[PRCo] Re: of weird headways, the high tech era, and the haves and have-nots

[Derrick J Brashear]

On Wed, 28 Nov 2001, Jim Holland wrote:

> > Yeah, yeah, you're saying "but I'm not going to dial in just to check when
> > the next bus will be along" and here's where the high-tech era stuff comes
> > in.
> 
> 	The NextBus system is Not just for dialins  --  key stops along a route
> will display this information as well.   This allows a person the
> opportunity to look for alternatives if there Is a delay.

A map, or just "next arrival time"? Stockholm has "next arrival time" on
key routes, and I'd like to see it in Pittsburgh, but I'm not holding my
breath. I did once start on something less ambitious, something called
"Transit Guide" which at the time had but a few schedules (67J, G, 52) but
was intended to show maps of stops and and what connections could be made
to get from A to B and was intended to be able to be deployed in kiosks
using old computers, but it never got far enough to be useful. In any
case, I got the idea this area wasn't ready for that sort of system, but a
"next bus: 67F 5 minutes, 61C 8 minutes, 61B 8 minutes, 61A 9 minutes"
would be welcomed and understood.

> 	The Bay-Area  *may*  or may not be more tech savvy, but that doesn't
> mean that Muni is more tech savvy!
> 	And our buses announce stops from a satellite as well  --  amazing how
> nicely it works.   Gets a little ahead of itself downtown but we assume
> it is the tall buildings and signals bouncing off them.

GPS, presumably. I carry one (and a few gigabytes of maps, enough for
example to cover this trip) with me whenever I travel; I wrote the
interface software and modified the mapping software to suit my needs:-)

The errors are actually more likely when the system can't "see" enough
satellites in the sky there's a higher error. It uses multiple satellites
and triangulates a position.

> > Also, Allegheny County has the 2nd "oldest" population of any county in
> > the country, and at least circumstantially it appears that the older you
> > are the less likely to be "tech-savvy" you are... taken broadly and for
> > now, anyhow.
> 
> 	Nothing personal, guys, but we-uns' here ain't exactly young  --  and a
> number are retired gentlemen!!   And apparently quite computer literate
> as well with all the information they provide!

But I would posit that we are not the rule, but the exception.

> 	Public hones in on this and other characteristics as well.   Remember
> standing downtown and grandma and granddaughter stepped onto the island,
> nicely dressed, I might add - hats, gloves, etc!   Grandma said a good
> way to recognize the trolleycar you need is the one with the light on
> the roof!!

These days people all dress like slobs, but that's another rant for
another list.:-)

I got off-topic for the list. I should shut up and finish packing. Sigh.

-D