OPINION: Pilot-less air taxis don't fly with me - Roger Moroney

Hawke's Bay Today columnist Roger Moroney.

A couple of decades back I was in Auckland where I was covering a Chatham Cup semi-final clash between the boys in blue of Napier City Rovers and Central United over at Kiwitea Park ... I think it was a cup semi but, whatever, I was up that way.

After the match I headed back to the heart of the city and shared a taxi with a couple of local chaps.

At one stage the driver seemed to be spearing well starboard of the distant Sky Tower and one of the lads suggested he take the next left, then go right, then join some inter-connecting freeway or something.

The driver raised his left hand in a sort of gesture of thanks and followed that advice.

I suspect he had been in the country for about a fortnight as he was even more bewildered by the passing signposts and direction pointers than I was.

Plus he did not seem to be totally aware of the left-hand rule.

I know it wasn't completely fair but at the conclusion of our uncertain cross-town voyage one of the local blokes, who was a bit of a hard doer, said he should deduct a fiver off the bill as he'd effectively added several unwarranted clicks to the journey.

He was good about it, and agreed to that, and even apologised, adding he was indeed new to the job, and the city, and just wanted to do the best he could.

So we gave him the fiver back and wished him all the best.

"At least we got here in one piece," was the general consensus.

It was the only time I have genuinely been a tad concerned about being the passenger rather than the controller of an automobile.

But today, sitting here watching the second half of the year get under way (it will soon be Christmas) I can only conclude that I would feel more comfortable with the newly arrived rookie steering the car rather than the results of rampaging and seemingly uncontrollable computer technology ... in the form of a driverless, basically robotically operated, electric car.

Yes, I think I have been down this path before and indeed qualify to embark on a apprenticeship for Ludditeism, but it does frighten me.

I mean, there you are, being driven along and halfway to wherever it is you button-pushed your driver to take you to, and you hear and old song on the robotically programmed radio device ... although in the future age it will of course be an i-audio.

"Is that Robert Plant singing that?"

Of course the "driver" remains tacit and mute.

So you steer out the window and say "nice day we're having."

It responds.

"Destination 47.568 kilometres."

Stopping for an ale and a toasted sandwich at Shannon is out of the question of course as you forgot to programme that request in before departure.

Oh no sirree ... not for me the electric chair ... passenger chair.

But, we are constantly advised and informed, they will one day be upon us.

There is a place for electric cars (as long as they fit sound systems to make them sound like Maseratis) but the bottom line for me is there has to be a place for a driver ... a human one.

I was fascinated, and more than slightly unnerved, to read the other day that Uber flying taxis are looking to take flight down this way, as the companies involved in these "self-piloting" flying machines have determined that New Zealand would be a good place to test and trial them because of our "supportive environment for R&D" and "relatively uncrowded skies".

Uber has declared it wants to make such machines a "reality" and its executives will meet governmental and aviation bods to discuss its plans.

Basically, you get in one and it takes off and takes you across town ... in a sky where potentially lots of others will also be humming about.

All self-piloting.

All about saving time ... travel time.

It's 40 minutes on the ferry from Auckland across to Waiheke Island but it'll only be six minutes by UberAir.

Mind you, for Ludditeism apprentices like me that would be 40 untroubled anxiety-free minutes.

Yes, I know, it is progress, as they say.

We can't stand still because if we stand still we won't get anywhere.

But we will if we just take a good old taxi which has a driver who will answer that "yes", that was Robert Plant on the radio.