What's the difference from a (better maintained) taxi service? Especially one that in this hypothetical future, would be driverless.

In general I think the trend of personal car ownership is something that will become somewhat of a hobby rather than a daily necessity, even outside of cities as long as Waymo (and others) are able to actually achieve their ambitious goals. The only way I see that reversing is if people are forced to live out of their cars due to absurd home costs, which is a very very bleak future.

Because you don’t have your personal belongings in the taxi, you have to take them in and out. A personal car is a little room, like a little part of your home, that you bring with you when you travel. With kids especially (diapers, wipes, books, toys, car seats, snacks, a place to change diapers or change clothes or breastfed in privacy or nap, etc… protected from the elements and climate controlled), this is really helpful.

I extensively use car sharing services in Europe and it covers almost all of my use cases, the only exception being long distance trips, those are just too expensive when you’re paying by the minute or kilometer at todays prices.

There’s options with fixed parking spots, and services that allow pick up and drop off anywhere.

You tend to structure your life a little different once you don’t own your own car anymore, you start to think twice about little trips you would’ve done otherwise. On the flip side I now have access to 5 different types of cars ranging from small to big (vans) from my phone. It doesn’t even require that much more planning considering it’s reached critical mass around here and there’s a ton of cars available.

The biggest player around is profitable too, so it’s not going away any time too. It’s saved me thousands and spared me from so much hassle surrounding car ownership. I consider myself an enthousiast but I just got a motorcycle for the weekend instead, pennies on the dollar compared to a car.

All in all I notice I’m just happier not being in a car all the time anymore, you might consider it your safe area but it might as well be a golden cage at times.

I understand it’s different once your throw small children in the mix so it might make sense there, but the reality is that a lot of people could do with a lot less car at most points in their life.

Something that seems to happen a lot on HN is the pervasive assumption that everyone lives in an urban area, or wants to. It is totally fine that some people choose that life, but it makes for these one-sided conversations where someone explains in detail why they have the right answer, while describing things that largely do not even exist outside of a relatively dense urban environment.

I'm addressing the GP who references Manhattan, obviously all of the above does not apply to more rural areas. I'm merely providing an anecdote of a city dweller, I figured that much was obvious. Please live your best life and if that means living outside of the city and owning a car, I wish you all the best.

Usable public transport is not limited to urban centers. GP mentions Europe and there, you have rural areas connected by good bus or railway system people use to get to school or work.

Kids can use bicycles from when they are very young, and until then you can put them into a little thing you can drag behind your bicycle.

If you are doing longer travel, using the train is actually awesome. Those trains have actual places for children to play in.

If you cities and that goes for small cities as well are properly designed its very possible. Its just that in the US cities are literally designed so as to make it impossible.