Super Smart Cars and Pipesmoking?

[settersbrace]

All the coverage lately on the newfangled auto pilot cars coming onto the scene has many people talking about how cool it will be to just get in their car, give a voice command, buckle up and pass out until they arrive at their destination. I'm thinking the very first consumers to embrace this next wave of intelligent transportation will be the pipe smoker.

Imagine, no more swerve packing or tamping as you negotiate the snow covered mountain passes, no more reaching down to the brake pedal to find that lighter that slipped off the console. You can just sit back, relax, fire up a bowl, turn on some music and crack open a book while the thumb sized computer chip guides you safely to your destination!

Discuss.

 

[alexnorth]

I wouldn't smoke in a new car!

 

[beastkhk]

I currently enjoy the challenge of lighting, tamping, etc. while driving. I feel it keeps me up on my hand eye coordination as I get older.

 

[johnnyreb]

I'll be one who won't use the auto pilot technology for 5 yrs or 15,000 recalls. Whichever comes first!

 

[cosmicfolklore]

This is just the first wave of "humans are too stupid to..." technology. Pretty soon we will be deemed too stupid to plug in an appliance, or change our own oil, or even walk to the store. They've already started to take software away from us and using APPs and cloud based software. I hate this stuff.
I want to drive my own car, using my stick shift and smoke my pipe. If someone is too uncoordinated to smoke a darn pipe and drive, I am in NO WAY getting into the car with that person. It even amazes me that someone would admit that they are that... on a public forum.

 

[settersbrace]

I do hope everyone realizes my OP was strictly tongue in cheek. I agree with Cosmic that the current trend in technology is aimed at protecting us from ourselves. I recall asking a Rep from a Hot Water Manufacturer many years back why they were being forced to change the way they built Hot Water Tanks. His answer was, " the Govt. Is mandating this because the insurance companies are complaining they have to pay out too many homeowner claims due to folks being so dumb as to store their lawn omers and gas cans next to the water heater". They forced us to buy combustion safe products at a much higher MSRP than previous. Automobiles are being built now to protect that same idiotic segment of our population. Oh, and btw, this demographic does not discriminate based on annual income. Some of the stupidest people I've ever seen have more money than brains. Lol.

 

[aldecaker]

Cosmic-

As a commercial aircraft mechanic, the "humans are too stupid to..." stuff started hitting us pretty hard a few years ago. Auto this, auto that, lessen the pilot's workload, etc. I don't think it helps air safety that the list of things the airplane will allow the pilot to do is now shorter than the list of things things they can do!

 

[cosmicfolklore]

What could go wrong?

"Open the pod bay doors, HAL. "

"I'm sorry, Dave. I'm afraid I can't do that. "

 

[settersbrace]

Just like math. When I was in high school the newfangled electronic calculators where strictly prohibited and the reason given was very plain and simple. How the heck are you going to learn to use geometric formulas or Trig functions if you can't work it out on paper? If the "machine" breaks your screwed. Same goes for the English language as it's now taught in schools, I worked with Doctorate and PHD administrators who were totally incapable of composing a memo or email of any substance. There's a reason why so many are yearning to go "off the grid".

 

[huntertrw]

"What could go wrong?"

"Open the pod bay doors, HAL. "

"I'm sorry, Dave. I'm afraid I can't do that. "

Well-played, Sir!, well-played, indeed!

 

[freakiefrog]

You first have to consider the massive infrastructure that would be required to see that be nation wide. My mom's house still has instructions that include turn off the paved road. LOL

 

[allan]

Well, gentlemen, I'm going to have to take a different position.
We are all using the new fangled gadgets every single day. Almost all of us has a smart phone. You don't have to have one, but the convenience is so overwhelming, that, by golly, we use them.
ABS braking is part of almost every car nowadays. Has anyone tried to open a hood of a car lately? I was a hobbyist automechanic who used to stop on the road to help folks who's car stalled out or cars that would not start. I prided myself on getting most of them moving again.
Not anymore.
This is going on in every single segment of our society and is a natural progression.
I can't wait for the google car to be on the road. (naturally, I'd like it fully tested first). The idea that you can ride in a car without driving it (see the movie "time cop") makes my mouth water.
Imagine-no more falling asleep at the wheel-no more drunk drivers-no more stupid accidents.
hey, i can't wait. Call me dumb.

 

[danielplainview]

Not to worry. Even if you don't want to ride in an auto pilot car, you will comply sooner or later. Eventually you'll be taxed into submission for being a danger to others for piloting your own vehicle. Free roaming travel will be a thing of the pass. There will be restricted areas these auto cars will not go. Your car will tell you "I'm sorry prole, this area is reserved for technocrats only. Please remain seated while you are returned to shanty-town."
I'm just being paranoid, I'm sure everything will be sunshine and lollipops.

 

[daimyo]

Self driving cars will replace manual driving in most all situations in the next few decades. Computers do not blink, text, make calls, apply makeup or eat. They can continuously scan dozens of input feeds simultaneously without shifting their attention. These aren't being rushed, it's been 10 years in the making and by the time they are truly at market, they will likely prove to be vastly safer than human drivers have ever been. Currently auto related deaths total around 1.25 million per year so it won't be hard to beat those numbers. I love driving but I hate other drivers for the most part and I think it's sad we have become so accustomed to it being a source of death. Nine out of ten are pure human error and often the errors are glaring and easily avoidable. While I am not suggesting or hoping they make it mandatory, it will simply phase in over time. Manual transmissions are already dying off. Last I had heard they were over 300,000 computer only drives with zero accidents and I've seen them do SF' Lombard St. which is steep, has crazy traffic and plenty of hairpin turns. It's not an if, it's a when. Sitting back and smoking on the drive would suit me just fine.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

Oh, I'm sure the smoke sensors in the auto cars will spray a compartment filling foam to put out our pipes for us, taking our health into consideration, since driving is an unsafe choice, so will smoking our pipes. That is when I will take the Long Walk into the Cursed Earth.

 

[beastkhk]

Yep, I can see a mandate on these similar to what recently happened with backup cameras.
Side note- I really do not like back up cameras(at least on the cars I have tried with them). I actually find them more distracting/dangerous as when I look down and center of the car I lose the peripheral vision as to what is going on outside in front of the car.

 

[daimyo]

Being in the auto industry I can say you are not likely to see anyone pushing them being mandatory for a very long time. But once you have a generation who grew up with them, that might change. Still, it would take one hell of a push to take older cars of the road in this country.

 

[settersbrace]

I, just like the character Red on "That 70's Show" am still extremely pissed that I won't be piloting my very own flying car like our grade school teachers assured us we would be by now! I so want to be able to just jet off to the air mall and get pipe cleaners at the Rite Aid.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

Ha ha, well, I put flying cars, auto cars, and such in the same evolutionary camp as iVapes and eCigs.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

Give me a mule and a cart!!