The video below is for an autonomous taxi cab which can pick you up and drive you somewhere with NO DRIVER. I would've thought my initial reaction would be "Cool! Robotics!" but instead I was terrified. As I watched the man climb into the driverless robo-cab all I could think was "NO! Don't get in the car! Didn't you see The Bone Collector or that one episode of Criminal Minds??? Bad things happen to good people who get into creepy cabs!" Mind you, I have nothing against cabs, I use them all the time, but I am on major creeper alert before I'll climb into one. Here is my checklist:
-Does all the paperwork look like it's in order?
-Can I see the driver's face? (Sorry, but if your face is obstructed by huge sunglasses and a hat pulled low, I am not getting into your cab...Unibomber!!!)
-Do the 'unlock' mechanisms in the backseat appear to be fully functional?
Granted, it's not foolproof, but I like to think it prevents me from riding with any OBVIOUS psycho murderers. And now I have to add a NEW question to my checklist:
-IS THERE A DRIVER AT ALL?
After watching this video, my mind immediately went all dystopian and started wondering "What if that cab was sent by the government to abduct you? Or what if you really believe it's taking you where you asked it to, but the cab has ideas of it's own because it's part of the machine revolution? Or what if the man behind the helm is some sort of psycho killer who lures his victims to his lair in autonomous cabs?" Mark my words. I will never get into one of those things. Oh, and you know where they are? GERMANY.
I'm sure they're much more progressive now, etc, etc, etc, but I'm gonna be honest. I already have some real hesitations about the idea of ever being IN Germany, and now they're putting people in robocabs? It's just too much. I can't take this.
