Discussion about hot topics trending today

[Gatefan1976]

Then maybe the laws need revision, or better enforcement. Like the guns the recent college shooter had.. He had somewhat of a track history of mental issues, but still passed the backround checks.

You DO understand you just made yourself a anti-constitutional left whinger gun fearing libburall, yes?

[Annoyed]

I thought that was the role of the police.

It is the police's job to investigate the crime and bring the criminal before the justice system whose job is it is to levy punishment, which is handled by the penal system. It's probably better that way.
Would you want the police to be the justice system as well as handle investigation/apprehension? I wouldn't.

What about things like the current drug laws where you see people incarcerated for 20+ years for having small quantities of illicit substances?
Do you feel we should reform those laws?

Depends upon the drug in question. For example, marijuana should be legal just as alcohol is, with the proviso that addiction cannot be used as an onramp to the benefits free-ride superhighway.
Drugs that are more destructive such as heroin, coke/crack and such should remain illegal.

At what point do you recommend lengthy sentences? first offenders, 3rd offenders?

Many jurisdictions use "Three Strikes and you're out". I think that is fairly generous. If you're a 3 time convict, you clearly have no intention of behaving yourself.

[SoulReaver]

Would you want the police to be the justice system as well as handle investigation/apprehension? I wouldn't.

but this sort of system (à la Judge Dredd) is typically conservative since it'd give law enforcement unlimited powers, so why disapprove?
don't you trust the police? how unpatriotic :/

Many jurisdictions use "Three Strikes and you're out". I think that is fairly generous. If you're a 3 time convict, you clearly have no intention of behaving yourself.

like life sentence for stealing a pizza, or life sentence for trying to escape 3 times non-violently from jail even after found innocent of the crime that brought the jail sentence in the first place

now those sort of laws denote some serious Government worship
I wonder which party those lawmakers belong to (rhetorical question)

[garhkal]

You DO understand you just made yourself a anti-constitutional left whinger gun fearing libburall, yes?

I knew i would eventually say something that would make you laugh!

[Gatefan1976]

I knew i would eventually say something that would make you laugh!

I see plenty of stuff on these threads that make me laugh

[Annoyed]

http://www.cnn.com/2015/11/13/us/goo...ver/index.html

In a Google Plus post, the Google Self-Driving Car Project pled guilty to slow driving.

"We've capped the speed of our prototype vehicles at 25 mph for safety reasons," the post said. "We want them to feel friendly and approachable, rather than zooming scarily through neighborhood streets."

In the end, the officer determined the car had broken no law. No harm, no foul.

And no ticket was issued -- not because there was no driver to whom to issue it but because the car had committed no violation.

For its part, the Google Self-Driving Car Project seemed proud of the whole affair.

"Driving too slowly? Bet humans don't get pulled over for that too often," the post said.

And the cars' unblemished record continues.

But I bet the line of people caught behind this thing were pissed.

Sorry, until these damned cars are as good as a skilled driver, they do not belong on public highways.

[Gatefan1976]

http://www.cnn.com/2015/11/13/us/goo...ver/index.html


But I bet the line of people caught behind this thing were pissed.

How nice for them.
I assume you would be one of them?

Sorry, until these damned cars are as good as a skilled driver, they do not belong on public highways.

And how do you propose they do that without using public roads?
Can we piss off all the Learners now as well, cause they should not be on public highways either...........

[Annoyed]

No, I wasn't involved. I'm roughly 3000 miles from Calif., thankfully.

Google is a very wealthy company. They can certainly pay for their own research and development. There is no excuse to make the public pay for it in any way, shape, manner or form.

[Pharaoh Hamenthotep]

http://www.cnn.com/2015/11/13/us/goo...ver/index.html


But I bet the line of people caught behind this thing were pissed.

Sorry, until these damned cars are as good as a skilled driver, they do not belong on public highways.

And how are they meant to improve unless they're allowed on public highways? Simulations can only take them so far..

They did nothing wrong, they broke no laws. So why keep them off the road?

No, I wasn't involved. I'm roughly 3000 miles from Calif., thankfully.

Google is a very wealthy company. They can certainly pay for their own research and development. There is no excuse to make the public pay for it in any way, shape, manner or form.

They do pay for their own research..

Maybe wear the tinfoil hat on alternate days? All this anger can't be good for you...

[Annoyed]

No, they are making those motorists stuck behind that car pay, in terms of lost time getting to their destination.

Google can afford to build test tracks and facilities to work out the bugs. That is not what the public highways are for.

[Pharaoh Hamenthotep]

They can't overtake?

Have you ever been stuck behind a bus or a tractor? Should they be kept off the road too?

You do understand that you're criticising an experimental car for driving carefully for the protection of the other road users, right?

If it had been driving at the speed limit and had an accident would you be here demanding it be made to drive slower?

[Annoyed]

criticising an experimental car

It should NOT be on public highways, period.

[Pharaoh Hamenthotep]

But how will it learn to drive in traffic? If they didn't think it was safe it wouldn't be on the road. The only way to prove it is ready to drive under real conditions is to test it under real conditions.

Keeping it off the road will only delay the final stages of testing. Simulations and test track conditions with one or two other cars can only take it so far.

How long do you suggest it stay off the road?

And do you really think the Google car is the only one?

[SoulReaver]

self driving cars that can "overtake"? suuure...

while we're at it why not cars that can read signs (including from an oblique angle & with graffiti on them), avoid ice & other weather conditions, make out lane lines under thin snow, modulate their speed when the road's wet, avoid potholes & manholes (these are perceived as a solid black circles. ouch), find its way through ungoogled/uncharted/signless roads (while handling priority in traffic), recognize temporary construction signs, handle 4-way stops, navigate through intersections without red lights for cross-traffic - without eating up the space of 5 cars - and of course allow for jaywalkers (pesky human factor)...

people forget this is only the early 21st century
I used to be that naive too - when I was 12 or something. lol
this ain't star trek folks - we're still only a Type 0 civilization (probably always will be)...and "artificial intelligence" as of today is still closer to artificial stupidity

I'd rather have the SS fine Google-cars (don't worry about google they got billions, they can pay the fine still be rich) than fine live drivers who more often than not haven't committed any offence but just happened to cross paths with a corrupt copper on a power trip looking to fill his day's quota


also, why this blind trust in Google anyway - because they're an ultra rich corporation & the rich corporates are always right? enough with this pro-capitalist BS plz

[Annoyed]

But how will it learn to drive in traffic? If they didn't think it was safe it wouldn't be on the road. The only way to prove it is ready to drive under real conditions is to test it under real conditions.

Keeping it off the road will only delay the final stages of testing. Simulations and test track conditions with one or two other cars can only take it so far.

How long do you suggest it stay off the road?

And do you really think the Google car is the only one?

Google is wealthy beyond the dreams of avarice. They can afford to build as large a test track as they need, and hire as many test drivers as it takes to do the R & D on this thing. There is no conceivable legitimate excuse to allow them to do their testing on public highways, putting the public at risk while doing so.

And they can keep it off the public highways until they can prove it is as good as a skilled driver in any situation.