Xceler8x
Xceler8x GRM+ Memberand SuperDork
10/12/10 3:18 p.m.

I'm joking about the socialist part but Google does have robot driven cars that have driven some serious roads.

Roads like "San Francisco’s pretzel-twisty Lombard Street to Big Sur’s narrow, cliff-hugging Highway One."

Secrets of Google's Robo-Car

My grassroots solution is called a wife. She warns me when I'm going to fast, about to miss a turn, should ask for directions....etc....etc....should've listened...etc...etc...

mndsm
mndsm Dork
10/12/10 3:44 p.m.

My wife has learned one thing about riding with me. BE QUIET. I'm more likely to drive erratically and hit cars and do stupid stuff when you're in the passenger seat warning me about cars in other lanes. I know how to drive... there's a reason you've wrecked more cars than me.....

16vCorey
16vCorey SuperDork
10/12/10 3:48 p.m.
mndsm wrote: My wife has learned one thing about riding with me. BE QUIET. I'm more likely to drive erratically and hit cars and do stupid stuff when you're in the passenger seat warning me about cars in other lanes. I know how to drive... there's a reason you've wrecked more cars than me.....

I've tried to tell my gf that, to no avail. She's been in more wrecks than I can count, I've been in two, and both of them I was sitting at a stop light with no where to go. If you listened to her while I was driving you'd think I was the worst driver in the world. I've considered tranquilizing her when we go anywhere.

mndsm
mndsm Dork
10/12/10 3:54 p.m.
16vCorey wrote:
mndsm wrote: My wife has learned one thing about riding with me. BE QUIET. I'm more likely to drive erratically and hit cars and do stupid stuff when you're in the passenger seat warning me about cars in other lanes. I know how to drive... there's a reason you've wrecked more cars than me.....
I've tried to tell my gf that, to no avail. She's been in more wrecks than I can count, I've been in two, and both of them I was sitting at a stop light with no where to go. If you listened to her while I was driving you'd think I was the worst driver in the world. I've considered tranquilizing her when we go anywhere.

Tinted windows work wonders. She can't see squat through em.

pilotbraden
pilotbraden Reader
10/12/10 4:00 p.m.
mndsm wrote:
16vCorey wrote:
mndsm wrote: My wife has learned one thing about riding with me. BE QUIET. I'm more likely to drive erratically and hit cars and do stupid stuff when you're in the passenger seat warning me about cars in other lanes. I know how to drive... there's a reason you've wrecked more cars than me.....
I've tried to tell my gf that, to no avail. She's been in more wrecks than I can count, I've been in two, and both of them I was sitting at a stop light with no where to go. If you listened to her while I was driving you'd think I was the worst driver in the world. I've considered tranquilizing her when we go anywhere.
Tinted windows work wonders. She can't see squat through em.

Blue tint with orange glasses, if I recall will make it impossible to see through the window.

mtn
mtn SuperDork
10/12/10 4:28 p.m.
16vCorey wrote:
mndsm wrote: My wife has learned one thing about riding with me. BE QUIET. I'm more likely to drive erratically and hit cars and do stupid stuff when you're in the passenger seat warning me about cars in other lanes. I know how to drive... there's a reason you've wrecked more cars than me.....
I've tried to tell my gf that, to no avail. She's been in more wrecks than I can count, I've been in two, and both of them I was sitting at a stop light with no where to go. If you listened to her while I was driving you'd think I was the worst driver in the world. I've considered tranquilizing her when we go anywhere.

Sounds like my girlfriend, and a recent fight we got into.

mad_machine
mad_machine GRM+ Memberand SuperDork
10/12/10 6:52 p.m.

I will be impressed with the google cars when they can survive rushhour on the New Jersey Turnpike

internetautomart
internetautomart SuperDork
10/12/10 6:57 p.m.

wife knows to shut up or GTFO!

93celicaGT2
93celicaGT2 SuperDork
10/13/10 6:50 a.m.

My girlfriend doesn't really say a whole lot pertaining to my driving, but it is fun to watch her tense up whenever she has it in her head that i'm about to rear end someone.

Which... is amusing. Mostly because i drive like a grandma, and SHE'S the king of late braking.

4cylndrfury
4cylndrfury SuperDork
10/13/10 8:25 a.m.

yep...swmbo has been in a dozen...literally... wrecks, one including rear ending an unmarked spook. Every morning she has the audacity to warn me to be careful because I am the lunatic...how many wrecks have I caused? goose egg. shes caused more accidents than a football teams offense. puh-leez

vwcorvette
vwcorvette GRM+ Memberand Reader
10/13/10 8:57 a.m.

My ex used to complain about the rate of my driving due to the cost of the tickets, etc. However, I typically fight them and get them lowered or dismissed. She on the other hand had a record of hitting things. I asked our then Insurance agent who's ranking was better. Mine.

My boss at the time said it best, "So basically you drive faster, but she just hits things?!?!" She was not amused. Probably one of the reason's she's an ex!

16vCorey
16vCorey SuperDork
10/13/10 9:17 a.m.

The funny thing is, she trusts my skills enough that if we're running late for something, I'll tell her to close her eyes and I'll get us there in time. It's just when we're not in a hurry she has to critique every move I make. I can understand though, she's been in enough wrecks that she's a little gun shy. Doesn't make it any less annoying though.

kreb
kreb GRM+ Memberand Dork
10/13/10 10:39 a.m.

FWIW, statistically women get in slightly more accidents per mile driven, but men get in more severe accidents, so all this anecdotal stuff is just that - purely personal.

As far as Google-directed cars go, it's just one more way that Google and AI is creeping me out. I don't want flesh to be obsolete!

Xceler8x
Xceler8x GRM+ Memberand SuperDork
10/13/10 4:41 p.m.
mad_machine wrote: I will be impressed with the google cars when they can survive rushhour on the New Jersey Turnpike

Supposedly, it ain't that far off! The Pacific Coast highway is windy. It's not stuffed with aggressive traffic like the NJ pike or Philly but still pretty treacherous.

My kids are going to be like "AW Dad! Just let the car drive in DC traffic! No need to stress yourself out." "You kids just ain't right. Trusting this technology around such murderous drivers. That's too close to suicide for my retired butt. I ain't lived this long... ..."

Toyman01
Toyman01 GRM+ Memberand SuperDork
10/13/10 5:10 p.m.

My wife used to complain about my driving until she figured out every time she opened her mouth I got a little faster. I haven't heard a peep out of her in twenty years.

nickel_dime
nickel_dime Dork
10/14/10 10:55 a.m.

On one of the early dates with the new G/F she came out while I was instructing at VIR. After riding a few laps around the track she has never said a word about my driving on the street. Her mother on the other hand........

skruffy
skruffy SuperDork
10/14/10 11:50 a.m.

On topic, I'd love a robot driven car. Yeah, I like to drive at a track day or on a fun, twisty, deserted road, but for the everyday drone down the highway in traffic I'd rather be reading or sleeping or something.

Autonomous cars will be awesome. No more wrecks, traffic, etc... Take the average dumbass out of the equation of driving and we'll all be better off.

skruffy
skruffy SuperDork
10/14/10 12:01 p.m.
nickel_dime wrote: On one of the early dates with the new G/F she came out while I was instructing at VIR. After riding a few laps around the track she has never said a word about my driving on the street. Her mother on the other hand........

Yep, once you get someone out on the track with you they'll believe you when you say "I know exactly where the limit is with this car, I'm using about 25% of what it can do. Trust me, you're safe." You also have to remember that 25% of track speed in a corner will still be 10x faster than your average commuter has ever gone around a corner, and it is going to make them uncomfortable. Also, while most people really freak out at 100mph, it's warm up lap speed for us.

You can't get too pissed though, you have to remember that most people have no formal driving education whatsoever, and are doing the best they can to pilot a very fast and complicated vehicle without the tools they really need to do so.

racerfink
racerfink HalfDork
10/14/10 3:20 p.m.
skruffy wrote: Autonomous cars will be awesome. No more wrecks, traffic, etc... Take the average dumbass out of the equation of driving and we'll all be better off.

Til some 13 year old in China hacks the system.

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