There is a long tradition in urbanism of residents taking matters into their own hands when they feel abandoned by local authorities. Some refuse to drink the Silicon Valley kool-aid altogether, are opposed to our driverless future, and are willing to make that point with a strategically placed traffic cone. Some are central-casting villains whose ill-conceived heists waste so much time and money and credibility. People, they are so unpredictable! Some are bad drivers. There are people, the biggest problem of all. There are practical problems, there are regulatory problems, there are ethical problems. It turns out this stuff is really complicated, and even $100 billion and the most powerful egos in Silicon Valley haven’t been able to get it done as fast as they hoped. The other thing about driverless cars is that they are always five years away. As Uber co-founder Travis Kalanick told the world at a conference nearly 10 years ago in his signature unapologetic style, “The reason Uber could be expensive is you’re paying for the other dude in the car.” The economics of ride-hail are tricky, but eliminating human labor from the equation could make them much more attractive. The vision once again is unfettered profits. Companies like Waymo and Cruise are designing fleets of AVs that will be able to provide an Uber-like service without a human behind the steering wheel. The second pathway to driverlessness is through robotaxis. These range from fairly mundane features like cruise control and blind-spot detection, to the controversial Tesla “autopilot” system. First is the incorporation of “driver assist” technologies in consumer-grade vehicles. The AV industry as your average consumer relates to it has been developing along a two-pronged track. “It's like the state has decided that these things are going to be deployed in San Francisco without the consent of the city or the people in it.”Īn unnamed Waymo spokesperson called the coning “vandalism” that “encourages unsafe and disrespectful behavior on our roadways.” Hannah Lindow, a Cruise spokesperson who was at least brave enough to attach her name to her statement, told the Standard that “intentionally obstructing vehicles gets in the way of those efforts and risks creating traffic congestion for local residents.” The SFMTA, San Francisco’s municipal transport agency, said on Twitter Friday that it “does not endorse ANY actions that may increase the number of disabled AVs on San Francisco streets,” and encouraged people to attend this week’s CPUC meeting. “We want to either have not on the city streets at all or very limited,” one Rebel told the Standard. Safe Street Rebel, the group behind the stunt, unleashed the cones last week ahead of a scheduled July 13 vote by the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) that could allow Cruise and Waymo unimpeded access to public streets as the next phase in their robotaxi development. The cones immobilize the AVs (that is shorthand for “autonomous vehicles”) by forcing them into “shutdown mode” with their hazard lights on, “until the cone is removed or a company technician comes to reset the car's system,” the San Francisco Standard reported. We have the resources to ensure that you get what you want while staying in budget.Enable 3rd party cookies or use another browser When you buy from Traffic Safety Warehouse, you are buying from a distributor who has access to all the major safety supply manufacturers and can get those products to you at low pricing. Our mission is to bring you most professional quality safety products, priced right and backed by outstanding customer service. If you can't find it give us a call and our knowledgeable safety staff will help you. We carry a huge supply of products by category so you can find exactly what you are looking for fast. Give us a try and let us be your 'go to' traffic supply and safety store for everything from traffic and construction safety to school and industrial safety. We work to bring you the best quality safety products at the best possible prices and to provide you with an easy shopping experience.Īll Your Favorite Traffic Control and Safety Products in One Place From traffic cones and barricades to speed bumps, delineators and bollards, we carry it all. Traffic Safety Warehouse is a single source online safety store that covers ALL your traffic equipment, crowd control and general safety supply needs.
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