WELL, THIS IS THE 21ST CENTURY, YOU KNOW: Uber is bringing a small number of self-driving cars to its ride-hailing service in San Francisco, a move likely to both excite the city’s tech-savvy population and antagonize California regulators.

Uber’s self-driving tests in San Francisco will begin with a “handful” of Volvo luxury SUVs — the company wouldn’t release an exact number — that have been tricked out with sensors so they can steer, accelerate and brake, and even decide to change lanes. The cars will have an Uber employee behind the wheel to take over should the technology fail. Users of the app may be matched with a self-driving car, but can opt out if they prefer a human driver. Self-driven rides cost the same as ordinary ones.

The cars will be put to the test in the congested streets of San Francisco. The city can be a daunting place to drive given its famously steep hills, frequent fog, street and cable cars, an active bicycle culture, and roads that are constantly being repaved, remarked and restricted for bike lanes and traffic management.

Uber believes its technology is ready to handle all this safely, though its executives concede the vehicles are nowhere near able to drive without a human ready to take control in dicey situations.

As this former resident can tell you, driving San Francisco’s streets isn’t as much of a chore as this story makes it out to be, but anything beats trying to find a parking space — even riding the Muni.