h a l f b a k e r yA riddle wrapped in a mystery inside a rich, flaky crust
add, search, annotate, link, view, overview, recent, by name, random
news, help, about, links, report a problem
browse anonymously,
or get an account
and write.
register,
|
|
|
Most major cities suffer from traffic congestion, particularly during peak hours. This can cause a long wait for a traditional taxicab, and a frustratingly slow journey once it arrives.
I propose a network of powered paraglider taxis. A powered paraglider is, in essence, a parachute with a motor.
It is started on foot, travels through the air and can achieve an average speed of around thirty miles per hour. Although most such vehicles carry a single occupier, the technology already exists for a seasoned pilot to carry an untrained passenger.
Requiring only a short run in order to become airborne, this technology is ideal for the time-poor businessperson who needs to be somewhere quickly. The taxi-glider can be launched from a car park (parking lot), a quiet side-street or even the flat roof of a sky-scraper.
Need to get to a meeting quickly? Booked a last-minute flight, and worried about the traffic on the way to the airport? The sky is no longer the limit!
(Air-space restrictions may apply; the proponent of this idea takes no responsibility for injury or death caused by pre-emptive military action.)
Please log in.
If you're not logged in,
you can see what this page
looks like, but you will
not be able to add anything.
Destination URL.
E.g., https://www.coffee.com/
Description (displayed with the short name and URL.)
|
| |
interesting idea. it would certainly work for a little
while, but it would be difficult to sustain if it grew
very much. if there were as many taxi-gliders as
taxis, there could be traffic problems. and limited
cargo space, though I suppose that's not always an
issue and could help limit business so that we don't
have too much traffic. |
|
| |
This would cause more car accidents and thus more gridlock, from drivers looking upward at the paragliders instead of where they're going... |
|
| |
Wow - four years for an anno! |
|
| |
Impractical and therefore [+]. |
|
| |
I'm not entirely sure I'd want to take off from a skyscraper -
take-offs are generally safer than landings because they
begin closer to the ground. On the other hand, I wouldn't
want to take off in the turbulent wind-funnels between
skyscrapers on the ground. |
|
| |