Every year, thousands of dollars are lost as people spend time moving through the clogged sidewalks of the world's financial centers. Business meetings and important "interagency" communications are delayed and peoples clothes ruffled by the punishing and exhausting process of moving out of lofty office towers, to the stifling sidewalks, only to AGAIN go up to a different office tower.

I propose a "Rapid Aerial Building-to-Building Interchange Transport" that would speed financial decision makers across the cityscape using high power slingshots and catapults.

Imagine: You have to go from your office on floor 45 of John Hancock Tower to the 56th floor of the Prudential Tower for a crucial business meeting. You have only 10 minutes. Do you; a). brave cross-town Boston traffic at noon?; b). RUN three blocks, bumping into the unclean masses and sweating through your $400.00 suit; or c). Take a seat in a leather wrapped catapult chair, from which you would be lofted at an astounding 190 miles/hr, 500 feet through the sky to land in a similar chair, IN THE MEETING ROOM!

The choice is clear. Eight out of Ten captains of industry would choose the quick safe method of Rapid Aerial Building-to-Building Interchange. Tokyo, London, Sidney, Paris, New York and Stockholm would benefit from a comprehensive network of travel as revolutionary as the diesel bus was in the 1950s. Imagine the joy you would feel at seeing the movers and shakers in your company sailing through the air at high speed over your head towards their meeting with destiny.

High Precision latex band slingshots and trebuchet would be mounted on the rooftops and in key windows of office towers. Care would be taken to avoid trajectories that might cross with airport flight paths and buildings. Leather upholstered, high-back executive office chairs placed before open windows would provide the soft, luxurious landing point, delivering the passenger to his/her appointments in comfort and style.
-- phazed, Mar 24 2002

Catapult To Work http://www.halfbake...atapult_20to_20Work
A related idea already here at the halfbakery. [bristolz, Mar 24 2002, last modified Oct 04 2004]

Urban Ski-lift mass transit http://www.halfbake...lift_20Mass-Transit
Vaguely similar to this idea [hippo, Mar 25 2002, last modified Oct 04 2004]

Elbonian Airlines http://www.dreamwor...ities/elbonian.html
Nice sound effects, too [thumbwax, Mar 25 2002, last modified Oct 21 2004]

Funny imagery this conjures up. I'd want to be wearing slacks instead of skirts on my work days.
-- bristolz, Mar 24 2002


Come now, who wouldn't like to see their boss sailing through the air?
-- phazed, Mar 24 2002


This would be a great way to wake up on a dull day.
-- tolly3, Mar 25 2002


"Wilson, hop on a RABBIT and come see me right away."

Or, you could even remove "Transport" altogether.
-- beauxeault, Mar 25 2002


Having been in each of the buildings you mention, looking across at the other, I can certainly visuali(s)e a gondola transport hanging between them.
-- waugsqueke, Mar 25 2002


Just flinging people around would not be accurate enough. OOPS, forgot to account for the wing gust, SPLAT. You are better off introducing a guidance system. Maybe the same concept the JDAM (Joint Direct Attack Munition) uses to convert a dumb bomb to a smart bomb. Also, inclement weather is a problem. I'll pass being hurled through the rain at 190 mph.

Put this on the bank of a lake and fling me in. Yeah probably painful, but I'll try it.
-- dag, Mar 25 2002



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