Uber hopes if driverless taxis make it in Pittsburgh, they can make it anywhere

PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA – Taylor Pollier got an offer from Uber he couldn't refuse -- to be part of an experiment with a car of the future. Uber on Wednesday became the first company to make self-driving cars available to the general public in the U.S. through a test program in Pittsburgh. The ride-hailing service selected a group of customers, including Pollier, to take free rides in autonomous Ford Fusions, with human drivers as backups. Pollier, 27, said the Fusion "felt sharp," and the 15-minute ride to his bartending job went smoothly and felt "like taking an Uber any other day." If other riders have a similar reaction, and the autonomous cars are able to handle all the challenges Pittsburgh offers, including snowstorms, rolling hills and a tangled network of aging roads and bridges, then the self-driving car will be one step closer to going from science fiction to a realistic option for travelers.