[nabs-l] Google car takes to the streets

Fri Apr 12 12:54:04 UTC 2013

I would drive one of these in a heartbeat. I hate the bus! I am 49 and have
been ridng the bus since I was 12. I am frustrated it takes me 2 or more
hours to get somewhere that takes 20-30 minutes by car. And this has been
both in San Diego and Phoenix with buses running every 20-30 minutes I
almost always end up with 2 hour trips each way.  It is frustrating to only
be able to apply to a company who is on a bus route. I want the freedom to
work where I would enjoy myself the most and with the position that matches
my skill best. I also live in Phoenix (for now) and by the time I get
anywhere I am dripping in sweat. that is not good when going to work. Give
me a Google car!!

On Fri, Apr 12, 2013 at 4:09 AM, christopher nusbaum <
dotkid.nusbaum at gmail.com> wrote:

> Kirt,
>
> I agree with you. Before we make any judgments on the Google car, we
> must remember that it is still in the planning stages and that  all
> Google cars that have been tested so far are no more than prototypes.
> This is evidenced by the need for the Google car to be taken over by
> human driver when it pulls off the highway, as the story which someone
> reposted here mentioned.
>
> Carly, we must also take into account that some blind people don't
> live in areas where public transportation is easily available, such as
> Boston or New York City. I, for instance, live in a semi rural town in
> Maryland, where our only options For public transportation are
> paratransit and a cab service. As you can imagine, neither of these
> options are preferable Because of the cost if not the reliability. For
> this reason, I would love the independence that the Google car might
> give me in this area.
>
> Just my thoughts,
>
> Chris Nusbaum
>
> Sent from my iPhone
>
> On Apr 12, 2013, at 2:41 AM, Kirt Manwaring <kirt.crazydude at gmail.com>
> wrote:
>
> > Patrick,
> >  If it's time they want, I'm willing to give it.  I hope you're
> > right; we'll have to wait and see.  I guess my only point was that
> > this thing isn't right around the corner; while it's realisticly
> > viable now, it's still probably a long ways off before we'll be able
> > to drive.  Where the google car is now is probably comparable to where
> > the internet was thirty or so years ago; people could see the
> > possibilities, it was realistic and people "in the know" were probably
> > aware it was coming...but it still had a long way to go before it was
> > viable to the general public.
> >  And, Patrick, you're probably right that airplane pilots don't have
> > to manually control the plane very much between takeoff and landing.
> > Still, I can almost guarantee you they are paying very close attention
> > in the event something goes wrong.
> >  Carley,
> >  I don't really see anything inherently wrong or undesirable about
> > driving.  In most places it is probably more efficient than public
> > transport.  Of course there are exceptions; New York city comes to
> > mind, for instance.  Still, living where I do now, I would totally
> > jump on the chance to drive if I could and it were realistic and safe,
> > at least most of the time.  That being said, it's far enough away that
> > I'm definitely not going to stop riding my busses and trains any time
> > soon.
> >  Best,
> > Kirt
> >
> > On 4/10/13, justin williams <justin.williams2 at gmail.com> wrote:
> >> Count me in.  I'm driving.   No wait; not driving, drivin.
> >>
> >> -----Original Message-----
> >> From: nabs-l [mailto:nabs-l-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Carly
> >> Mihalakis
> >> Sent: Thursday, April 11, 2013 11:33 PM
> >> To: National Association of Blind Students mailing list; National
> >> Association of Blind Students mailing list
> >> Subject: Re: [nabs-l] Google car takes to the streets
> >>
> >> Hi, List,
> >>
> >> On the other hand, for my whole life I have watched sighted folk seem
> >> to agonize over so much turmoil, and hostility towrd their fellow
> >> man, as they drive. I have always been grateful not having that crap
> >> to contend with. Besides, I am not confident about chances of ever
> >> affording such a car. And, I don't care about the principles personal
> >> cars supposedly afford. Where can they take you that a bus, train, or
> >> friend/driver cannot?
> >>  Ultimately, i believe traveling from point A to point B, oughta be
> >> a communal affair. Leave the driving to ol' Sighty!
> >> So no, on the car!
> >> Car At 06:23 PM 4/11/2013, Sophie Trist wrote:
> >>> I can't wait to see these google cars come out. It will be a major
> >>> milestone in the independence and assimulation of blind people in
> >>> sighted society. My only worry is that the sighties won't trust us
> >>> to drive, even (maybe especially) if the car was
> >>> computer-controlled. Even my boyfriend, who is blind, says he will
> >>> never trust a self-propelled car. Our trouble will be convincing
> >>> them that it's safe for us and for others on the road.
> >>>
> >>> ----- Original Message -----
> >>> From: "Brandon Keith Biggs" <brandonkeithbiggs at gmail.com
> >>> To: "National Association of Blind Students mailing list"
> >> <nabs-l at nfbnet.org
> >>> Date sent: Thu, 11 Apr 2013 14:02:08 -0700
> >>> Subject: Re: [nabs-l] Google car takes to the streets
> >>>
> >>> Hello,
> >>> The reason why the Google Car is Superior is because it is already
> going
> >>> mainstream, it has a major company behind it and there is nothing wrong
> >> with
> >>> backing both cars.
> >>> The big debate will be if people want to drive under their own control
> or
> >>> a
> >>> computers. It is not unlike reading Braille or using a screen reader to
> >> read
> >>> a book. Braille is all fine and dandy, but a screen reader is very
> >>> important. The difference is the Google car is going mainstream and
> will
> >>> have mainstreem support. It would be the same if Jaws went mainstreem
> and
> >>> companies like Google started making units that used Jaws and no
> screen.
> >>> Braille would be useful, but not particularly necessary for most common
> >>> tasks.
> >>> If one used a car on city roads and highways, there would be very
> little
> >>> or
> >>> no need to manually drive. If one wanted to map a long driveway or
> country
> >>> road, one would need to manually drive it till the road could be
> >>> completely
> >>> entered into the database.
> >>> Thanks,
> >>>
> >>> Brandon Keith Biggs
> >>> -----Original Message-----
> >>> From: Sophie Trist
> >>> Sent: Thursday, April 11, 2013 1:37 PM
> >>> To: National Association of Blind Students mailing list
> >>> Subject: Re: [nabs-l] Google car takes to the streets
> >>>
> >>> Brandon, I totally 100% agree!!! However, didn't the NFB invent a
> >>> self-propelled car of sorts? If so, it might be hard to convince
> >>> them to back the google car unless we can prove theirs is
> >>> superior.
> >>>
> >>> ----- Original Message -----
> >>> From: "Brandon Keith Biggs" <brandonkeithbiggs at gmail.com
> >>> To: "National Association of Blind Students mailing list"
> >>> <nabs-l at nfbnet.org
> >>> Date sent: Thu, 11 Apr 2013 10:05:01 -0700
> >>> Subject: Re: [nabs-l] Google car takes to the streets
> >>>
> >>> Hello,
> >>> Yes in a way, the logistics of liability still need to be taken
> >>> into account
> >>> I'm sure and licensing probably still needs to be worked out, but
> >>> if the
> >>> government officials are pushed, it will happen very soon.
> >>> I think the NFB should push for these quite hard. Perhaps they
> >>> could even
> >>> ask that a car come to the convention, I think Google would take
> >>> the
> >>> challenge.
> >>> Thanks,
> >>>
> >>> Brandon Keith Biggs
> >>> -----Original Message-----
> >>> From: Justin Young
> >>> Sent: Thursday, April 11, 2013 9:13 AM
> >>> To: National Association of Blind Students mailing list
> >>> Subject: Re: [nabs-l] Google car takes to the streets
> >>>
> >>> So does this mean these vehicles will soon be on the market for
> >>> individuals to purchase in Nevada?  Sounds like a very
> >>> interesting
> >>> project.
> >>>
> >>> On 4/11/13, Robert William Kingett <kingettr at gmail.com> wrote:
> >>> Google's self-driven cars will soon be appearing on Nevada roads
> >>> after
> >>> the state's Department of Motor Vehicles approved on Monday the
> >>> nation's
> >>> first autonomous vehicle license.
> >>>
> >>> The move came after officials rode along on drives on highways,
> >>> in
> >>> Carson City neighborhoods and along the famous Las Vegas Strip,
> >>> the
> >>> Nevada DMV said in a statement.
> >>>
> >>> The Nevada legislature last year authorized self-driven cars for
> >>> the
> >>> state's roads, the first such law in the United States. That law
> >>> went
> >>> into effect on March 1, 2012.
> >>>
> >>> Google's self-driven cars rely on video cameras, radar sensors,
> >>> lasers,
> >>> and a database of information collected from manually driven
> >>> cars to
> >>> help navigate, according to the company.
> >>>
> >>> The DMV licensed a Toyota Prius that Google modified with its
> >>> experimental driver-less technology, developed by Stanford
> >>> professor and
> >>> Google Vice President Sebastian Thrun.
> >>>
> >>> Google's self-driving cars have crossed the Golden Gate Bridge
> >>> and
> >>> driven along the picturesque Pacific Coast Highway, according to
> >>> the
> >>> company.
> >>>
> >>> Autonomous vehicles are the "car of the future," Nevada DMV
> >>> director
> >>> Bruce Breslow said in a statement. The state also has plans to
> >>> eventually license autonomous vehicles owned by the members of
> >>> the
> >>> public, the DMV said.
> >>>
> >>> Legislation to regulate autonomous cars is being considered in
> >>> other
> >>> states, including Google's home state of California.
> >>>
> >>> "The vast majority of vehicle accidents are due to human error.
> >>> Through
> >>> the use of computers, sensors and other systems, an autonomous
> >>> vehicle
> >>> is capable of analyzing the driving environment more quickly and
> >>> operating the vehicle more safely," California state Senator
> >>> Alex
> >>> Padilla said in March when he introduced that state's autonomous
> >>> car
> >>> legislation.
> >>>
> >>> Other car companies are also seeking self-driven car licenses in
> >>> Nevada,
> >>> the DMV said.
> >>>
> >>>
> >>> _______________________________________________
> >>> nabs-l mailing list
> >>> nabs-l at nfbnet.org
> >>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nabs-l_nfbnet.org
> >>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account
> >>> info for
> >>> nabs-l:
> >>>
> >>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nabs-l_nfbnet.org/jty727%40gmai
> >>> l.com
> >>>
> >>>
> >>> _______________________________________________
> >>> nabs-l mailing list
> >>> nabs-l at nfbnet.org
> >>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nabs-l_nfbnet.org
> >>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info
> >>> for
> >>> nabs-l:
> >>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nabs-l_nfbnet.org/brandonkeithb
> >>> iggs%40gmail.com
> >>>
> >>>
> >>> _______________________________________________
> >>> nabs-l mailing list
> >>> nabs-l at nfbnet.org
> >>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nabs-l_nfbnet.org
> >>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info
> >>> for nabs-l:
> >>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nabs-l_nfbnet.org/sweetpeareade
> >>> r%40gmail.com
> >>>
> >>> _______________________________________________
> >>> nabs-l mailing list
> >>> nabs-l at nfbnet.org
> >>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nabs-l_nfbnet.org
> >>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
> >>> nabs-l:
> >>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nabs-l_nfbnet.org/brandonkeithb
> >>> iggs%40gmail.com
> >>>
> >>>
> >>> _______________________________________________
> >>> nabs-l mailing list
> >>> nabs-l at nfbnet.org
> >>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nabs-l_nfbnet.org
> >>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
> >> nabs-l:
> >>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nabs-l_nfbnet.org/sweetpeareade
> >>> r%40gmail.com
> >>>
> >>> _______________________________________________
> >>> nabs-l mailing list
> >>> nabs-l at nfbnet.org
> >>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nabs-l_nfbnet.org
> >>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
> >> nabs-l:
> >>>
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nabs-l_nfbnet.org/carlymih%40comcast.net
> >>
> >>
> >> _______________________________________________
> >> nabs-l mailing list
> >> nabs-l at nfbnet.org
> >> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nabs-l_nfbnet.org
> >> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
> >> nabs-l:
> >>
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nabs-l_nfbnet.org/justin.williams2%40gmail
> >> .com
> >>
> >>
> >> _______________________________________________
> >> nabs-l mailing list
> >> nabs-l at nfbnet.org
> >> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nabs-l_nfbnet.org
> >> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
> >> nabs-l:
> >>
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nabs-l_nfbnet.org/kirt.crazydude%40gmail.com
> >
> > _______________________________________________
> > nabs-l mailing list
> > nabs-l at nfbnet.org
> > http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nabs-l_nfbnet.org
> > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
> nabs-l:
> >
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nabs-l_nfbnet.org/dotkid.nusbaum%40gmail.com
>
> _______________________________________________
> nabs-l mailing list
> nabs-l at nfbnet.org
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nabs-l_nfbnet.org
> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
> nabs-l:
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nabs-l_nfbnet.org/sgermano%40asu.edu
>