Jabba 18389 Report post Posted February 20, 2014 (edited) So, I've seen Ford's commercials for the parking assist option. I get a serious boner melter about this thing for a couple of reasons. I don't trust anyone to park my car but me. I don't care if it/whoever is smarter or more computerized than me. I just can't release the wheel. Maybe it's a slug thing? I cringe whenever my newly G2 licensed kid parks the car, but that's the experience we all have to bear, right? But jeez, this option takes the fun out of the whole thing eh? Last time I looked, you can't pass the final driver's test just by pressing the button. What happens in really crappy driving conditions? Does it work if you have to park during slippery snow shit? Has anyone actually experienced this weird kind of little dreamcumtrue? Am I missing something? Edited February 20, 2014 by Jabba 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Hoppinhorny 1219 Report post Posted February 20, 2014 I have had the joy of trying it out (brother works for a ford dealership). It actually is a neat feature and since the computer has the ability to analyze and respond faster than a person does, it's a good feature for some. AFAIK, it does compensate for wheel spin and positioning, etc. All you need to do is select the gears, it does the rest. I agree that it does take a bit away from the joy of driving, but at the same time, when I'm parked on a crowded street seeing someone parallel park by my car, I'd much prefer them having this option than watching my bumpers getting dinged. 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
qwertyaccount 15793 Report post Posted February 20, 2014 Technology has a way of making people dependent on it because either they forget how to do something themselves or they never bother to learn in the first place. How many people can make toast without a toaster? If self-parking becomes common, as it likely will, Jabba you'll worry less about your son parking your car and more about the people parking next to you in some parking lot driving an older car that they borrowed from someone that doesn't have the feature that they are dependent on. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dirkgently 1778 Report post Posted February 22, 2014 Personally I think park assist is the worst invention and the last one we need. Instead we should be properly training people how to drive. The reason parallel parking is part of a driving test is to determine if you have a basic understanding and ability to make the vehicle do want you want it to do. Having a computer do the work for you in no way enhances your driving ability and the better driver you are the safer we all are. Just my two cents On a side note, recently went to a gathering at a friends house and blocked several cars when I parked. It wasn't a problem as I told everyone and left the keys by the door so anyone could move the car. Problem was, out of 15 people there I was the only one that could drive a manual. What is the world coming to. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest P**aq Report post Posted February 22, 2014 Technology has a way of making people dependent on it because either they forget how to do something themselves or they never bother to learn in the first place. How many people can make toast without a toaster? If self-parking becomes common, as it likely will, Jabba you'll worry less about your son parking your car and more about the people parking next to you in some parking lot driving an older car that they borrowed from someone that doesn't have the feature that they are dependent on. I LOVE making toast over an open campfire/coal! Nothing better and it is so quick! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jafo105 39057 Report post Posted February 22, 2014 Jabba, here is the next innovation on the market. The Mobileye's Artificial Vision Technology. http://www.mobileye.com/technology/ Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Athos 108589 Report post Posted February 22, 2014 Jabba ... I'm totally with you on the parking thing. I pride myself on my parallel parking. Watching some people try makes me cringe. Porthos Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
roamingguy 300292 Report post Posted February 23, 2014 Agree, don't like the automation in vehicles, hell I don't even like cruise control Don't like the feeling of handing over control of my vehicle to a computer... isn't that how Skynet took over the world (anyone who watched the Terminator series of movies knows what I'm talking about)...today computer assisted parking, tomorrow global thermonuclear war I'll be back RG Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
redmana2 2754 Report post Posted February 23, 2014 Jabba ... I'm totally with you on the parking thing. I pride myself on my parallel parking. Watching some people try makes me cringe. Porthos Yeah, I take huge pride in my parking. (Almost to the level of George Costanza's ego). I've had strangers approach me in parking lots and say, "wow, you really zipped that thing in there!" Just another computerized thing people can over rely on, I fear. I wonder, after another 20 years of computer spelling and grammar checking, where the state of written language amongst kids will be? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest P**aq Report post Posted February 23, 2014 Agree, don't like the automation in vehicles, hell I don't even like cruise controlDon't like the feeling of handing over control of my vehicle to a computer... isn't that how Skynet took over the world (anyone who watched the Terminator series of movies knows what I'm talking about)...today computer assisted parking, tomorrow global thermonuclear war I'll be back RG Cruise control = less speeding tickets so in the long run you can buy your own personal terminator to chauffeur you around town. When Skynet goes global, tell your driver to get the hell out of Dodge, or small town Ontario... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Gentleman11 10508 Report post Posted February 23, 2014 I especially hated the low tech very annoying & continuous buzzers that are in rented vehicles in Saudi Arabia. They went off every time you reached 105 km/hr and staid on till you slowed below 100. This made highway driving on the flat, straight & monotonous deserts tortuous. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
qwertyaccount 15793 Report post Posted February 24, 2014 I especially hated the low tech very annoying & continuous buzzers that are in rented vehicles in Saudi Arabia. They went off every time you reached 105 km/hr and staid on till you slowed below 100. This made highway driving on the flat, straight & monotonous deserts tortuous. I wonder how many cars are returned with the buzzer clipped out. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites