We should all be able to accomplish this.
This reminds me of a joke:
āWhen I die, I want to go peacefully in my sleep like my grandfather. Not screaming in terror, like the passengers in his car.ā
And, Yes its great to see the guy able to drive at 110 years old - but Iām not sure that just ādrivingā your car is the best measure, or the best thing to be doing.
I have a friendās mother at 85 who still drives regularly, but her car is covered with scrapes, scratches and dings from slightly missing on the entry into, or out of, the garage or who knows what else when sheās parking. Just because you ācanā doesnāt mean you āshouldā be driving. 
And my aging uncle passed out or fell asleep at the wheel and went flying across a busy intersection (amazingly didnāt hit anyone) and embedded the car in a restaurant that thankfully didnāt have anyone seated where he hit.
Iām glad that the self-driving cars that I see all over San Francisco every day are almost ready for prime time - so when Iām 110 I donāt have to drive.
13 Likes
Waiting for this. Having an electric chauffeur.
2 Likes
Autonomous cars are currently available for purchase in the US.including California.
Re$ource$ is the only requirement.
Review;
Mercedes is the first automaker to sell level 3 autonomous cars to U.S. consumers,
āMercedes is the first automaker to sell Level 3 autonomous cars to U.S. consumers. Their Drive Pilot system allows the car to take control of driving functions under certain conditions, enabling the driver to perform other tasks, such as answering emails. The system is currently available in Germany on the S-Class and the EQS electric car, and it has received approval for use in Nevada and California in the United States. The price for the option on the S-Class is 5,000 euros ($5,423) and 7,430 euros ($8,059) on the EQS.ā
Basic Re$ource$ required;
S-Class cost 2024 new
The 2024 Mercedes-Benz S-Class starts at a price of $117,350 in the USA. The cost varies depending on the country and specific model. Hereās a breakdown of the 2024 S-Class prices in different countries:
- USA: $117,350
- Canada: $143,000
- Mexico: $74,991
- Kuwait: KWD 30,800
- UK: Ā£86,165
- Russia: RUB 18,766,440
- Australia: $244,700 to $335,100
- Dubai: AED 530,000
- Germany: ā¬93,438
- Singapore: $406,888
- London: Ā£86,165
- Saudi Arabia: SAR 672,000
These prices are subject to change and may vary based on local taxes and fees. Always check with your local Mercedes-Benz dealer for the most up-to-date pricing information.
2 Likes
Ha Ha Grandpa drove his car through the back of the garage when he was still trying to drive to church. I donāt remember his age but it started with 9. We said, Jesus why did you hit the gas so hard? He explained that there was a little hump to get out and he needed to gun a little to get over it. His reaction time was so slow he went clean through the back of the garage. I think he made it to 96.
2 Likes
You donāt have to wait much longer. Anyone coming to San Francisco (and I think Phoenix, Az) can use the Google Waymo app for a driverless car ride / taxi ride. https://waymo.com
Iām going to try it soon just for the experience.
1 Like
Yes - but I think the market for cars is going to change significantly. On average, our cars sit parked and unused about 93% of the time is what Iāve read. What a huge waste of resource and city space. Most of us donāt need a car for more than 20 to 40 minutes a day. The rest of the time it just sits there depreciating.
So the most obvious solution for most people, especially people in cities, is to not own a car and just use one of these driverless cars when you need to get around. With them being electric, and without a human driver, it will mean that they will be very cheap for the average trip, perhaps equal to the price of a bus ride. So weāll need a lot fewer cars in the future I suspect.
3 Likes
Yep, I see them on the road here.
2 Likes
We have all kinds here. The toe dippers, the new adopters, the bio hackers, the fountain of youth seekers, scientists, doctors, fitness gurus, etc.
2 Likes
Makes sense to buy it in Mexico while on vacation close to the U.S. border 
1 Like
Sadly not everyone looks after communal assets.
1 Like
Another centenarian with tips for a long, healthy lifeā¦ this time from a former Pharma company CEO. I donāt put too much weight on N=1 recommendations, but they are fun to read.
A 101-year-old former [pharma company] CEO shared his longevity advice: Early retirement is āstultifying,ā and the Mediterranean diet is best.
He traveled the world ā for business and pleasure ā before retiring at 81.
āThe idea of early retirement is horrible to me,ā he said of working almost six decades. āItās stultifying.ā
He said the secret to a fulfilling career ā and longevity in general ā included stepping out of your comfort zone.
āIf you want something badly enough, if you feel somethingās not right and you need a change, youāll find a way,ā he added.
3 Likes
Iām looking forward to this as much as anyone, but I wouldnāt put too much stock in this just yet. Pay attention to this phrase in the srticle: āā¦take control of driving functions under certain conditionsā¦ā.
Taking control under ācertain conditionsā is not the same thing as completely autonomous driving.
1 Like
Yes - level 3 autonomous driving is actually not that great. Its a 6 level classification:
In 2017 Waymo began testing its level 4 cars in Arizona to take advantage of good weather, simple roads, and reasonable laws.[19] In 2017, Waymo began testing in Michigan.[88] Also, in 2017, Waymo unveiled its Castle test facility in Central Valley, California. Castle, a former airbase, has served as the projectās training course since 2012.[19]
In March 2018, Waymo announced its plans for experiments with the companyās self-driving trucks delivering freight to Google data centers in Atlanta, Georgia.[106] In October 2018, the California Department of Motor Vehicles issued a permit for Waymo to operate cars without safety drivers. Waymo was the first company to receive a permit that allowed day and night testing on public roads and highways. Waymo announced that its service would include Mountain View, Sunnyvale, Los Altos, and Palo Alto.[107][108] In July 2019, Waymo received permission to transport passengers.[109]
In December 2018, Waymo launched Waymo One, transporting passengers. The service used safety drivers to monitor some rides, with others provided in select areas without them. In November 2019, Waymo One became the first autonomous service worldwide to operate without safety drivers.[110][111][112]
By January 2020, Waymo had completed twenty million miles (32,000,000 km) of driving on public roads.[113][114]
In August 2021, commercial Waymo One test service started in San Francisco, beginning with a ātrusted testerā rollout.[115]
In March 2022, Waymo began offering rides for Waymo staff in San Francisco without a driver.[116]
āThe future is already here; it is just unevenly distributedā
~ William Gibson
2 Likes