Robot Taxis. Yeah?

In the news today is an announcement by Mr Musk of Tesla that Tesla intend to release robot taxis onto the roads.

I have no doubt that these taxis will kill people but you can't pick on a robot like you can a teenage girl so no real worries there.

More important is a factor well known to those who ride commuter trains, subway trains and busses.

Who's going to clean these taxis? When?

Who's going to repair the insides?

Not one story I've read on these vehicles answers these questions.

The trains and busses have humans working inside them and are still filthy, graphitied, further vandalised and full of rubbish (No, not commenting on the passengers here.) , robot cars will be unsupervised.

I owned and drove a taxi in Christchurch for 17 years, ten of those at night.

Even in the close environment of a sedan I had people drink (and spill) booze, people wet the seat, people throw things like sweet papers, peanut shells, crisps, partially empty bottles and containers on the carpet, often under the seats and people spread oil, sunblock and grease over windows, doors, handles and seats.

Hourly a cabbie has to remove pieces of fingernail and dirty tissues from the vehicle.

All of that while I was in the car!

Add the smells of fish and chips, chinese, indian, KFC (the worst of the lot), macca's etc plus dirty, sweaty, smelly, farting people, all of which your average cabbie is expected to overcome on a daily basis.

Go for it Mr Musk.

Instead of rivalling the current taxi industry you''ll drive people towards them.