Driving in Manhattan is not difficult. Its slowoften discouragingAnd may expose you to horse-related risksbut it’s not hard the way tourists often describe it. There’s a flow to things, a set of rules that – although perhaps unique to the city – make sense if you look a little. Of course, unless you’re a Tesla running FSD – you’ll never understand that.
we did previously seen FSD Teslas trying to tackle Manhattan, but this new video shows how far software has come in navigating our little corner of the automotive world — and how much further it needs to go. While FSD handled much of the city in a way that any out-of-towner could do – reasonably enough, albeit too slowly and leaving too much space – it still seemed hampered by two things: Taxi and pedestrians.
Throughout the video, the Tesla doesn’t seem to understand the taxi’s movements. For humans, yellow taxis are easy enough to understand: You see the taxi, then the people on the sidewalk, then the hazard lights, and you know to change lanes and go around. However, Tesla can’t seem to put all those pieces together perfectly.
Crosswalks are also a problem for cars. New Yorkers are known to stand right next to the sidewalk while waiting to cross the street, and the car seems to recognize that when people actively cross. It pulls back, giving them space to move, which only disrupts the flow of drivers and pedestrians alike. It doesn’t understand.
The New York’s FSD software problems were more annoying than dangerous, but it made the car unpredictable on the road. However, hesitating near pedestrian crossings is still better crashed straight into a moving train. Or roadside. Or a flood. I for one cannot wait New York’s robotaxi invasion. Surely this will go well.
