Comments on: Better and Better http://asymptotia.com/2007/01/15/better-and-better/ Fri, 30 Jul 2010 15:39:05 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.7.1 hourly 1 By: Rapid Changes in Los Angeles - Asymptotia http://asymptotia.com/2007/01/15/better-and-better/comment-page-1/#comment-59483 Rapid Changes in Los Angeles - Asymptotia Fri, 29 Jun 2007 05:35:36 +0000 http://asymptotia.com/2007/01/15/better-and-better/#comment-59483 [...] Well, in addition to adding more and more of the red “Metro Rapid” bus routes, which are faster than the locals (which -ridiculously at times- stop every block) because they stop mostly only at major intersections, and in addition to adding more of the nice and roomy double buses (”bendy buses”) they’ve done something just great (which I’d been hoping for for years) - introduced true express routes! It makes sense to have three levels of granularity on the bus service here since it matches the three levels of granularity on the road system! Excellent. (I don’t know if many people think of it in this way, but there’s three grid systems in LA - the basic city streets, the big major streets like Beverly and Wilshire, Pico and Olympic, and then there’s the freeways like the 10, the 101, the 110, etc*. Correspondingly, you typically move along at three characteristically different speeds when you’re on them, but I’m digressing….) [...] [...] Well, in addition to adding more and more of the red “Metro Rapid” bus routes, which are faster than the locals (which -ridiculously at times- stop every block) because they stop mostly only at major intersections, and in addition to adding more of the nice and roomy double buses (”bendy buses”) they’ve done something just great (which I’d been hoping for for years) - introduced true express routes! It makes sense to have three levels of granularity on the bus service here since it matches the three levels of granularity on the road system! Excellent. (I don’t know if many people think of it in this way, but there’s three grid systems in LA - the basic city streets, the big major streets like Beverly and Wilshire, Pico and Olympic, and then there’s the freeways like the 10, the 101, the 110, etc*. Correspondingly, you typically move along at three characteristically different speeds when you’re on them, but I’m digressing….) [...]

]]> By: candace http://asymptotia.com/2007/01/15/better-and-better/comment-page-1/#comment-24673 candace Tue, 16 Jan 2007 05:21:13 +0000 http://asymptotia.com/2007/01/15/better-and-better/#comment-24673 Bendy buses in London are terrible--they don't fit in the roads and traffic flows and are fairly terrifying for cyclists trying to get around them and continue to live. I don't mind them in US cities where the roads are straighter (never even thought of having an issue with them in SF where they have both 'lectrickery and diesel versions) but when they killed the routemaster routes and replaced half of those with bendy buses, I wept. Double deckers are double plus good -- esp. since the modern ones can cover the bases like wheelchair accessibility. When the bendies were rolled out, it didn't take Londoners long to realise what a great fare-dodging opportunity bendies are. ;) (sadly) And the routes that are nearest to me are two of the most rammed bus routes in London, so I don't think people were afeared of the back bit -- but there was basically no choice about the matter with the madding crowds. The turntable bit is the dodgy part that everyone avoids even now, though. There are some bi-articulated buses in Germany, apparently. I am amazed! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bendy_bus (for photos) I didn't get to take a bendy in LA, but they look cool, sort of like trackless trams. Shiny. And while I'm wibbling, the one thing that really impressed me about the LA buses was that the flatscreen displays that you mention have a little map sidebar that is a MS Local Live map updating in realtime to show where you are going. That is simply genius and was dead handy for a noob like me. TfL should rip that off wholesale. Bendy buses in London are terrible–they don’t fit in the roads and traffic flows and are fairly terrifying for cyclists trying to get around them and continue to live. I don’t mind them in US cities where the roads are straighter (never even thought of having an issue with them in SF where they have both ‘lectrickery and diesel versions) but when they killed the routemaster routes and replaced half of those with bendy buses, I wept. Double deckers are double plus good — esp. since the modern ones can cover the bases like wheelchair accessibility.

When the bendies were rolled out, it didn’t take Londoners long to realise what a great fare-dodging opportunity bendies are. ;) (sadly) And the routes that are nearest to me are two of the most rammed bus routes in London, so I don’t think people were afeared of the back bit — but there was basically no choice about the matter with the madding crowds. The turntable bit is the dodgy part that everyone avoids even now, though.

There are some bi-articulated buses in Germany, apparently. I am amazed!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bendy_bus (for photos)

I didn’t get to take a bendy in LA, but they look cool, sort of like trackless trams. Shiny. And while I’m wibbling, the one thing that really impressed me about the LA buses was that the flatscreen displays that you mention have a little map sidebar that is a MS Local Live map updating in realtime to show where you are going. That is simply genius and was dead handy for a noob like me. TfL should rip that off wholesale.

]]> By: Clifford http://asymptotia.com/2007/01/15/better-and-better/comment-page-1/#comment-24660 Clifford Tue, 16 Jan 2007 02:11:43 +0000 http://asymptotia.com/2007/01/15/better-and-better/#comment-24660 Helge..... we have those signs, but there are also signs saying do what the driver tells you..... Seriously, we only chatted when the bus was not moving... mostly. And it was for a short time since I was also concerned about safety issues and politely broke off the conversation. cheers, -cvj Helge….. we have those signs, but there are also signs saying do what the driver tells you…..

Seriously, we only chatted when the bus was not moving… mostly. And it was for a short time since I was also concerned about safety issues and politely broke off the conversation.

cheers,

-cvj

]]> By: Clifford http://asymptotia.com/2007/01/15/better-and-better/comment-page-1/#comment-24659 Clifford Tue, 16 Jan 2007 02:09:36 +0000 http://asymptotia.com/2007/01/15/better-and-better/#comment-24659 Hi! Thanks walter.... "Bendy buses"... I remember the term because for a while, I was pretty sure that I'd invented the term and it took off and became common parlance. Long before theyy made it to London, I saw them in Geneva and came back all enthusiastic about them, and called them "Bendy buses". Many years later I heard the term being used once they arrived in London. Always wondered about that.. but I imagine that people went through exactly the same processes I did in their heads (sharing the same culture) and coined the term independently. Or maybe there is some other earlier source I don't recall? Let me know about your bandwidth issues if they persist. I've taken snap off by default, leaving it only on choice links. So it is being used sparingly and there should be little difference from the normal operations.. Cheers, -cvj Hi!

Thanks walter…. “Bendy buses”… I remember the term because for a while, I was pretty sure that I’d invented the term and it took off and became common parlance. Long before theyy made it to London, I saw them in Geneva and came back all enthusiastic about them, and called them “Bendy buses”. Many years later I heard the term being used once they arrived in London. Always wondered about that.. but I imagine that people went through exactly the same processes I did in their heads (sharing the same culture) and coined the term independently. Or maybe there is some other earlier source I don’t recall?

Let me know about your bandwidth issues if they persist. I’ve taken snap off by default, leaving it only on choice links. So it is being used sparingly and there should be little difference from the normal operations..

Cheers,

-cvj

]]> By: walter http://asymptotia.com/2007/01/15/better-and-better/comment-page-1/#comment-24653 walter Tue, 16 Jan 2007 00:55:20 +0000 http://asymptotia.com/2007/01/15/better-and-better/#comment-24653 OK, I'll de-lurk! I came by Asymptotia looking for LaTeX help on blogs, and learnt a lot. Then I started dropping by for interest. I'm from UK, working in Singapore, and the Snap links yesterday visibly chewed up bandwidth - the page loaded, and then it was obvious that a lot else was loading, presumably the thumbnails. SE Asia lost a lot of bandwidth to the US following a recent earthquake off Taiwan and repairs are underway on six or more cables. The buses are great, known in London as "bendy buses". An excellent read over my morning coffee. Thanks. OK, I’ll de-lurk! I came by Asymptotia looking for LaTeX help on blogs, and learnt a lot. Then I started dropping by for interest. I’m from UK, working in Singapore, and the Snap links yesterday visibly chewed up bandwidth - the page loaded, and then it was obvious that a lot else was loading, presumably the thumbnails. SE Asia lost a lot of bandwidth to the US following a recent earthquake off Taiwan and repairs are underway on six or more cables. The buses are great, known in London as “bendy buses”. An excellent read over my morning coffee. Thanks.

]]> By: Helge http://asymptotia.com/2007/01/15/better-and-better/comment-page-1/#comment-24648 Helge Mon, 15 Jan 2007 22:35:47 +0000 http://asymptotia.com/2007/01/15/better-and-better/#comment-24648 That sounds like a cool experience, I have never been called out over the speaker system of a public transport system. But one thing I wonder about, is that all our public transport system has signs "don't speak with the driver", but he calls you out. You have such signs? And indeed it's a funny "old" world. We have to talk about the old. Helge That sounds like a cool experience, I have never been called out over the speaker system of a public transport system. But one thing I wonder about, is that all our public transport system has signs “don’t speak with the driver”, but he calls you out. You have such signs?

And indeed it’s a funny “old” world. We have to talk about the old.

Helge

]]> By: Clifford http://asymptotia.com/2007/01/15/better-and-better/comment-page-1/#comment-24632 Clifford Mon, 15 Jan 2007 20:23:43 +0000 http://asymptotia.com/2007/01/15/better-and-better/#comment-24632 Hey Helge! Long time since I've heard from you! Not too late to comment on the delurker post and give everyone a shout-out. As to mad bus drivers..... yes.... they exist. The drivers here are more or less pretty good. And often very friendly and helpful. Amusingly, there's one who now knows me so well that he greets me "Hi Professor! How are you? Where's that great bike today?!" (on days when I don't have the bike, for example.) This all resulted from a conversation which began one day with him asking me about the bike in the middle of a journey <em>over the bus' speaker system</em>. I was just sitting there like all the other passengers, and between announcing stops he said something like "excuse me sir, but where can you get a bike like that?". So I went up and talked to him, and explained a bit about it. Funny old world. -cvj Hey Helge!

Long time since I’ve heard from you! Not too late to comment on the delurker post and give everyone a shout-out. As to mad bus drivers….. yes…. they exist. The drivers here are more or less pretty good. And often very friendly and helpful.

Amusingly, there’s one who now knows me so well that he greets me “Hi Professor! How are you? Where’s that great bike today?!” (on days when I don’t have the bike, for example.) This all resulted from a conversation which began one day with him asking me about the bike in the middle of a journey over the bus’ speaker system. I was just sitting there like all the other passengers, and between announcing stops he said something like “excuse me sir, but where can you get a bike like that?”. So I went up and talked to him, and explained a bit about it.

Funny old world.

-cvj

]]> By: Helge http://asymptotia.com/2007/01/15/better-and-better/comment-page-1/#comment-24629 Helge Mon, 15 Jan 2007 19:56:18 +0000 http://asymptotia.com/2007/01/15/better-and-better/#comment-24629 I hate buses. But I am spoiled by subway and tram. ;-) I just didn't manage to say anything on delurkers day (or was it a week) and am no feeling bad. It's just that I am used from Vienna, that bus drivers are madman... Not to scare anybody, the buses on top look loveley, so follow Cliffords advice. Helge I hate buses. But I am spoiled by subway and tram. ;-) I just didn’t manage to say anything on delurkers day (or was it a week) and am no feeling bad. It’s just that I am used from Vienna, that bus drivers are madman…

Not to scare anybody, the buses on top look loveley, so follow Cliffords advice.

Helge

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