Originally Posted by
Maelochs
We live in a world where people will circle the parking lot three times to find a place to park closer to the entrance of the gym ... and not just when it is raining, Every time. I used to go to the gym daily, I saw it.
Those are not people who want to ride bikes for transport.
Maybe not, but the question is whether the culture of going to a gym to avoid exercising outside isn't due to the simple mental habit of using a single mode, driving, for transportation and not overweighing other options. There is a certain simplicity in knowing that if you have to go somewhere, you have to drive there. Overweighing other options complicates things, makes it more difficult to estimate time-scheduling, etc. I ride a bike almost exclusively for this reason, but I like to walk when I'm not worried about conserving time for any reason.
When people get used to using driverless ride-sharing services all the time, it will force them to think about time in a different way. They will know more-or-less how long it takes to catch a ride and get to a destination. As the software/tracking of prospective rides gets better, it will be easier to coordinate short walks with rides in a way that is more time-efficient. I meet many people who are already skilled with using transit apps in this way, but I've yet to master the art of real-time transit 'surfing' because I have a pretty old phone that isn't compatible with many apps and I don't like downloading them anyway, because they use up battery life faster.
Anyway, to sum up, the exciting thing about driverless cars/rides is how they will alter the standard approach to time/travel management.
Instead of mindlessly going through the routine of getting your car, driving it to your destination, parking it, and walking from the parking spot to the door; you can put your creativity to use in more ways than just driving around a parking lot hunting for the best spot.(even if you're not car-free)