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andmaybegayer:

etakeh:

mckitterick:

andmaybegayer:

  1. Self driving cars are created. Any day now!
  2. Car-to-car communications are developed so that cars can negotiate manoeuvres on the road
  3. Someone (let’s face it: GM) adds a transaction system so that you can pay someone to get out of your lane if you’re in a hurry
  4. Navigation systems are used to implement a stock market trading convenience and speed in real time on the road
  5. People realize that if you cause traffic you can be paid to get out of the way
  6. Grifters form into roving packs that intentionally slow down traffic to extract tolls from cars
  7. As a result, commuters group cars together and pool funds to purchase passage through swarms of grifters at a lower overall cost
  8. Major corridors consisting of large packs moving together become the only viable way to navigate even moderately sized roads and all highways.
  9. Size competition between grifter packs and commuter packs, commuters start scheduling coordinated travel between population centers so that a large enough pack can be formed to outcompete grifters
  10. oops that’s a train

OP, this is a brilliant demonstration of how

a) science fiction writers work out story ideas per Theodore Sturgeon’s edict to “Ask the next question,” and

b) how late-stage capitalism creates cyberpunk dystopias

Photo of a car rear bumper covered with signage indicating their willingness to drive faster if you send them mone though venmo or cashapp. Signs include Caution this vehicle makes frequent stops, Caution slow moving vehicle, send me money, I'll drive faster. vanity plate reads CALMLY. venmo and cashapp handles are slow pos.ALT

The future…is now.

Oh of COURSE it’s a Honda Insight. The legendary hypermiler has found another way to reduce fuel costs: make someone else pay for it!