An "ewwww factor" obstacle to widespread adoption I hadn't considered until now. I mean we were aware of this in 2015:
Uber Has A "Bodily Fluids" Cleanup Fee
First up, the New York Times Style section....
And being Uber they went all fraudy, fraud, fraud:
"Uber's 'Vomit Fraud' Sounds Worse Than Surge Pricing"
Well...sure. The phrase has the word 'vomit' in it....
And we've considered "The Link Between Physical and Moral Disgust"
Today's encore selection -- from This Is Your Brain on Parasites by Kathleen McAuliffe.
But getting into the Waymo following the boinkers is, well, something financiers have to consider when doing the addressable market calculation.
Of course there is the market segment opportunity that private equity types will immediately spot...
From The San Francisco Standard, August 11:
Ever thought about getting down and dirty in a robotaxi? Want to light up a cig or a joint on the drive home from the club? You’re not alone.
As autonomous vehicles become increasingly popular in San Francisco, some riders are wondering just how far they can push the vehicles’ limits—especially with no front-seat driver or chaperone to discourage them from questionable behavior.
For some, that’s a welcome invitation to test the autonomous vehicles’ limits. Megan, a woman in her 20s, took her first robotaxi ride on a recent late-night excursion. It was also her first time having sex in a driverless vehicle. The Standard is not providing exact dates of the riders’ debauchery to protect their privacy but has verified the rides took place through documentation. Names have been changed because of the riders’ privacy concerns.
“We got in and just got straight to it, making out,” said Megan, who got into the Cruise wearing nothing but a robe. “One thing led to another, and he made sure that I was taken care of, if you will. … I was like, ‘I have no underwear on, and I am ready to go in this kimono.’ And I was using his slippers that were like five sizes too big.”
Her accomplice? A man in his 30s, whom we’ll call Alex. By his estimates, Alex has performed at least six separate sex acts in robotaxis, ranging from impromptu make-out sessions to “full-on [sex], no boundaries activities” a total of three times in a Cruise car....
....MUCH MORE
Because the San Francisco Standard was very straightforward in their reporting of Bob Lee's murder, thus keeping us from jumping to erroneous conclusions about S.F. criminality we've become rather fond of them.San Francisco Standard home.
