Instagram/@officialterihatcher
Teri Hatcher shared on social media, among other things, that she had a car without a driver experience during which she felt like a passenger in an autonomous vehicle controlled by Waymo in Austin, Texas, while also letting her followers know her reactions and the sensation of not having a driver in the car firsthand.
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Teri Hatcher is slowly but surely getting the hang of the new transportation system. The star actor who won many hearts in the past is now in a very unusual position for most people: she is up close and personal with Waymo’s completely robot-operated car. As part of the actress’s first self-driving car experience, Teri picked Austin as the city where she would be able to enjoy a modern-day adventure filled with storytelling from the moment her Uber request turned out to be a Waymo to her final thoughts after the ride.
A video showing the trip saw the charming and humorous side of Hatcher being her usual self. She was amused by the lack of communication between her and the driverless car. To prove her point she started saying “It really feels strange not to anyone,” and then went on to list the regular niceties she would exchange with the driver. She made a joking remark when she said she is a “huge overshare” in her “old age,” thus implying the human contact that was very much missed. She was virtually talking to the weather and happenings in town, making it look as if she were trying to get a reply from the empty seat that should have been occupied by the driver, while ultimately, she was thanking the car for switching her pace so perfectly.
The social media post was met with a lot of acceptance and even deemed by some as a starter to the debate about the reality of self-driving cars. One user succinctly stated, “This is the future,” thus not only summing up but also portraying the general mood of technology being unstoppable. A different person suffering from almost the same issue, but from a different angle, remarked on the actress and labeled her as the “classiest person in showbiz” and the crush that Hollywood would never lose since her ‘Lois & Clark’ days, thus indirectly steering the discussion back to her timeless allure.
A large share of the audience who watched the video shared their personal stories and also expressed their curiosity about Waymo cars. “I really enjoy them,” was one of the comments left while another one was a surprised one: “I didn’t know it had come to Austin,” and was followed by a story about someone getting picked up by a Waymo and their whole group “praying for him.” A very practical question was asked about users’ choices, as one person wanted to know whether it would be possible to refuse a Waymo ride for one with a human driver. Another user stated that there is such a choice in the app, providing a detail that may be calming down those who are unsure about the technology being used.
The situation clearly raised a question about how much social interaction people actually need. One person quite openly stated “I need human interaction!!” but tried to be funny by suggesting that the driverless car would actually be the perfect place to “sing our hearts out” without anyone listening, which was the silver lining. Another comment was more cautious in nature, suggesting that the cars should be equipped with “soothing robot voice” to interact with the passengers and make the “eerie” silence less intimidating. This shows a shared fear that technology and human interaction may become increasingly impersonal.
Not everyone, however, was open to the idea or gave positive feedback. A significant number of comments voiced a strong rejection to the use of driverless cars. One person literally stated “I won’t use them!” as he/she prefers to be “vintage.” Another one even more boldly declared: “I would never trust a car without a driver, no way!” The issue of safety was raised constantly, a person asked how safe it is for a driverless vehicle and another said it is “not very safe in my opinion.” Some even used humor to express their doubts, one saying, “Probably drives better than me,” and another making a reference to the movie Total Recall with “Johnny Cab.”
A few comments basically expressed negativity towards the actress, one user saying “you’re way too precious to do this! No no no no,” and another simply saying “No thank you. LoL Love your videos though” with no less than maintaining the debate. Regardless, a lot of people continued to recognize Hatcher’s character with one fan saying, “It must have been so difficult for you to be in that car all this time! HAHAHAHA knowing how much of a talker you are” and another saying she was “the cutest and the coolest person ever.”
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The experience of Teri Hatcher with robotic-assisted driving was not only funny but it also opened the public’s eyes to regarding a technology that is becoming more prevalent. To her credit, she did not only point out the innovative side of the new system but she also unveiled the human aspect of us that is still resistant to their acceptance. It could be that the future of transportation is silent, but the discussions it ignites are certainly not. In other news, Teri Hatcher recently opened up about family struggles while making a healthy sandwich. She also tricked her mom into getting new glasses, which sparked a taco debate. The actress further declared that tacos are sandwiches in a heartwarming family visit. For her Desperately Devoted podcast, she baked a strawberry dream cake. Finally, Teri shared unfiltered golden hour selfies that sparked a conversation about aging naturally.
