What is wrong with California?

[Uncle Ted]

Self-driving cars will be what finally fixes LA congestion. What are we, 15 years away maybe?

Yes, as long as the weather and road conditions are just right and there is an engineer in the car to take over in case there is not a problem...

How Google’s Autonomous Car Passed the First U.S. State Self-Driving Test

Regulations governing Google’s experimental self-driving cars will come into effect on California’s roads starting 16 September. They have driven more than 1 million kilometers since the company started secretly developing them in 2009, but they have been tested only once by a government body on open roads—by Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) officials in May 2012.


IEEE Spectrum has now obtained the driving log of this test, and e-mails referring to it, under Freedom of Information legislation. Some of this information is not new. For example, Nevada officials shared that the Google’s autonomous Toyota Prius passed the test almost immediately. What has not been revealed until now, however, is that Google chose the test route and set limits on the road and weather conditions that the vehicle could encounter, and that its engineers had to take control of the car twice during the drive.
[...]

http://spectrum.ieee.org/transportat...lfdriving-test

[Omaha 680]

But it would not be LA without traffic jams.

Self-driving cars will be what finally fixes LA congestion. What are we, 15 years away maybe?

[LA Ute]

During the 1984 Olympics there was no traffic in LA, because use of the freeways was reduced by about 10%. It was amazing. Mostly that was accomplished by increased mass transit and by people leaving town because they didn't want to be here during the Olympics.

Anyway, California should be the canary in the coal mine for the rest of the USA. It is an example of what happens when the Left takes over an entire state government.

[Uncle Ted]

California gives in to the Taxi unions... Maybe Uber, Lyft, sidecar should simply move out of California.

California deems carpooling via all ride-share services illegal

California regulators have sent warning letters to Uber, Lyft and Sidecar to say that their new carpool features are illegal.


Sidecar revealed Thursday that it received the letter from the California Public Utilities Commission, which said the ride-sharing service was breaking the law by testing its new Shared Rides, or carpool, feature.


A Lyft spokesperson told CNET that it too received a similar letter. Initially, Uber told CNET that it didn't get the letter but now the company says it was indeed contacted by the CPUC. The CPUC also confirmed with CNET that it sent two copies of the letter to Uber -- one to company CEO Travis Kalanick and one to Chairman Garrett Camp -- on September 8.


"Uber recently announced its intent to offer a new transportation service known as UberPool," the CPUC letter reads. "Uber has not yet approached the Commission regarding the UberPool service... Uber's proposed transportation service violates existing California law."

Basically, the CPUC says that under California law it's illegal for these ride-sharing services to charge passengers an individual fare when carrying multiple people in one vehicle. If the companies would like to add a carpool feature, they first have to request an adjustment to their existing permits with the CPUC or petition the state legislature to modify the law.


Uber, Lyft and Sidecar all unveiled carpool features last month. The three companies say the feature lets strangers in multiple locations, but heading the same direction, share rides and split fares -- saving passengers up to 50 percent per ride. Uber's service is dubbed UberPool, while Lyft's is called Lyft Line and Sidecar's is named Shared Rides.
[...]

http://www.cnet.com/news/california-...vices-illegal/

Of course, if too much carpooling happens places like Los Angeles might not have traffic congestion problems...

Carpooling - It’s been done for ages, most notably with the “Soccer Mom” set. But mothers and soccer players aren’t the only ones carpooling these days.


With gas prices near record highs and traffic congestion making commutes longer, driving alone now costs more than ever, the answer may be carpooling.


Carpooling is two or more people sharing a ride, often taking turns driving their own vehicles, according to the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA).


California has about 32 million cars, but, says Roger Snoble of the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority, “At 1.3 people per car, there would be no traffic congestion on our freeways.”
[...]

http://news.carjunky.com/are-we-ther...s-cdh458.shtml

But it would not be LA without traffic jams.

[byu71]

Does anyone happen to know who had the highest car sales in 2006, Ford or GM?

I think it was GM, but you can't believe everything that appears on Google.

[TripletDaddy]

I hate to admit this, but perhaps I don't understand GDP. Based on what you said I think it must be output, not necessarily profit.

LOL. you invest other people's money???

[ERCougar]

Solution: publish everyone's water bills.

[creekster]

That would be cool channeling if you were right. I also think you would be channeling JL though.

You might want to look up the definition though before calling me out.

Definition


The total market value of all final goods and services produced in a country in a given year, equal to total consumer, investment and government spending, plus the value of exports, minus the value of imports.


Read more: http://www.investorwords.com/2153/GD...#ixzz37kRe9G4a

[byu71]

[Channeling DDD]:

You are correct. You do not understand GDP.

That would be cool channeling if you were right. I also think you would be channeling JL though.

You might want to look up the definition though before calling me out.

[Applejack]

I hate to admit this, but perhaps I don't understand GDP. Based on what you said I think it must be output, not necessarily profit.

[Channeling DDD]:

You are correct. You do not understand GDP.

[creekster]

I hate to admit this, but perhaps I don't understand GDP. Based on what you said I think it must be output, not necessarily profit.

It is like the guy that asked the widget manufacturer how he made money selling them for $2 when they cost $3 to make. The answer was, "we make up for that by selling huge volumes of them".

You must know that the G stands for GROSS (not net) and the P stands for PRODUCT (not profit).

[byu71]

Given that California's GDP is greater than Mexico's (and all but maybe ten other nations') we'll be doing the buying, thank you. Right after we fund a boatload of pensions.

I hate to admit this, but perhaps I don't understand GDP. Based on what you said I think it must be output, not necessarily profit.

It is like the guy that asked the widget manufacturer how he made money selling them for $2 when they cost $3 to make. The answer was, "we make up for that by selling huge volumes of them".

[Blueintheface]

Given that California's GDP is greater than Mexico's (and all but maybe ten other nations') we'll be doing the buying, thank you. Right after we fund a boatload of pensions.

Oh, go smoke a joint, you pothead!

[PaloAltoCougar]

I am sorry to hear about the drought situation in California. I know a lot of very good people in California and I hate to see all the fires, drought and democrats in such a beautiful place.

I look forward to the drought ending for Californians and the economy getting better. If that happens, I also think the state will be easier to sell to Mexico.

Given that California's GDP is greater than Mexico's (and all but maybe ten other nations') we'll be doing the buying, thank you. Right after we fund a boatload of pensions.

[RC Vikings]

As I pass by on my bike the huge irrigation circles that water our grain and potatoes and I see the giant sprinkler heads on the end putting thousands of gallons of water on the road I feel bad for those in California suffering from the drought and thinking they could use this water but that quickly passes as the water pours over me and I get some fast relief from the heat.