Many people see driving differently than I do. To me, it’s not a competition, but it is a game. I like to drive fast. If you’re mad at me already, that’s okay, wave as I pass by. What I don’t understand is the push for autonomous vehicles or robotaxis. Why? I do think the self-driving cars should have an indicator light that we can see to indicate when the robot has the wheel. I think it would provide helpful information.
Aside from the debates over the lethality of robo-driving cars and their crashes. How does the machine decide who to kill, the car with the baby who’s just pulled into the lane ahead of them, or the semi coming in the other direction. I would guess the passengers of the robo-car would be the first priority. Save the customers, then decide which direction to steer the bullet of steel and glass into the “best choice.”
That’s the problem. As a human my entire life informs my decision in that moment. Who is deciding when a robo-car swerves to miss the first car only to collide with the semi in a way that saves the passengers and limits the danger for the truck driver? Who decides? Who is responsible for the damage and death? The courts are sorting that out now. I’d prefer they not be allowed to speed. Again, my first hand knowledge of the auto-driving car is limited to my experience with my lane-guiding system that could adjust my speed relational to the cars ahead of me while keeping me pointed between the lines of my lane. I didn’t use it.
I like driving. I like watching F1, occasionally. Driving is fun. I make the choices, for good or bad. So far, I’ve damaged a few cars and found ways to keep speeding tickets off my record. It’s not the destination, it’s the journey.
As far as I can tell, the self-driving cars are mostly enabled to allow people to scroll TikToks while driving. I understand the idea, but the dumbing down of humans a poor use of this Jetsonesque technology. Social media is mostly marketing and branding these days. I’m part of that ecosystem too. I generate a lot of content and share it on the socials. I am marketing myself, my creative output. I have been trying to reach you for years. I’m glad you’re here. Please check the box indicating how you found this chapter. 1. advertising, 2. social media, 3. recommendation, 4. I know the author, 5. random accident. And if you would enter your email address I’ll keep you informed of upcoming releases. Nah, I’m good.
We are drowning in signals and shouts for our attention. I am aspiring, but I don’t have the money to buy my reach. So, I watch as my YouTube channel begins bleeding subscribers the day I turn off my paid advertising. Why? I thought a subscriber meant they found what I had created something of value. “Yes, let me know when you publish the next chapter” sort of thing. The likely answer is YouTube subscriber seekers. The idea is follow everyone and some percentage will follow you back. (subscribe) Give my subscription a chance to season before I unsubscribe to all the people who didn’t subscribe back. Even YouTube has limits on how many people you can subscribe to on a given day. When that limit is reached, you’ve got to jettison some non-reciprocals. Repeat.
I’m done paying for your attention. Now, I’m going to focus on getting the attention of a publisher. Let them pay for reach and publishing. Yes, that’s the idea. I should be doing that, actually, instead of writing this. Or working on prep for my interview next week.
I need time to write. Safety. Shelter. The rest is optional. Money provides more time. In my current situation I’m not unhappy, but I can make six times the hourly wage I get at the corporate grocery store. I love the people and the parade of fantastically fit and financially independent customers. I don’t like the leadership. It’s more like un-leadership. I will need to wrap this up shortly and head in for my late shift today.
Weekends have become a novel concept. When I was hired, when anyone is hired, into retail the first question is, “What’s your availablity?” They are talking weekends and holidays. Nights are a given. Most days I don’t know what day of the week it is, I only know if I have a shift or not. My next single day off is in two more shifts. Today is Friday, so that makes my one-day weekend on Sunday. It’s fucked. I don’t recommend, unless you simply need a job. Or health insurance. I’m happy to have a job today. Maybe the job next week will pan out. Then, I might have some extra cash to buy more eyeballs. More readers. More people like you. Thanks.
I’ll drive.
