[nabs-l] Google car takes to the streets

[Robert William Kingett]

Well here's what I believe, these are just my beliefs, obviously, and 
general things I've noticed as a blind person.

I don't know about you but I've ever been really early or really late to 
appointments, and more times than not I have had both instances happen. 
I wait for a really long time, sometimes out in the heat or cold because 
the building hasn’t opened up even thoughmade sure to schedule my ride 
for a certain time, or, I'm blubbering and stuttering apologies for my 
tardiness and then explaining that I use public transportation, thus 
taking an excuse for myself even though it's a valid one and one that I 
have to make to my boss,, or in my case, my editor because I didn't get 
to an event on time, thus rendering the story I was going to write 
useless because, a fellow sighted journalist, with his own car has 
independently, and with no reliance, made it there before I have. For 
school I've had to arrive on campus an extra hour earlier because 
Paratransit is so unreliable. Sometimes, even though I scheduled to get 
picked up two hours ahead of time it would take that long to get to 
school, and I have arrived at the start of class. Sometimes, I get there 
within 30 minutes leaving me to wonder around campus for a class that 
didn't start until two hours later. On a personal note I used that time 
to venture around the campus, mental mapping, and also keeping a vigil 
eye out for any sexy black man who could rock my world or even walk me 
to class, if he even shared the same sexual preference as me. LOL. I 
never found my soul mate while wandering around the campus but I knew it 
a lot better than anyone. I did see a lot of good looking straight guys 
though, to which I had fun with my imagination. Ahem, anyway…

On a different scenario… paatransit’s operators have messed up. I won’t 
bore you all with the details but here's the shimmy. They mess up the 
times, even when I use the relay service and the relayoperator repeats 
the times, dates, etc. drivers have left and they didn't get out and 
call my name, etc. you all have been there, so that's all I will say on 
the subject. I don't know about you but I don’t want to have those 
things happen. The Google car is the perfect solution, and by the way, 
it's here, on the market, in Nevada already. What Google is doing me 
installing their software and stuff onto cars made by manufacturers? 
Toyota has three cars equipped and rolling down Nevada streets already. 
Professors use it, etc. I'll send you all coverage on it later, but it's 
here, this want happen in another 20 years from now, because they have 
actually started making the car in 2011, two years ago. The first public 
showing of the car was in 2012. With the cloud and stuff, seriously, it 
updates itself so there isn't much more work needed on the software. 
Everything is cloud based, so I update itself, ahem, through the cloud. 
Smile. If you live in Nevada, You’ve seen a Google car beside you, you 
just haven’t noticed. Very rich people are using these cars already. 
It's here now, at least, in Nevada anyway. Anyway, moving on to my 
original point… another thing…

Now, it's the law of the blind to live in a place of public 
transportation. It's a requirement. If you’re blind, and if you want to 
have a good job then live here where there's a lot of public 
transportation and good Paratransit, because, if you want to be working 
then what other voice do you have. A lot of jobs, even in this day, 
can't be done at home…a and most people won’t have a sighted partner for 
a long time. By the way, side note, I will. Smile. One day. I’d really 
not to be bound by that catch 22.

By the way, sometimes, it's a hindrance to take backup measures, what I 
mean by this is, say, for example, always take cash incase Paratransit 
fails you so bad you resort to cabs, always memorize the bus routes 
unless you want to be lost when, and if, Paratransit leaves you past 
their driving times. I don’t want to have to be taking these cautious 
measures just because I'm blind and there's no other option. Sighted 
people don't have to. I always do but I’d love to just call upon my car, 
hop in, and go if I ever get in a jam and need to get somewhere fast.

Also, it would be nice to not schedule 24 hours ahead of time to go 
someplace fun, etc. I want to just go and not be restricted. Seriously, 
this is the best thing that has ever happened. Insurance, cost, and 
possible technological failures aside, I'm behind this car with every 
bone in my body because it will allow me, as both a blind journalist and 
a blind person who has fun every once in a while, so many leverages, 
pivoting me up on the same leave as sighted peers, or coworkers. By the 
way, the technology for failsafe exists. If a malfunction in the 
software happens the car will audibly tell us, the blind driver, and 
then pull over. You'll have to call the appropriate person, if it's 
really bad. But again, the software is working on cloud technology so it 
will download the needed repairs automatically. If it's a minor issue 
then it will ask you if you want to pull over to resolve it. If you want 
to read the same news I've been reading then message me off list. A CNN 
reporter commented on seeing one in Nevada pull into the parking space 
reserved for principals as opposed to teachers. Trust me, it's here now, 
and I'm so excited I'm squirming!