There's something about driving that turns ordinary people into assholes. I've observed it in myself. Bus passengers are much more considerate, and I think that passengers in self-driving vehicles will behave like passengers, not like drivers. So if a pedestrian cuts them off they'll just shrug and keep playing their game or whatever they're doing.
I hope.
On freeways the same is used by cars coming from the opposite direction if there's a radar ahead.
Still, in peak hours pretty much everyone is a dick, even usually chill Uber drivers.
Edit: it's also used as a "sorry" signal too.
Also, this is not local. I've seen it used all around the country.
We use headlights to warn of friends waiting on the other side of the bush though.
In a state known for Massholes it’s surprisingly unjerkish.
Game theory with no further interaction so no consequence to defecting other than the immediate.
The problem is that there is always somebody willing to be a jerk to save 2 minutes since nobody wanted to be stuck in traffic. The only defense against that is "Do unto before done unto" and that turns everybody into jerks.
The scenario you're describing, OTOH, feels even more alienating than what we're already suffering. What in the hell gives you, sitting on a seat in a car, more right to travel through a space than a walking human being?
Eh, as a pedestrian, I hate that. I have to conscientiously turn my back to avoid impeding the traffic when I don't want to pass!
Still, I agree with you; self-driving cars that can't be trusted to slow down and stop for pedestrians should not pass the licensing requirements. And not just for humans, either; we're not going to teach other animals to follow traffic laws any time soon. I've already seen too many cats killed by assholes speeding over the limit on residential streets.
A pedestrian may illegally have entered a road, but still have right-of-way, and self driving cars will need to account for that.
However, protesting self driving cars will not change whether walking in the street is legal, since it already is not.
Therefore, whether you do so and get fined by police is entirely up to their discretion, which could change at any time for any reason.
If you want it to be legal, protest the illegality, not the car company.
If the law itself is unjust or inappropriate, protest the law.
Otherwise, enforcement is spotty at best, because the police have better things to do, such as ticket parked cars with expired tabs or meters.
If there were a sudden uptick in pedestrian-car collisions, you can bet they'll crack down.
None of the above addresses whether the law SHOULD be on the books, which is what people should put their efforts towards changing, if they feel is unjust. Protesting car companies that make self driving cars because they don't like an already existing set of laws is just misguided at best, and intellectually dishonest at worst.
That said... I think passengers in self-driving cars will learn to be more patient and we can allow self-driving cars to yield to pedestrians more often.
https://www.strongtowns.org/journal/2018/4/2/automated-vehic...