Job that you're surprised still exist.

With all the talk about autonomous vehicles these days, I've been wondering something: why aren't trains fully automated by now? Why do railroads still employ engineers to drive trains around? I assume unions are the main reason.

Compared to cars or trucks, automating a train is trivial. I mean, there's no steering involved on a train, just forward & reverse, which simplifies things immensely. Switching tracks is already handled remotely, and there are already systems in place to track train movement and prevent collisions. For precise movements, like coupling to cars, the engine could be piloted remotely like a drone. For long-haul work, the engine would largely take care of itself between stops. Acceleration sensors could detect any problems, and stop the train and/or signal an emergency to the human monitors. The only real issue I see is people/animals/obstacles on the track, but even with human control there really isn't much the engineer can do except blow the horn. Trains are just too big & heavy to stop quickly.

So now I'm wondering, are there any other jobs that ATS members are surprised still exist?

Blacksmiths still make horse shoes though they don't care for horses feet or put them on anymore.

Chimney sweeps.

Did you mean to say ATF members?

CNN EMPLOYEE.

a reply to: AndyFromMichigan

We need that guy to collect tickets and yell "All aboard!".
And tell us which stop is next.

originally posted by: AndyFromMichigan
With all the talk about autonomous vehicles these days, I've been wondering something: why aren't trains fully automated by now? Why do railroads still employ engineers to drive trains around? I assume unions are the main reason.

Compared to cars or trucks, automating a train is trivial. I mean, there's no steering involved on a train, just forward & reverse, which simplifies things immensely. Switching tracks is already handled remotely, and there are already systems in place to track train movement and prevent collisions. For precise movements, like coupling to cars, the engine could be piloted remotely like a drone. For long-haul work, the engine would largely take care of itself between stops. Acceleration sensors could detect any problems, and stop the train and/or signal an emergency to the human monitors. The only real issue I see is people/animals/obstacles on the track, but even with human control there really isn't much the engineer can do except blow the horn. Trains are just too big & heavy to stop quickly.

So now I'm wondering, are there any other jobs that ATF members are surprised still exist?

Unions. Here in Illinois on our Metra rail system, a public commuter train that ferries people from suburbs to Chicago we still have the old school conductors who actually walk through the cars punching tickets. It could be totally automated. These guys make like $88,000 a year. They do other things supposedly, but it seems awfully inefficient...

Metra Conductor Not a Ticket Taker

A lot of the jobs that are still around may have other issues that you can't see in a brief interaction that make having a human preferable over automation.

I work in mortgage finance and my job will be automated at some point. It is partially. However, I am more paid for bringing in business more so than anything. Human's are also way more adept at the nuances and spotting fraud and other issues. The computers simply aren't that smart yet but they are getting there.

Andy?
(((((((Andy where'd ya go)))))))

Let me guess. You are not in the train business and really have no idea whatsoever how trains are run, amIright?

originally posted by: Sillyolme
Did you mean to say ATF members?

Err, no. I've corrected that.

a reply to: Edumakated

The computer won't see a nice suit but cheap shoes.
Or smell alcohol on someone's breath.

I took loan applications at my store for credit purchases. You don't sell a $15,000.00 rug to just anyone lol.

a reply to: Edumakated

Unions. Here in Illinois on our Metra rail system, a public commuter train that ferries people from suburbs to Chicago we still have the old school conductors who actually walk through the cars punching tickets. It could be totally automated. These guys make like $88,000 a year. They do other things supposedly, but it seems awfully inefficient...

I think the bolded bit of your remarks more than adequately explains why unions still exist.

We have the same thing here in the UK. Subway train drivers earn in excess of £50,000 a year for a 36 hour week.

This isn't some national scandal. What has happened is that their union has looked after them effectively. Everyone else who decided unions were things of the past simply walked straight into a capitalist trap. Thus, wages in the US and UK becoming effectively stagnant for decades, with no rise in 'real terms' since the early 1980s.

Everyone else can look enviously at unions and mutter under their breath about the injustice. In fact, those people are as dumb as the ones that never bothered with any insurance or pension, and ended up virtually potless. And they were tricked into it by employers, who told them that unions were essentially unadulterated communism.

Who's wealthy now, though?

On a less political note, the thing about 'flesh and blood' ticket inspectors is that they are very efficient in keeping down fare evasion. You can come up with all sorts of ways to trick computers, but nothing makes people think twice about fare-dodging better than the prospect of unexpectedly being asked, face-to-face, to produce valid permission to travel. The amount of actual criminals they catch is almost secondary to the 'security theatre' aspect of their jobs.

originally posted by: Sillyolme
a reply to: Edumakated

The computer won't see a nice suit but cheap shoes.
Or smell alcohol on someone's breath.

I took loan applications at my store for credit purchases. You don't sell a $15,000.00 rug to just anyone lol.

The computer can check your bank account and credit history.
That's even better than the shoe test.
Rich people are often rich because they are frugal.

originally posted by: Sillyolme
Blacksmiths still make horse shoes though they don't care for horses feet or put them on anymore.

This is only partially true. Some farriers do their on smithing and some blacksmiths also work as farriers, i.e. they make and fit horseshoes. At least that's the case in rural England.

Anyway, to the OP. Prostitution. Need I say more?

Also, all our jobs are toast with the advance of robots and AI.

originally posted by: Deny Arrogance
CNN EMPLOYEE.

Government officials. All of them. It should be purely automated and voter driven by the people.

a reply to: Admitted

Yes, but who programs the computers?

a reply to: AndyFromMichigan

Ok. Cuz I rarely drink and I quit smoking six years ago and I don't own a gun. Lol

originally posted by: Sillyolme
Blacksmiths still make horse shoes though they don't care for horses feet or put them on anymore.

Of course they do. I don't know where you got that idea but horses feet are still cared for by farriers, shoes and all.

a reply to: audubon

Grade-school kids. They can learn to program and they don't likely care about skewing results. Just give them an incentive to do it.