The Jacksons, who Waymo made available for this story, have largely ditched their own cars and now use self-driving vehicles to go almost everywhere within the 100 square-mile operating area: track practice, grocery shopping, movies, the train station.
All rides are free for volunteers, but the Waymo app recently started to show hypothetical prices.
A Waymo spokesperson says the placeholder price is a way to solicit feedback from volunteers and “does not reflect the various pricing models under consideration.” It’s certainly got the Jackson family wondering how the service they’ve come to rely on will soon fit into their lives.
I am assuming no one promised them free rides for life. How easy it is to become dependent on something "free" and not think about what it might cost in the future when you can no longer live without it.
For my next job I plan on going full Uber + public transit for transport. Uber to the bus terminal and take a nice relaxed bus ride to downtown Seattle dropping me off directly next to my job. I did the math and at 8$ per ride my monthly expense should be 8$ * twice per day * 20 days per months = $320, well below the cost of ownership for a vehicle.
Maybe they thought about it and came to the conclusion it's worth it. In my case it's surplus, not a cost.
So you never drive to the mountains or any of the other areas of interest around Seattle? Perhaps you don't but most of the people I know who live in and around West Coast cities do so in no small part because they can get out of the city to very nice locales on the weekend. (Of course, you can get rental cars for that but there's both a time transaction cost and and a literal cost.)
Don't doubt the park and ride! Living in Seattle area, and for work I drive less than a mile to a bus stop with ample parking, occasionally stop for coffee, then get dropped off right at work.
The great outdoors of Washington are too good to waste, be sure to factor that into your numbers.
All rides are free for volunteers, but the Waymo app recently started to show hypothetical prices.
A Waymo spokesperson says the placeholder price is a way to solicit feedback from volunteers and “does not reflect the various pricing models under consideration.” It’s certainly got the Jackson family wondering how the service they’ve come to rely on will soon fit into their lives.
I am assuming no one promised them free rides for life. How easy it is to become dependent on something "free" and not think about what it might cost in the future when you can no longer live without it.