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Solutions for Avoiding Traffic?
gregwbrooks asks: "Technology lets us wardrive and kludge together interesting uses for the OnStar equipment in our vehicles, but what about the one thing I really need: On-demand, real-time traffic information? These guys have a BREW-based app that downloads real-time traffic maps to your cell phone -- it just rolled out in Chicago and Milwaukee, and apparently is going national soon. What other options are out there for someone who doesn't want to fiddle around with tiny web pages on his phone while driving?"
If only there were some kind of wireless information distribution mechanism where a human could give traffic reports vocally. Reports from different places could be communicated across different "channels" from different wireless broadcasting "stations". Since traffic isn't always a problem, and since people aren't always interested in traffic, these channels could also distribute other types of information, perhaps even audio entertainment. The only problem is how to pay for it. Wait, I got it! Audio commercial advertisements! Perhaps some day all cars will come equipped with one of these receiver devices as standard equipment.
Hmmmm. Id have to find a way to wire up a heat-seeking interface to this. I dont need a missle or anything, I just want the coolness of hearing the GROWWWWLLLLLL of the heat-seeking lock on when someone pisses me off in traffic.
On second though, maybe a Sidewinder would be cool, too....
"The natural progress of things is for liberty to yield and government to gain ground." - Thomas Jefferson
...are out there for someone who doesn't want to fiddle around with tiny web pages on his phone while driving?
A: Pull over and then fiddle around with tiny web pages on your phone.
> Solutions for Avoiding Traffic?
/. would be my first suggestion...
Not getting a post on
What do you mean, not THAT type of traffic?
I've noticed this quite a lot too over here in the UK. It may even be more pronounced since, over here, you aren't meant to undertake people - ie. to overtake, you move to the lanes nearer the divider in the middle of the road. Hence, everyone piles into the third lane (far right in the UK [1]) as nobody wants to be stuck behind lorries and slow vehicles. As soon as a jam happens, the first lane, having less vehicles, invariably becomes the faster.
It gets even worse (or better if you know) around junctions. With the cars coming off at the junctions, the first lane suddenly becomes empty all the way through the junction (assuming that all three lanes go through the junction). Of course, at the other side of the junction you have a slip road (on ramp) and it slows down, but you then just change lane out.
If the junction is of the type where the first lane becomes the slip road (off ramp) and restarts the otherside of the junction, then of course this doesn't work.
[1] Obviously we drive on the left here, which is the right side, the right side being the wrong side to drive on. At least over here the right side is the wrong side to drive on...others may disagree.
You'll need to join the Stonecutters for that.
Problem solved. No need to thank me.