Strangest Parking Lot Question Ever

Lanny · Jan 21, 2016

A fellow approached me in a parking lot today.

Him: Do you mind if I ask what kind of car is that?
Me: It’s a Tesla Model S

Him: This is going to sound like a strange question but can that car drive itself?
Me: Yeah, it drives itself with something called Autopilot.

Him: Oh good, I thought I was going crazy. I was beside one of those cars the other day and a guy was in the passenger seat and I couldn’t believe my eyes.
Me: Whoa whoa, It doesn’t really work like that, I mean you gotta be in the driver’s seat...

Him: Well, there was only one guy in the car and he was in the passenger seat, no driver.
Me: Are you sure?

Him: Yeah, it was on I-295 and I remembered the logo on the back and I just noticed that you have the same kind of car. What’s it called again?
Me: Tesla.

I was just flabbergasted.

The scenario is unlikely but oddly plausible given that it was a Tesla.

CHG-ON · Jan 21, 2016

Maybe he did one of the lame stunts like putting a brick on the front seat to activate the sensor. There are a lot of idiots out there.

msnow · Jan 21, 2016

Or if he was creeping along with summon.

mikeash · Jan 21, 2016

There is precedent:

Infiniti Q50 Active Lane control is scarily self-driving

Let's hope that the person you talked to was just mistaken, though, and simply didn't see the driver.

Footbag · Jan 21, 2016

mikeash said:
There is precedent:

Infiniti Q50 Active Lane control is scarily self-driving

Let's hope that the person you talked to was just mistaken, though, and simply didn't see the driver.

More to the point (as perhaps you never saw this):

Tesla Autopilot Stunt w/driver in back seat - DO NOT ATTEMPT

I'm a bit sad to see how many thumbs down the video has, given all the warnings/disclaimers provided.

SabrToothSqrl · Jan 21, 2016

So they disabled AP on some roads, but still didn't bother to link it to the butt in seat sensor...

mikeash · Jan 21, 2016

Footbag said:
More to the point (as perhaps you never saw this):

Tesla Autopilot Stunt w/driver in back seat - DO NOT ATTEMPT

I'm a bit sad to see how many thumbs down the video has, given all the warnings/disclaimers provided.

That's a fun video, but it's on a private road with many precautions taken. I think the Infiniti video is more appropriate here, since the nutcase in question pulled that stunt on a public highway.

MorrisonHiker · Jan 21, 2016

Maybe it was Elon testing the AP2 hardware!

Footbag · Jan 21, 2016

mikeash said:
That's a fun video, but it's on a private road with many precautions taken. I think the Infiniti video is more appropriate here, since the nutcase in question pulled that stunt on a public highway.

Fair point about it being a bit apples to oranges. In that case, might I offer...

TESLA AUTOPILOT DRIVING ITSELF ?

mikeash · Jan 21, 2016

Footbag said:
Fair point about it being a bit apples to oranges. In that case, might I offer...

TESLA AUTOPILOT DRIVING ITSELF ?

I was unaware of this one. What the hell is wrong with people?!

Max* · Jan 22, 2016

Can't blame him. I-295 is a parking lot usually. I would climb into the passenger seat and take a nap too and let AP cruise along in bumper-to-bumper traffic.

MorrisonHiker · Jan 22, 2016

Another possibility might be that it was a right-hand drive vehicle and that the driver was driving from the "passenger" side.

loganss · Jan 22, 2016

Sadly, I'm not surprised that someone was using the AP features without being in the driver's seat. I remember seeing some of the youtubes posts linked here. I hope there isn't a major accident caused while AP on with no driver in the driver seat. If that happens, Autopilot would be pulled from everyone instantly.

andrewket · Jan 22, 2016

The AP will disable if you unbuckle the seatbelt. I learned this a few days ago when I tried to take off my jacket.

1208 · Jan 22, 2016

MorrisonHiker said:
Another possibility might be that it was a right-hand drive vehicle and that the driver was driving from the "passenger" side.

Could be but there aren't any countries which drive on the left close to the USA. I checked and was surprised Canada isn't on the left bearing in mind it was an ex-colony.

Patrick W · Jan 22, 2016

MorrisonHiker said:
Maybe it was Elon testing the AP2 hardware!

That was kind of what I was thinking (but without Mr. Musk). Maybe some next generation test vehicle with backup controls on the passenger side.

Or maybe someone brought their right hand drive car over from the UK.

hiroshiy · Jan 22, 2016

Patrick W said:
That was kind of what I was thinking (but without Mr. Musk). Maybe some next generation test vehicle with backup controls on the passenger side.

Or maybe someone brought their right hand drive car over from the UK.

It could be that Tesla is testing driving controllers for disabled. Model S is completely computer controlled, so developing a small controller to drive the car should be an easy task. The driver on the right seat was actually driving with the micro controller on his laps!

Canuck · Jan 22, 2016

MorrisonHiker said:
Another possibility might be that it was a right-hand drive vehicle and that the driver was driving from the "passenger" side.

That's what went through my mind. Every time I'm in New Zealand or Australia it looks like the cars are driving themselves with no passengers. I just had some visitors from Australia over the holidays and they instinctively went to the driver's door, like I do as a passenger when visiting them. It always gives us a chuckle.

TesAus · Jan 23, 2016

1208 said:
Could be but there aren't any countries which drive on the left close to the USA. I checked and was surprised Canada isn't on the left bearing in mind it was an ex-colony.

Maybe a Tesla test vehicle testing that some new feature works on a RHD vehicle. They are after all all made in the same factory even if some final assembly is done in Europe for European cars. Australian and Japanese cars are fully assembled in California.

loganss · Jan 23, 2016

I would have thought test vehicles would primarily be in California near Tesla HQ or unique environments (e.g. extreme temperature environments). I don't imagine the DMV road conditions to be that much different to test never before seen AP tech. Still possible though.

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