This is a bit of a bizarre argument (in the article), despite that I agree with the conclusion. Like she is talking about all of the ‘human connection’ she has gotten through taxi/uber drivers, and all of the examples that she gives are of people who had to turn to taxi/uber driving out of desperation because their actual career path fell out from under them. I’m sure it makes for some interesting conversations, but is that really what we should be dreaming of? Having more opportunities for people to talk to about how they’re forced to drive uber because capitalism sucks?
I think she is poorly wording an idea that I’ve been talking about for a minute: the death of the cottage industry.
The avenues for a temporary gig are diminishing. You can’t drive uber or make store deliveries if a robot does it cheaper, you can’t sell weed if it’s legal everywhere, and you can’t even stand outside Home Depot and get picked up as a builder if the powers that be are arresting people and enforcing trespassing laws. We don’t live in the 1930’s anymore—you can’t make ends meet by pickling your backyard vegetables. Unless you’re a hot chick who is willing to sell her nudes on OF, then there aren’t really many options for the unemployed to survive.
The human connection is great and all, but the bigger thing she learned was that those drivers needed that opportunity to drive so they could meet their expenses. It still isn’t enough, but something is still better than nothing.
I appreciate that perspective, Weird! It’s certainly true that this is tragic in its own way.
Jokes on you, i also dont like people
Same here, and being in charge of them is the last thing I want.
I like people in theory
I disagree. I love people. I want a self driving car with swiveling captain seats in the front so you can spin around and be sitting around a table, having a pint with your friends after locking out human control, on your way to wherever you’re going.
Ooooo and to save on fuel we could chain some cars together, maybe even put them on a steel rail for less friction. Maybe the cars that go really far could even have beds and sections where you can get drinks/food and go to the bathroom.
Could have smaller versions of them underground too, like some kind of weird tunnel car automated system
Dropping a self driving car on existing roads is much cheaper than building out infrastructure for trains and subs, especially in most of car dependent America. Also there are still plenty of situations where those can’t get close enough to your source/destination especially if you’re elderly or disabled.
I’m not against railed transportation (quite the opposite, I love it and would like to see more of it), but I also am pragmatic and understand that, just like a train would never be used to cross the ocean, there are quite a few applications where rails don’t solve the “last mile” problem.
I don’t think we should solve the last mile problem until the very very trivial first 80% is solved.
Agree that cars are easier to slap down of course.
I love tech wizardry too but can’t stand where the Techbros are trying to take us all for their egos and profit.
It’s strange that people who like people haven’t managed to rally people behind making a society for the people.
Even if they can be simplified down when speaking abstractly, there are so many reasons for that when speaking practically, it’s hard to know where to start. :/
Just name three, please.
Paywalled.
Not true. Those people make tools. Even those who had jobs riding oxen ended up preferring tractors.
