Slashdot Mirror
Should Cities Install Moving Sidewalks?
theodp writes "The real problem nowadays is how to move crowds,' said the manager of the failed Trottoir Roulant Rapide high-speed (9 km/h) people mover project. 'They can travel fast over long distances with the TGV (high-speed train) or airplanes, but not over short distances (under 1 km).' Slate's Tom Vanderbilt explores whether moving walkways might be viable for urban transportation. The first moving sidewalks were unveiled at Chicago's 1893 Columbian Exposition, and at one point seemed destined to supplant some subways, but never took root in cities for a variety of reasons. Vanderbilt turns to science fiction for inspiration, where 30 mph walkways put today's tortoise-like speed ranges of .5-.83 m/s to shame. In the meantime, Jerry Seinfeld will just have to learn to live with 'the people who get onto the moving walkway and just stand there. Like it's a ride.'"
Travel fast over short distances? Bicycle! It's what killed the dumb Seagway - which, might I remind you, had a LOT of publicity, paid and free, behind it. I don't think this new dumb idea will be a match for the tried and tested bicycle.
Especially in the nordic countries, where bicycles are so popular: practically everyone is cycling, here, from 3 year-olds (with training wheels, mostly) to 93-year olds, every one and their dog loves his/her bicycle.
"The agriculture ministry is not in charge of Gundam" - Japanese ministry official.
If I'm at an airport, and have plenty of time, why should I walk on a moving walkway, only to get to the gate earlier and wait longer? So maybe I can get more crotch sweat going, and stink up the cabin more?
Seinfeld is an annoying, whining, self-congratulatory, overrated asshole.
Mod down people who tell people how to mod in their sigs
I have never had anyone give me any trouble when asked to step aside.
It's you twats that are so self involved you expect everyone to just know your'e there that cause unrest.
Here is a clue. No one cares about you, no one pays attention to you, so sometime you need to just ask for someone to step aside.
Welcome to society, dirtbag.
The Kruger Dunning explains most post on
Scuse you? Past experience indicates the wider these lardasses are, the more they ignore anyone saying "excuse me", "please let me pass", or anything similar. Especially when they are impeding the orderly flow of traffic in a walkway, or down a store aisle.
Oddly enough, these lardasses (when crossreferenced with specific populations in which the nickname "Bubba" or "Esse" predominate) represent approximately half of the dumbass morons who seem to require a gigantic SUV and two lanes of the road, rather than the standard one, to transport them to wherever they need to go. The other half of that group, equally bizarrely, is comprised almost entirely of approximately 75-lb, 4'8" tall asian or hispanic-looking women who communicate in a tongue other than English - sometimes Spanish, but just as often Japanese, Chinese, Korean, or perhaps simply atonal shrieking designed to frighten the crap out anything larger than they are, much like the yapping and yipping of a small dog.