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Comment by yieldcrv | Hacker News Reader

Just got my inaugural Waymo rides and access.

Comparing to all drivers is one thing, but comparing to ride shares is another and yeah, Uber and Lyft are done.

The market is definitely going to choose Waymo.

The new reservations of a driverless car arent going to be big enough to trump the distrust and negative experience of other humans, given the option. The pricing is comparable, and the rest of the experience is better. The driverless part also seems trained on the driving customs of the area, here in LA it was assertive when it needed to be and overall impressive. LA has some sketchy left turn customs and the car did it fine.

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I'd definitely feel better in a self-driving car where I wouldn't feel any awkwardness about changing the music or just watching a loud video on my phone.

As I understand it, a lot of women in the areas where Waymo's currently deployed feel safer without having a driver as well.

> a lot of women in the areas where Waymo's currently deployed feel safer without having a driver as well.

Until criminals figure out they're sitting ducks.

how would they be a sitting duck in a driverless car?

I guess they’re thinking to disrupt the car’s movement and predictability in stopping, in comparison to an erratic driver, who they also wont have to deal with when breaking into the car

I think a deterrent to that are all the cameras on the car

This reminds me of the hysteria over the idea that people will randomly start fucking with road signs to put self-driving cars and their occupants in danger, and that this would be widespread and something that will impede SDC adoption.

> The market is definitely going to choose Waymo.

Given the tendency for premature HN opinions that are absolute to often swing the other way in practice, I'll be curious to see how this actually goes.

Can’t immortalize my username without being bold

They’re doing all the right things, selective city rollout, FOMO inducing waitlist once there, offering great service once in

Waymo is a money hole it has never got close to making a profit. Think of all that equipment attached to a luxury SUV and the upkeep. The purpose of Waymo is research - you just get the privilege of paying to be a guinea pig. There is no market for Waymo - just Google who dumps money on it.

Another important thing to think about is that Uber and Lyft are operated by people. Often these working people need the meager salary to live - wouldn't you rather support your local economy instead of being a research subject?

No. Next question.

Any business that relies on charity over market validation is done.

Waymos don't even ask for tips, the debate about it has been completely leapfrogged.

I spent the last 10 years riding ubers, the next 10 in waymos. Very easy call.

How is Google sponsoring a company hemorrhaging money not charity as well?

I only care about the consumer experience

Uber and Lyft subsidized their service with VC capital for a long time as well

In the middle east we often give way to other people by using the hands to show a “Here, please pass” gesture. It greatly accelerates the traffic because then pedestrians or cars don’t doubt your intention and can engage on the street.

Do you do the same in LA for left turns, and did Waymo find a replacing clue?

Not OP, but I would guess he is talking about completing an unprotected left by pulling out into the intersection, waiting for the opposite traffic’s light to turn red and for those cars to stop, then completing the left as the cross-traffic’s light turns green.

It’s kind of sketchy and probably legally dubious, but it’s the only way to turn left on busy intersections without a protected left. I’d feared that a Waymo would get stuck in such situations indefinitely, but they seem to be perfectly comfortable performing these left turns as a human would.

They should update the driving test to say left on red is okay for the first 2 and a half vehicles

then it wont be legally dubious

It’s bound to keep getting cheaper over time. It’s literally free, completely scalable “labor”.

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