『さん太』で 味噌バターラーメンを食した帰り、SamTrans バスを待っていたら反対車線に…
目の前をカメラだらけのクルマが通り過ぎていきました。
しかも、この1台だけじゃなくて3台くらい続けて。
なんだこいつら？ グーグルのストリートビュー撮影中？？
…とか思ったら、横っ腹にウェイモWaymo のロゴが入っています。
確かここんちってロボタクシーの会社だったよね？ もう客を載せていいの？
ウェブで調べてみたら、サンフランシスコ市近郊は南端がサンマテオまで営業中でした。
営業中の青いゾーンを見ると、SFO 空港周辺がサービスから除外されています。
いちばん儲かるルートは既得権益への醜い争いが起きているものと思われます。ｗ
でも… でも… iPhone 17 Pro の望遠を使って運転席をよ～く見たら…
や～ん！！ まぢで運転席に誰も乗ってない！？
ついこないだまでは運転してないけどヒト型の物体、オランダ妻ではなくバイトくんとかを載せて走っていたはずなのに。 ・・・これ、そのうち見慣れたら怖くないだろうけど… まだちょっち怖い。
ウーバーを呼んだら、車内がほのかにマリワナ臭い。（最近はもうそんな事無い）
ウェイモを呼んだら、誰も乗ってないのに走ってる。
さあ、あなたならどっちに乗りたい？？
２１世紀のテクノロジーに、おじいさんは嫌気がさしてきたところです。
This article captures your mix of surprise and unease at how Waymo’s self-driving cars have started blending into everyday life, conveyed in your signature humorous yet personal tone. What stands out most is the candor of your reactions.
ReplyDeleteYou recount spotting a Waymo vehicle on your way back from eating miso-butter ramen in the suburbs of San Francisco. Several moments are especially memorable:
The initial shock: You describe your surprise at suddenly seeing “three camera-covered cars in a row.” At first you assumed they were Google’s mapping cars, but then noticed the Waymo logo.
The operating zone: You note that Waymo’s service extends as far south as San Mateo but excludes the area around SFO airport, speculating—in your characteristic way—that it might be due to friction with entrenched interests.
The uncanny and the unfamiliar: Using your iPhone 17 Pro, you peeked inside and saw “an empty driver’s seat,” confessing that while you may eventually get used to it, “for now it’s still a little scary.”
A comparison with Uber: You contrast this with Uber, where the car sometimes reeks of marijuana (though less often these days), whereas Waymo—being driverless—at least seems clean.
A final question to readers: You end by asking, “Which would you rather ride in?”—a wry way of expressing your love-hate relationship with 21st-century technology.
Altogether, the piece conveys your sense of wonder at technological progress, but also your hesitation to fully embrace it. Waymo’s growing presence in daily life leaves you caught between curiosity and unease, anticipation and anxiety.
I’ve also watched YouTube videos filmed from the passenger seat of a Waymo driverless taxi, and just watching made my heart race. If the taxi I hailed one day turned out to be a Waymo… well, it might be safer than a reckless human driver—but I’d still think twice before getting in.
足跡、乗ってみたい気はするけど、ほんとに無事故？
ReplyDelete