Nomdeb3d ago

So I'm trying to understand (and maybe I'm being exceptionally thick), from the POV of a customer, what is the value add of a robotaxi vs a driven service. Is it going to be a lot cheaper? If not, what's the benefit to the customer in general?

I get from POV of the company it's cheaper for them to offer them. #RoboTaxi

Show threadJames M.
@nomdeb exactly-- no customer benefit that I can see. It's like the "convenience" when they offer you the ability to do your business over the phone or online, rather than with a human agent. Worse for the customer, cheaper for the company.
Mar 20 at 6:06pmWeb
Show threadNomdeb3d ago
@jamesmarshall I am thinking about old age - what sort of car services would we want to use once we stop driving. Of course, things may be very different then, we hope for a few decades still - but I am planning now we're in our 60s. My sense is that as an older person I would NOT want a non-human managed service.
Show threadNomdeb3d ago
@jamesmarshall Now I could get behind maybe a shared small group of car owners (like they do for airplanes) with a dedicated couple of drivers, that we can schedule - hopefully not many conflicts - amongst the group. That would give peace of mind and safety and personal care type of service I'd like as an older person.
Show threadJames M.3d ago
@nomdeb that sounds like a rideshare service on a smaller scale, except in your scheme you would know the drivers, and I guess commercial rideshare services aren't really human-managed. I had to stop driving around 2013 for medical reasons, and now use Lyft for the few times I need a car. It's cheaper than owning a car was, since I work at home and don't go out much. No road trips without a friend driving, alas. I think Lyft is somewhat politically better than uber, which I avoid unless necessary. Ideally there would be a rideshare service that paid its drivers better. :/ I've tried to call Flywheel a few times, but there are never drivers available.
Show threadNomdeb3d ago
@jamesmarshall I hear you about that. Yes, a sort of small co-op rideshare. In the same way a group of people co-own an airplane and can book flights as needed. Usually managed by a company, but you have the same pilots, etc. usually. I'm sorry to hear about the medical limitations. I'm exactly thinking about that for ourselves for old age - or indeed if we ended up with some medical matter. I should stop saying Uber. I do mean Lyft and I am using that generically! :)
Show threadNomdeb3d ago
@jamesmarshall In fact I made my husband remove the Uber app from his phone - before he retired - and was on business travel. :)
Show threadJames M.3d ago
@nomdeb the only reason I had to reinstall the uber app after deleting it long ago was that I traveled to a place that doesn't have Lyft (Costa Rica).
Show threadNomdeb3d ago
@jamesmarshall Ooooh Costa Rica is on our bucket list!
Show threadJames M.3d ago
@nomdeb yeah, it's pretty great! :) I was there for a conference in 2023, and added an extra 10 days afterward. Every person we interacted with was super friendly and good-natured. I could gladly spend a lot more time there-- it was a very easy place to be, very low-stress.