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Comment on Men Harassed A Woman In A Driverless Waymo, Trapping Her In Traffic

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Knock_Knock_Lemmy_In@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago

You don’t complain about having to open your door or start the engine when escaping a threat.

Having to unplug a cable during a very specific, imagined threat seems like a niche problem.

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jaemo@sh.itjust.works ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago
Additionally: if you’re at a gas station filling an ICE vehicle and you get mugged, and you panic and peel out, there’s gas going everywhere, plenty of potential ignition sources etc.

The argument “I have more control and agency therefore I am quantifiably safer” can fuck alllllll the way off. Safety regulations are written in blood.

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Anyolduser@lemmynsfw.com ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago
The difference being that not being able to start the motor with the door open is only a problem if the driver was being attacked in a parking lot.

It’s not too big of a leap to imagine a world where a person could immobilize a car at a red light with the plug cut off from a public charger. Wall up to a stopped car, open the hatch (maybe it needs a pry bar) and put the dummy plug in. Now the car is immobilized. Smash the driver side window and they’re in business.

Sure, there are some safeguards that can be added like requiring a current to immobilize the vehicle, but it’s far from the simplest or safest answer. Car manufacturers need to stop putting in hard limits and just use alarms instead. I bought a new Subaru that has collision detection standard. The hedge next to my driveway was overgrown, but I drove right through it. The car sounded an alarm and flashed a bunch of lights, but it didn’t engage the brakes, I was able to blast through an obstacle that I knew was minor even though the car thought it was a threat. If a manufacturer feels compelled to add a safety system, it’s possible to do so without taking control away from the driver.

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- nef@slrpnk.net ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago
  
  It’s not too big of a leap
  
  I think it is. I’d like to see at least one documented case of this happening before people start demanding that cars be able to move while plugged in. Plus, in the very scenario you describe, the car would still be able to move, no? Attaching a charger does nothing unless you’re changing to parked at every red light.
  
  The only time you’d need to drive away while charging is if the attacker walks up while you’re sitting in your parked car, or kindly decides to let you get in before doing anything.
  
  I can’t find a single instance of someone being unable to escape because of their charger, so maybe let’s worry about it if it ever becomes a problem.
  
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- Knock_Knock_Lemmy_In@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago
  
  It’s not too big of a leap to imagine a world where a person could immobilize a car at a red light with the plug cut off from a public charger. Wall up to a stopped car, open the hatch (maybe it needs a pry bar) and put the dummy plug in.
  
  Sounds like a lot of hassle. If they want to immoblise a self driving car they just stand in front of it.
  
  Why carry a plug cut off from a public charger when you can just stab the tyres?
  
  Use the pry bar to smash the window and open the door. Not open the charging port.
  
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  - Anyolduser@lemmynsfw.com ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago
    
    It’s about hitting electric cars, self driving or otherwise.
    
    Cars can still move with punctured tires, at least far enough that a would-be robber or carjacker could get dragged a good distance.
    
    You smash the window and open the door. Now the panicked driver is speeding away, leaving you high and dry or dragging you along.
    
    Being able to completely immobilize a vehicle while keeping it intact is a criminal’s wet dream. It’s incumbent on car manufacturers to consider that while implementing safety features.
    
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    Knock_Knock_Lemmy_In@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago
    
    Being able to completely immobilize a vehicle while keeping it intact is a criminal’s wet dream.
    
    It’s been a reality for over a decade.
    
    wired.com/…/hackers-remotely-kill-jeep-highway/
    
    My point is that plugging in a charging cable is way down the list of attacker tools.
    
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- AA5B@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago
  How would they open the charge port door? I can still imagine it because I have a good imagination but it’s just not going to happen.
  
  Is someone really going to go through the trouble of carrying a cut off cable and a piece of electronics to open the charge port, and have time to walk up to the car click to open, wait for the door to open and insert the cable? There are faster and easier ways to immobilize a car, why would anyone make it so complicated?
  
  And that assumes that safety feature is still engaged when you’re already driving
  
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  - Anyolduser@lemmynsfw.com ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago
    Pry bar to open the hatch, like I said.
    
    And yes, today people are walking around with angle grinders to chop off catalytic converters.
    
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    AA5B@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago
    Not at a stop light, nor as a way to immobilize you. While they can steal your catalytic converter surprisingly quickly, they’ll look for a minute or two of quiet time to slide under your car.
    
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