You're putting a lot of words in the parents mouth.

>> I used to be but now I see it as a doubling down of car-dependence

> Ok, so you just don't like taxis in general then.

That was not the point. One of the general arguments for AVs is that it will reduce car-dependence, that we're all going to be able to live car-free and AVs will shuttle us around in hyper efficient transport systems.

If the way we get there is by having a taxi service that is 70% cheaper, I don't see how that follows. I agree with the parent, the claim that AVs are a ticket out of car dependence seems like a bill of goods.