h a l f b a k e r yThe embarrassing drunkard uncle of invention.
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My idea involves speeding up the London Underground (tube) network by removing the need for tube trains to stop at stations. The idea is very simple. Basically the platforms
at each station are fitted with crash mats (foam filled). When the train approaches the
station (at 70MPH) the train driver
calls out the name of the approaching station. All those that want to get off leave their seats and position themselves by the doors. The doors then open just before the train arrives
at the station. Those wishing to disembark simply jump from the train onto the crashmats
where waiting attendants help them off. Attendants could be employed to push people off of the trains should they be too scared to jump. This system would drastically reduce the time it would take to get to work and could be employed on all underground/subway networks around the world!
Walking Highways
http://www.halfbake.../walking_20highways
Dominus - conveyor belts are being discussed elsewhere. [Lemon, Jul 06 2000, last modified Oct 04 2004]
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Ummm... I hate to ask this, but how do people get *on* to the train? |
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Simple - you would get on at either of the ends of the line! |
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You could also have passengers get on the train by using something like those devices which used to scoop mail parcels onto post trains without them having to stop. You know - the package would hang in a net and be grabbed by an arm sticking out of the train. |
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The problem with this is the train cars themselves---very dangerous. |
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I think a better solution is the one presented in Robert Heinlein's store "The Roads must Roll". Instead of a train, have a series of moving walkways. Each one moves somewhat faster than the one to the left. To get on, step onto the 5mph walkway. Once you're on it, move right to the 10 mph walkway, and soforth. |
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You get an economy of scale, because the power source can be centralized, as with the train. You don't waste time starting and stopping. The capacity is much higher than the subway because all the road surface is in use. |
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I've been think of a similar solution for people who commute by airplane. In some areas of the U.S., people have such long commutes that they actually airplane-pool to work. (Or so i've heard) One could combine this with sky-diving, where the commuters bail-out over their place of employ. |
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Would the driver still shout "Mind the gap!!"? |
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No! Fill the entire network with one big massive looped train, and where lines don't loop build little connectors on the end like terminating capacitors or something. |
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Then make it go quite slowly, but not too slowly, just not too quickly that people can't get on or off. |
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Then you can get on or off wherever you want and it's all continuous like the electromagnetic spectrum and things, and you can serve Gin and Parsley fillets or something to everyone. |
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The Devil is in the details. instead of this use a rapidly
accelerating car on a side track and feed the passengers in like midair fighter fueling. of course you could couple and uncouple cars like in freightlines but then would need front and rear engines |
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but seriously...dominus's idea is great..much better than a lot of other one's out there. |
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but here's my own: put the loading platform on a convayer belt. the train may slow down a little or if the station's long enough the train may not....like at the tomorrowland transit authority at disney world or at the haunted mansion. |
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What's a gin and parsley fillet? |
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Ask [MB]. His knowledge of all things involving "gin" is encyclopaedic. |
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Our guess is it involves some sort of bucket, and the command "Fillet with gin an' bung a bit a' parsley on top". |
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His concession to "Five A Day" does't even qualify as "perfunctory". |
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