more suited to self driving. But the driver is a much bigger percentage of the expense in a taxi, and so despite the safety problems, that is where the effort has gone.
"Obeying the law interferes with maximizing profits" says oligarch.
"Oh, we forgot to mention that go fuck yourself"
--Capitalism
They're rolling them out in the Greater Boston Massachusetts area soon.
https://www.universalhub.com/2026/secret-resting-spot-waymo-robocabs
Be afraid Bostonians. Be very afraid.
I hate having to "like" this comment.
But also: are you fucking serious??
If they do this I am going to
[comment deleted by author for possible legal purposes]
"Expecting us not to pound on the lights and cameras of your robotaxis with a bike lock is also too high of a bar." -- Cyclists
Or, more entertainingly and less illegally, just carry a stack of traffic cones to immobilize any Waymo that stops in a bike lane.
Now this right here is a strategy I can get behind :-)
I will note that the emphasis has been to make taxis self driving, which they are manifestly not ready for. City traffic is too complicated and unpredictable for an algorithm to safely navigate. OTOH, long distance trucking over interstates, with it's more controlled environment, and attention sapping distances are much more suited to self driving. But the driver is a much bigger percentage of the expense in a taxi, and so despite the safety problems, that is where the effort has gone.
"long distance trucking over interstates, with it's more controlled environment, and attention sapping distances are much more suited to self driving"
Fuck! That! Shit!