Future Shock: Driverless Cars NOW In Preview At Beverly Center

NO JOKE.

You walk into one of the new elevators at the Beverly Center and it is "freak out" time. There are no control buttons inside. You select the floor you are going to, on the outside, then the elevator takes over and goes up and down, wherever it has been programmed and you seem grateful eventually for getting to your floor but there has been absolute silence in every elevator ride I have taken so far- about a dozen. The silence in these 12 rides has been broken by me saying/asking, "You're freaked out, right?"

Nervous laughter. YES THEY ARE. Me TOO. I had to brave it, just for a photo op wearing a "JAWS" tee shirt, get it? Great White Shark as metaphor for open wide, you may not ever exit the same.

EVERY PERSON working in the APPLE Store, rolls his or her eyes and says, "OMG" or "Why didn't they ask Tim for free advice?" Otherwise they look at you mercifully with a virtually audible thought bubble, "Take The Stairs! For god's sake, TAKE THE STAIRS!"

I predict they don't last until April Fool's Day. Seriously.