BART Outfitted With Wireless

wyldeone writes "The San Fransico Chronicle reports that the BART subway system has been completely outfitted with cells to allow cellphone usage everywhere on the line. The network has been paid for entirely by Nextel, who leased out the lines to the other carriers." From the article: "Rae said BART and the wireless companies know some riders will try to make calls over the din as BART roars and screeches through tunnels. But most of the business, he said, will be from people using wireless devices to read and send e-mail or browse the Internet. 'You could use your Blackberry to take care of all your e-mail on your way to work,' he said. 'But the trains are really too noisy (underground) to have an intelligent conversation.'"

Comments

Finally

[goldseries]

This is a necessity. It is always a problem with BART. Now the best transportation system in America will also be wireless. All they need now is to add Wi-Fi, which is also sorely needed.

that'll never fly...

[YesIAmAScript]

Didn't you notice? People are never interested in talking to people they're with. For no apparent reason, conversations are always more interesting if the other person is on the other end of a cell phone link from you.

Ever seen a group of teenagers walking the mall or walking home from school? One's always talking on the phone.

The green smudge

[zedeler]

I find it ironic that they happily outfit BART with digital equipment, while sitting down proves to be a life threatening exercise, because the seats have not been cleaned since they were first fitted in the trains a couple of decades ago. When I sat down, it felt exacly like sitting on wet grass. Damp, primordial soup creeping up my back. Every time. But you can check your email. Almost everywhere now. Gee.