[nabs-l] Google car takes to the streets

Sat Apr 13 20:43:22 UTC 2013

I remember not knowing when I was going to get home in the evenings.  

-----Original Message-----
From: nabs-l [mailto:nabs-l-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Kaiti Shelton
Sent: Sunday, April 14, 2013 4:23 PM
To: National Association of Blind Students mailing list
Subject: Re: [nabs-l] Google car takes to the streets

Hi all,

"The
issue here is choice. We shouldn't HAVE to take a bus if we don't want
to wait 2 hours."
Right on, Patrick!

Think of it from this perspective; I live an hour away from home at
school.  I have friends who are great and have cars, and most of the
time their schedules permitting they will take me to the Wal-Mart down
the street or to Michaels to pick up materials for a project because
taking an hour and a half to get to Wal-Mart, which takes 15 minutes
by car, is ridiculous, (and that's only one way, not counting the trip
back to school).  Like Aleeha, I would have to see that the safety
features of the computer system were fully functional and that it
could break if the car were cut off and do things like that before I
would consider putting myself in that car.  I would also not forget
that any system has the potential to malfunction or break down, but
after a while of testing I would probably get one of these cars as
long as the results are good.  I like what Patrick said about sighted
people who drive not really being self-serving; I feel the same way
and wouldn't consider a blind person self-serving if they were to
drive a Google car too.  Like him, Suzan, and others, I would love to
be able to do things in the future like just take ten minutes to get
to the grocery store, shop, and put all I have bought into my trunk
and drive home.  More importantly for me, I would love to be able to
drive myself to doctors appointments, volunteer sites, meetings, and
other things around town which, because back home there isn't a bus
stop around me, I have to rely on my parents and younger sister for.
Most of all, as someone who is entering a profession where many people
have to drive from site to site, I would love to have that option
available to me, too, instead of being forced to work in one standard
location all the time.  For me, a car like this would be valuable for
my career, as it would be for others as well.  Using a bus system
would eat up more of my day than actually working with clients if I
chose to use this method, and if all my clients were accessible by bus
to begin with, so a car would be fantastic.

Also, a point I realized while thinking about paratransit systems.
While those are significantly better than the average bus systems,
they can still not be reliable enough for a person who has set
appointment times to make as in some cases five minutes behind can
mean a world of difference.  Also, if something changes you can't very
easily change your paratransit plan the day of, which is kind of
awkward to work around.  If we had the google cars though, and an
appointment got pushed up or moved later in the day, we could jump in
the car when we needed to go early, run an errand or get lunch while
waiting for the time to leave, etc.  There is just greater flexibility
in the idea, and it allows for a wider range of choices.  Of course,
this car will have to be tried and tested first, and I agree with
Aleeha that some sighted people might have a fit about blind people
even being on the road regardless of whether they or the car is
driving, so we'll just have to see how this pans out.

On 4/14/13, Aleeha Dudley <blindcowgirl1993 at gmail.com> wrote:
> Hello all,
>      I hesitate to stick my nose into this one, but it seems that this
> thread has provoked my own strong opinions, both about the Google car
> and about the attitude of some list members.
>      First, I will say this. In my opinion, I would drive the Google
> car if there was a way to provide a failsafe of sorts that would
> activate should a malfunction in the system occur. I do not believe
> that we are even close to having these cars in public, let alone to
> knocking down the proverbial barrier that exists between the blind and
> sighted communities which would allow them to even consider permitting
> us to drive on the roads.
>      The second part of my message concerns the language some people
> are choosing to use on this list, as well as the hostile attitudes
> that exist amoung some. If you choose to curse, please take it off
> list. I for one am offended by some of the language on this list and
> feel that many others are as well. We are supposed to be a community
> of blind students assisting one another in our educational pursuits
> and issues. With the attitude I have observed, it concerns me that
> some students might be afraid to come forward, fearing being shut down
> or criticized. As Kaiti has stated before, this list archive is
> PUBLIC! That means anyone can find it and read it on the Internet. Not
> so concerning until you think about the fact that most employers
> looking for a valued employee will do a web search and background
> check. This means that they can and will find these posts with these
> offensive words and will probably think of you as a less valuable
> candidate for the job, or perhaps dismiss your application altogether
> if they see such language in your messages. For your own job security,
> I suggest this language and negative attitude tone down. Please
> consider other list members who may not condone such language or who
> may be younger than most of us.
> Thank you,
> Aleeha
>
> On 4/14/13, Ashley Bramlett <bookwormahb at earthlink.net> wrote:
>> Hi all,
>> I haven't read all this thread much. But from what I read, it seems like
>> you
>>
>> all believe the car would provide more transit options and you'd buy one
>> if
>>
>> given a choice.
>>
>> I know the problems in the bus system; I've seen them and ridden
>> paratransit
>>
>> and felt its impact of unreliability and lateness.
>> That said, I think other methods of travel are more efficient and safe.
>> Things like cabs, car pools, getting rides with friends when you want to
>> hang out, and hiring a driver would be better.
>>
>> I do not support blind people driving because we cannot see to override
>> the
>>
>> car.
>> I have to agree with the individual that said that having a car is self
>> serving. We are putting other lives at risk.
>> We face many obstacles on the rode like other cars wipping in front of us
>> when its not their turn; cars inching along not going the speed limit and
>> you got to move around them, waiting for pedestrians to walk, rode rage,
>> and
>>
>> drunk drivers.
>> Without vision, we cannot! intervene the computerized car to override it
>> when obstacles arise.
>> I cannot tell you how many times my parents slammed on the brakes due to
>> some driver wipping out in front of them, drivers who unexpectedly turn
>> without turning on their turn signal like their supposed to, pedestrians
>> who
>>
>> are still walking across the street when the orange don't walk signal is
>> on
>>
>> thus making cars wait, having to swerve around bicyclists, and distracted
>> drivers on cell phones.
>> All these obstacles create hazards which a human driver with eyes needs
>> to
>> see and make a quick judgement and use reflexes to act upon unexpected
>> hazards.
>>
>> So, yeah, when you all can afford a new google car, go right ahead and
>> you
>> never know who might be hurt if you even get a license. I just don't want
>> to
>>
>> be on the road with you.
>>
>> I think the nfb car sounded safer and it was built for blind people, but
>> we
>>
>> abandoned that project, probably cause of money.
>> Ashley
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: Kaiti Shelton
>> Sent: Sunday, April 14, 2013 12:08 PM
>> To: National Association of Blind Students mailing list
>> Subject: Re: [nabs-l] Google car takes to the streets
>>
>> I don't see it as self-serving either... in my experience with buses I
>> have to agree with Sophie here.  Plus, some parts of town that I need
>> to go either aren't served by buses, or take a really long time to get
>> to which sometimes involves going in the opposite way of the
>> destination for a while and then circling back because of Dayton's bus
>> system.  (It's organized by buses going north-south and east-west, but
>> sometimes when you're at a stop the time of the bus won't tell you if
>> the bus is going north or south, or east or west so you have to roll
>> with it.  I'd much rather just get into a car and drive than boomerang
>> around the city just to get to one place, and then do it again
>> returning to school.  And because of this, and the fact that it the
>> bus system isn't exactly equivalent to a car, I don't consider it
>> self-serving either.  I have no problem in supporting it and other
>> programs of public transit for people who can't drive a car, which
>> more often are people who are low income, have a suspended license, or
>> who are inner-city, or elderly than blind, but if I and other blind
>> people can afford a car and want one I don't see anything self-serving
>> in that, it's just doing what is most efficient.  I actually think not
>> taking advantage of this opportunity on the basis that the less than
>> efficient public transit systems work fine and that other people can
>> use the money or whatever that would go into buying this car would be
>> like saying you'd pass up going to college even though you could
>> because other people can be served by your tuition money, and the high
>> school diploma would serve you just fine.  It's more efficient, so why
>> not do it?
>>
>> Sophie, I too see it more as an investment in independence.  :)
>>
>> On 4/14/13, Robert William Kingett <kingettr at gmail.com> wrote:
>>> Im buying this damn car the first chance I get. I'd rather be self
>>> serving and frivolous and drive to some place within 20 minutes instead
>>> of sitting on the bus for three hours, or more, depending on if the
>>> driver didn't call my stop and I'd be riding extra long. Here in
>>> chicagothat isn't a problem but I used to live in Tallahassee FL where
>>> there was no automated system to tell you where you were. So yes, I'd
>>> much rather be self serving and save up. Besides, as I have said before
>>> in a previous message, this technology is driving along the streets of
>>> Nevada. I'm so excited that I'm even grinning and daydreaming about
>>> driving along side of a bus, and happy that I'm frivolous enough to pay
>>> for a self serving device that will allowfor me to get to the office
>>> quicker, or to an interview on time, thus allowing me to have greater
>>> chances to pay my taxes so you other non self serving blind people can
>>> take the bus. I think it's a neat little circle of irony, don't you
>>> think? LOL!
>>>
>>>
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> 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/crazy4clarinet104%40gmai
l.com
>>>
>>
>>
>> --
>> Kaiti
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> 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/bookwormahb%40earthlink.
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/blindcowgirl1993%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/crazy4clarinet104%40gmai
l.com
>

-- 
Kaiti

_______________________________________________
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