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xnx 20 hours ago

Blocked even from testing in NYC. Blocked from DC and Boston. Unfortunately this does have more to do with bad government than bad weather.

runako 19 hours ago | parent | next [-]

Boston, according to Waymo[1], is dependent on the legislature making autonomous vehicles legal. Apparently NY state laws also require a human driver at the wheel.

The only surprising thing about this is that other states did not require changes in law. It's Good, Actually, that big companies are (sometimes) bound by the same laws that bind the rest of us.

In any case, there are more than 2-3 "blue" states. We can note that it's also not running in cold "red" states either. The climate angle fits the data best and aligns with what Waymo says, which aligns with what we have known about the tech for at least a decade.

(That note also suggests they are still testing their cold-weather kit and are not quite ready.)

1 - https://waymo.com/blog/shorts/back-to-boston/

JumpCrisscross 18 hours ago | parent [-]

> that big companies are (sometimes) bound by the same laws that bind the rest of us

Not if they’re stupid laws!

lokar 17 hours ago | parent [-]

Even then. There is value in uniform rule of law.

JumpCrisscross 17 hours ago | parent [-]

> There is value in uniform rule of law

Sure. OP's point is these products and investments are accruing disproportionately to red cities and states. Sinking together isn't a great pitch.

lokar 16 hours ago | parent | next [-]

I think elected state leaders should move to understand theses issues, hear from experts and the public, and craft good laws for these services.

My state (CA) is doing well this. If your state is not, and this is important to you, I suggest you get involved in the process.

Having companies ignore the law is not an alternative to the democratic process.

JumpCrisscross 12 hours ago | parent [-]

> My state (CA) is doing well this

Yup. And I invest there. I’m pulling back from New York, which is a shame, because I love it and still have interests there.

> Having companies ignore the law is not an alternative to the democratic process

Straw man. Nobody said this. The point is the current system of incumbent worship is not working. If it takes flipping parties to prove that, I guess yeah, but that won’t result in more rule of law.

runako 17 hours ago | parent | prev [-]

> these products and investments are accruing disproportionately to red cities and states

Is this true at the city level?

> Sinking together isn't a great pitch.

Surely it's a worse pitch to suggest that companies can ignore laws they don't like, and operate above the law?

JumpCrisscross 17 hours ago | parent [-]

> it's a worse pitch to suggest that companies can ignore laws they don't like, and operate above the law?

It’s also worse to murder kittens. That isn’t the choice at hand.

The difference is between states adapting with a regulatory framework and those sticking with economic incumbents.

(Also, when the taxi medallion industry was at its peak, lenders did run roughshod over the law.)

runako 17 hours ago | parent [-]

In context, your comment reads as a defense of companies ignoring laws:

>> that big companies are (sometimes) bound by the same laws that bind the rest of us

> Not if they’re stupid laws!

States won't adapt to new technologies at the same time, this is embedded in the design of federalism.

JumpCrisscross 12 hours ago | parent [-]

> States won't adapt to new technologies at the same time, this is embedded in the design of federalism

…how are you missing this.

I’m saying the states failing to adapt need to do so or have their governments replaced. That all of these states are also facing multi-party insurgencies doesn’t strike me as a coïncidence. Pretending the corruption in e.g. New York around this is fine is just such a weird take.

lokar 29 minutes ago | parent [-]

The desire to slow down and consider the fate of cab drivers (very hard working, low income people) is not automatically corruption.

Zambyte 17 hours ago | parent | prev [-]

Getting around Boston is very easy. Flooding the streets with more cars won't make it easier.

A government that listens to the people it governs is a good government.

xnx 17 hours ago | parent [-]

Eh, the impression I got from this podcast (https://www.searchengine.show/the-trial-of-the-driverless-ca...) was that unions and other special interests were blocking something that the broader population would be interested in.

Zambyte 10 hours ago | parent [-]

Ok. As someone who lives there, I get the impression that the broader population is not interested in more cars on the streets.