Imagining a future where Chicagoans ride around in free driverless cars

The inside smelled of pine deodorant. She took a quick look around. It was clean, the seats next to it gray and plush. The driver and passenger seats were still there, as was the steering wheel. It was simply a regular SUV transformed into a car with a steering wheel. A sort of evolution. Interesting. His mother tapped on the window, and Zelu was shocked when it opened in response. She and her mother looked at each other for a moment and then both laughed. “Wow,” her mother said, a surprised look on her face. “I know,” agreed Zelu.

“Are you okay?”

“I’m just going to the lake,” Zelu said. “I’ll be fine.”

“Call me if you need me. I can come and get you.”

“Please prepare for your journey,” an automated voice announced. Her mother jumped back, as if the SUV had suddenly hit her.

“Relax, Mom,” Zelu said. “Its sensors know you’re there. It won’t move until you’re a safe distance away.”

“I’ll believe it when I see it,” said his mother.

“You have to.”

His mother waved as the vehicle slowly pulled away. Zelo answered.

And then she was all alone, and her life was in the hands of the SUV.

“This is so weird,” he muttered as he watched the steering wheel move on its own. It was the first time she had been in a moving vehicle alone. No one was there, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that there was a presence; something was in control. It was like being led by a ghost. “Or should I say a NoBody,” he said to himself, laughing.

When the vehicle stopped to turn onto the main road, his joy disappeared.

He believed in the science behind self-driving vehicles. The technology had existed for years, and he studied this new taxi service in recent months. The idea of ​​being able to order one with your phone like an Uber and not have to deal with a human being who looked at you strangely, asked unpleasant questions, could be a serial killer, and so on, was a wonderful thought. More importantly, it would free her from her family. Whenever I asked one of them for a ride, they responded with this strange mixture of pity, control, and duty. She didn’t think they even knew they did this. It always left her feeling pathetic and childish, even when it was one of her younger brothers leading her on. Oh, to be free of that feeling.

Still, at this moment, he wanted to scream in panic. He digs his nails into the arms of his chair. Despite all the research and reassurances from the customer service people I had spoken to, this was very different now that it was happening in real time. What if there was a glitch and he miscalculated? What if another driver did something crazy that the SUV couldn’t understand or adjust to? What if there was a solar flare and the whole car died?

“Shit!” he shouted as the SUV made the turn. “I want to die!”

So they were on the road. Zelu screamed and laughed with relief, still sweating from balls. The vehicle was going exactly the speed limit, which meant everyone else was passing. Many people did a double take, a few pointed, and two held their phones to record video. Zelu was too stressed to pay any of this much mind. They were approaching the highway.