A new study outlines the effects that autonomous cars could have on tourism -- even the seedier parts. UK researchers predict that autonomous cars might become the mobile red-light districts of the future. Manufacturers have been working hard to show us what a future with the widespread use of autonomous vehicles would be like. We'll have dramatically fewer traffic incidents, more free time, less stress on our commutes and a place to engage in paid sexual intercourse.
According to a study called Autonomous vehicles and the future of urban tourism , published recently in the Annals of Tourism Research by co-authors Scott Cohen and Debbie Hopkins and spotted by the Washington Post , self-driving cars will provide the perfect modern mobile replacement for the by-the-hour "no-tell motel," in which sex workers often ply their trade. The researchers envision a future in which companies could specialize in transforming autonomous vehicles into rolling microbrothels with beds for seats, lighting and sound systems and massage chairs.
The researchers specifically call out cities such as Amsterdam, which has a bustling legal sex trade that caters specifically to tourists, as being a likely hub.
Given the illegality of prostitution everywhere in the US, barring select locations in Nevada, things might take a different tack here. Manufacturers and the companies that offer autonomous mobility services will have to figure out how to deal with people disabling in-car monitoring to engage in drug use or sexual activity. Think about how people act in cabs and then take away the cabbie's judging eyes in the rearview mirror. It's not a pretty picture. All of this is naturally speculation, and it'll be quite a while before we see the kind of widespread use of autonomous vehicles that this paper imagines.
So don't, you know, run out and buy a hazmat suit for your commute just yet. Rides in Waymo's self-driving cars might be free : Here's why. Americans are becoming more, not less, fearful of self-driving cars : We don't trust them yet. Be respectful, keep it civil and stay on topic. We delete comments that violate our policy , which we encourage you to read.
