Podcast #29: Who’s Gonna Drive You Home — Talking Self-Driving Cars
Podcast #29: Who’s Gonna Drive You Home — Talking Self-Driving Cars
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What does our self-driving future look like? This week Paul Ford and Rich Ziade cover, in Rich’s words, “Bluetooth headsets, my mother, and self-driving cars.” They start with a discussion on the shortcomings of video-conferencing systems; segue with a breakdown of Rich’s mother’s experiences with Uber; and wrap up with speculation about a world of self-driving cars (including a full breakdown of the distribution chain for what will surely come to fruition someday, Uber Baby Lamb).
Rich: But a Bluetooth headset, I think it’s because you could, at any given moment, withdraw from the present…the current company you’re in, you may leave at any moment.
Paul: But you know what —
Rich: I think that’s a signal that the current company doesn’t want to see.
Paul: This was entirely true of mobile phones for the longest possible time. And even before smartphones, mobile phones achieved huge penetration. I bought a $2 fake Motorola at a bodega that when you hit it, it made loud beeping noises, because I knew, walking down the street, hitting it while I was out with my friends going for drinks, would be hilarious. And my friend Steve took it from me at one point, because I would yell, “BUY! SELL!” into it, while we were out drinking.
Rich: Mmmmm.
Paul: And Steve took it from me, threw it in a gutter, and smashed it with his feet, while people looked at us and laughed.
Rich: People are like, oh my God, what about all the jobs? That’s another thing they bring up, what are all these people gonna do? I think it’s gonna be amazing, because I think the front of the car is gonna be a counter. It’s gonna be like a…let me throw some names out. Uber Smoothie.
Paul: Oh, you get in the car, and somebody, like…
Rich: You get in the car, and there’s a menu, there’s a chalkboard menu, OK?
Paul: Oh my God.
Rich: And there’s some fruit, and there’s a blender, and the guy is just there to make you a smoothie.
Paul: No, you know what it’s gonna be? Uber Chop’t.
Rich: Uber Chop’t. [laughter] Uber Chop’t.
Rich: Yes. Wait, can I just bring up one more case that I think is gonna get broken?
Paul: OK.
Rich: The angry break-up argument where you’re hollering at each other, and then you grab the keys and you slam the door, and you get in your car, and then it just coasts off at like seven miles an hour. [laughter]
Paul: Yeah.
Rich: Without you doing anything.
Paul: You just wait. And it’s like — because remember…
Rich: “We’re done!”
Paul: Yeah.
Rich: And it just sort of coasts out…
Paul: And then like the window goes up — [automatic window noise] — and then…
Rich: The dramatic exit is gone.
Paul: “It’s over, baby!” And instead of a squeal, you get, like, “Initiating drive-time sequence. What is your destination?”
