[nabs-l] my rambling thoughts on the Google car

Sat Apr 13 16:46:09 UTC 2013

Great post Robert!

On Sat, Apr 13, 2013 at 9:10 AM, Robert William Kingett
<kingettr at gmail.com>wrote:

> 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!
>
>
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