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Bus Stop Displays
Am I just unlucky or is the real time information displayed atbus
stops always fictional, meaning it has little relation to which buses actually arrive and when? -- Peter Lawrence |
Bus Stop Displays
Peter Lawrence wrote to uk.transport.london on Tue, 28 Sep 2004:
Am I just unlucky or is the real time information displayed atbus stops always fictional, meaning it has little relation to which buses actually arrive and when? Some and some. I read somewhere that Ken Livingstone isn't happy with Countdown in its present form, for that very reason, and it will be replaced with some kind of upgraded service. -- "Mrs Redboots" http://www.amsmyth.demon.co.uk/ Website updated 26 September 2004 |
Bus Stop Displays
"Peter Lawrence" typed
Am I just unlucky or is the real time information displayed atbus stops always fictional, meaning it has little relation to which buses actually arrive and when? You & me both. Maybe what Countdown displays to others is better. Who knows? -- Helen D. Vecht: Edgware. |
Bus Stop Displays
On Tue, 28 Sep 2004 20:06:11 GMT, "Peter Lawrence"
wrote: Am I just unlucky or is the real time information displayed atbus stops always fictional, meaning it has little relation to which buses actually arrive and when? I think you are partly unlucky - it worked OK for me this afternoon at Aldwych - but there are well known problems with the Countdown system which means that the displays cannot always be relied upon. I understand a new system is being procured by TfL (it was certainly in the EU OJEC process) - whether it's still in the budget and when it will be implemented I cannot say. -- Paul C Admits to working for London Underground! |
Bus Stop Displays
On Tue, 28 Sep 2004 20:06:11 GMT, "Peter Lawrence"
wrote: Am I just unlucky or is the real time information displayed atbus stops always fictional, meaning it has little relation to which buses actually arrive and when? I think you're just unlucky (or the system doesn't work well on the routes you use). My experience of it is that, when it is working at all (which is the main problem), the information tends to be of reasonable quality. Neil -- Neil Williams in Milton Keynes, UK To e-mail use neil at the above domain |
Bus Stop Displays
"Paul Corfield" wrote in message
... there are well known problems with the Countdown system which means that the displays cannot always be relied upon. I understand a new system is being procured by TfL (it was certainly in the EU OJEC process) - whether it's still in the budget and when it will be implemented I cannot say. I hope it will be specified better than the current system, which uses a relatively expensive display but doesn't tell people what they really want to know. A much more useful system could be produced a lot more cheaply. Who can I write to about this? -- John Rowland - Spamtrapped Transport Plans for the London Area, updated 2001 http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Acro...69/tpftla.html A man's vehicle is a symbol of his manhood. That's why my vehicle's the Piccadilly Line - It's the size of a county and it comes every two and a half minutes |
Bus Stop Displays
Helen Deborah Vecht wrote:
"Peter Lawrence" typed Am I just unlucky or is the real time information displayed atbus stops always fictional, meaning it has little relation to which buses actually arrive and when? You & me both. Maybe what Countdown displays to others is better. Who knows? There seems to be a difference between stops. I find one at Piccadilly Circus relatively accurate whereas those at South Kensington are highly inaccurate (and don't show all buses). At South Ken it doesn't help that the 345 terminates there so there's no predicting when the next will depart (other than the timetable!). -- Dave Arquati Imperial College, SW7 www.alwaystouchout.com - Transport projects in London |
Bus Stop Displays
On Tue, 28 Sep 2004 23:16:04 +0100, "John Rowland"
wrote: "Paul Corfield" wrote in message .. . there are well known problems with the Countdown system which means that the displays cannot always be relied upon. I understand a new system is being procured by TfL (it was certainly in the EU OJEC process) - whether it's still in the budget and when it will be implemented I cannot say. I hope it will be specified better than the current system, which uses a relatively expensive display but doesn't tell people what they really want to know. A much more useful system could be produced a lot more cheaply. Who can I write to about this? How DOES it work anyway? I've looked for technical info on the system but have found nothing. |
Bus Stop Displays
Neil Williams wrote:
On Tue, 28 Sep 2004 20:06:11 GMT, "Peter Lawrence" wrote: Am I just unlucky or is the real time information displayed atbus stops always fictional, meaning it has little relation to which buses actually arrive and when? I think you're just unlucky (or the system doesn't work well on the routes you use). My experience of it is that, when it is working at all (which is the main problem), the information tends to be of reasonable quality. This is the thing: "when it is working". The biggest problem with it is that seemingly every time that I walk to bus stops near where I live the familiar "COUNTDOWN" display warns of another failure. Plus there was the great time I saw a 319 due in 10 minutes... 9... 8... 3...2...1... went past the bus stop on the other side of the road. I hope it was just co-incidence :D Dan |
Bus Stop Displays
John Rowland wrote:
"Paul Corfield" wrote in message ... there are well known problems with the Countdown system which means that the displays cannot always be relied upon. I understand a new system is being procured by TfL (it was certainly in the EU OJEC process) - whether it's still in the budget and when it will be implemented I cannot say. I hope it will be specified better than the current system, which uses a relatively expensive display but doesn't tell people what they really want to know. OK, "the next bus 13 will be here in (an estimated) 8 minutes" -- this isn't what I wanted to know? Or isn't this what the displays are telling me? #Paul |
Bus Stop Displays
On Tue, 28 Sep 2004 23:16:04 +0100, "John Rowland"
wrote: "Paul Corfield" wrote in message .. . there are well known problems with the Countdown system which means that the displays cannot always be relied upon. I understand a new system is being procured by TfL (it was certainly in the EU OJEC process) - whether it's still in the budget and when it will be implemented I cannot say. I hope it will be specified better than the current system, which uses a relatively expensive display but doesn't tell people what they really want to know. A much more useful system could be produced a lot more cheaply. Who can I write to about this? I'd just go through Buses Customer Services but make sure you ask for a reply from the Countdown team or the project team for the replacement system. -- Paul C Admits to working for London Underground! |
Bus Stop Displays
On Wed, 29 Sep 2004 07:19:39 +0100, Marc Brett
wrote: On Tue, 28 Sep 2004 23:16:04 +0100, "John Rowland" wrote: "Paul Corfield" wrote in message . .. there are well known problems with the Countdown system which means that the displays cannot always be relied upon. I understand a new system is being procured by TfL (it was certainly in the EU OJEC process) - whether it's still in the budget and when it will be implemented I cannot say. I hope it will be specified better than the current system, which uses a relatively expensive display but doesn't tell people what they really want to know. A much more useful system could be produced a lot more cheaply. Who can I write to about this? How DOES it work anyway? I've looked for technical info on the system but have found nothing. Well I think it works like this. There are roadside beacons that detect the passage of buses. The buses have a version of an axle counter (on the rear axle) to determine where they are between beacons and how fast they are moving. I think, but am not sure, that the relevant info is transmitted from the bus to the beacon via radio. The beacons then transmit to the displays and given the position of the next stop then determine a time of arrival. There is also some form of central data capture. The key issues that cause problems are the axle unit on the buses - if they fail the bus has to be taken off the road. This is not an attractive option if the operator can otherwise run the bus so it does not incur performance penalties for a cancelled bus. I don't know about the relative reliability of the rest of the system but it is entirely plausible that other aspects of the system fail thus resulting in blank screens. ISTR that Bob Kiley made comment on the new system being GPS based which would remove the need for beacons and axle units. It would also be closer to common technology used for a lot of other purposes and therefore cheaper and easier to maintain and upgrade. We shall see. Metroline have trialled a GPS type system for service control which seems to have worked well. -- Paul C Admits to working for London Underground! |
Bus Stop Displays
Paul Corfield wrote:
On Wed, 29 Sep 2004 07:19:39 +0100, Marc Brett wrote: On Tue, 28 Sep 2004 23:16:04 +0100, "John Rowland" wrote: "Paul Corfield" wrote in message ... there are well known problems with the Countdown system which means that the displays cannot always be relied upon. I understand a new system is being procured by TfL (it was certainly in the EU OJEC process) - whether it's still in the budget and when it will be implemented I cannot say. I hope it will be specified better than the current system, which uses a relatively expensive display but doesn't tell people what they really want to know. A much more useful system could be produced a lot more cheaply. Who can I write to about this? How DOES it work anyway? I've looked for technical info on the system but have found nothing. Well I think it works like this. There are roadside beacons that detect the passage of buses. The buses have a version of an axle counter (on the rear axle) to determine where they are between beacons and how fast they are moving. I think, but am not sure, that the relevant info is transmitted from the bus to the beacon via radio. The beacons then transmit to the displays and given the position of the next stop then determine a time of arrival. There is also some form of central data capture. The key issues that cause problems are the axle unit on the buses - if they fail the bus has to be taken off the road. This is not an attractive option if the operator can otherwise run the bus so it does not incur performance penalties for a cancelled bus. I don't know about the relative reliability of the rest of the system but it is entirely plausible that other aspects of the system fail thus resulting in blank screens. ISTR that Bob Kiley made comment on the new system being GPS based which would remove the need for beacons and axle units. It would also be closer to common technology used for a lot of other purposes and therefore cheaper and easier to maintain and upgrade. We shall see. Metroline have trialled a GPS type system for service control which seems to have worked well. Apparently (according to a friend of mine who used to post here some years ago), the beacons run on batteries and therefore inevitably run down. The problem is they're left in a run down state for some time so it causes the displays to show false information as they're not getting the right location of the bus. This is just information given to me during general conversation, but this combined with what you were saying above would explain either the lack of, or false information. I'd also like to introduce myself to the group as I'm new to it. I ended up here from various websites about disused tube stations etc. and other tube related sites (I've somehow got a sudden interest in this). I've only been living in London for a month and a half, moved down from Edinburgh and I'm staying at W. Ealing. -- Robert Gordon http://m33p.be |
Bus Stop Displays
On Tue, 28 Sep 2004 23:16:04 +0100, "John Rowland"
wrote: I hope it will be specified better than the current system, which uses a relatively expensive display but doesn't tell people what they really want to know. A much more useful system could be produced a lot more cheaply. Who can I write to about this? Interesting... how you think the displays could be better? Richard. |
Bus Stop Displays
On Wed, 29 Sep 2004 09:52:20 +0100, Paul Corfield
wrote: On Wed, 29 Sep 2004 07:19:39 +0100, Marc Brett wrote: How DOES it work anyway? I've looked for technical info on the system but have found nothing. Well I think it works like this. [snip] Not a million miles away... in fact the beacons aren't connected to anything, they just tell the bus to report its position over the radio. This information goes to a central system that does the calculations and the results are sent to the signs by ISDN. This isn't how you'd do it now, but was pretty advanced for its time. Details at http://www.symicron.com/corepages/Press1.htm . The key issues that cause problems are the axle unit on the buses - if they fail the bus has to be taken off the road. This is not an attractive option if the operator can otherwise run the bus so it does not incur performance penalties for a cancelled bus. I don't know about the relative reliability of the rest of the system but it is entirely plausible that other aspects of the system fail thus resulting in blank screens. If the radio is not logged on, or is out of coverage, there won't be any location information. I expect that this is another major reason for buses to not appear on (or disappear from) the displays. ISTR that Bob Kiley made comment on the new system being GPS based which would remove the need for beacons and axle units. It would also be closer to common technology used for a lot of other purposes and therefore cheaper and easier to maintain and upgrade. We shall see. Metroline have trialled a GPS type system for service control which seems to have worked well. Car navigation systems that I've seen have odometer and gyroscope input as well as GPS, to maintain accuracy when not enough satellites are in view - the "urban canyon" effect - I'd expect any bus system to need these as well. Beacons are not required, though. Richard. |
Bus Stop Displays
"Richard" wrote in message
... On Tue, 28 Sep 2004 23:16:04 +0100, "John Rowland" wrote: I hope it will be specified better than the current system, which uses a relatively expensive display but doesn't tell people what they really want to know. A much more useful system could be produced a lot more cheaply. Who can I write to about this? Interesting... how you think the displays could be better? Firstly, nearly all buses go to the end of the line, so the destination info is a waste of a huge number of pixels. Secondly, as usual, nobody in the transport industry thinks about what info passengers actually want. When I get to a bus stop, I am not interested in the number and time of the next three or four buses - I'm interested in the first and possibly second arrival of the route I want. Even with only one frequent route and one infrequent route, the current system gives you a screen full of multiple occurences of the frequent route and zilch info on the infrequent one. So, what I want is a small pod for each route, with the number of the route painted on the top third of the pod, the number of minutes to the first arrival of that route as LEDs in the middle third, and the number of minutes to the second arrival of that route as LEDs in the bottom third. If the bus isn't going to the normal terminus for that route, the time should flash. The same info would be on the back of the pod. Stack a load of them next to each other for multiple routes. This would be cheaper and more informative than the current system. -- John Rowland - Spamtrapped Transport Plans for the London Area, updated 2001 http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Acro...69/tpftla.html A man's vehicle is a symbol of his manhood. That's why my vehicle's the Piccadilly Line - It's the size of a county and it comes every two and a half minutes |
Bus Stop Displays
Where are you people seeing these displays? I see none. There's a bus
shelter, a post, a place where timetables should be but often aren't, and the bus numbers at the top of a pole. -- Ian Tindale |
Bus Stop Displays
On Wed, 29 Sep 2004, John Rowland wrote:
"Richard" wrote in message ... On Tue, 28 Sep 2004 23:16:04 +0100, "John Rowland" wrote: I hope it will be specified better than the current system, Interesting... how you think the displays could be better? So, what I want is a small pod Much more importantly, what we want is a bus version of what the LED displays at for the tube at Leicester Square (and perhaps elsewhere) have, namely a cartoon of a little row of the vehicles in question trundling along after every message. I would naturally expect the cartoons to be different for messages relating to single-decker, double-decker, bendy etc routes. tom -- roger and kay payne, symmetry, piercing, archaeology, position, in ,, |
Bus Stop Displays
--- "John Rowland" said: Firstly, nearly all buses go to the end of the line, so the destination info is a waste of a huge number of pixels. Except that not everyone is as familiar with the bus routes as you obviously are. Imagine that you don't travel on buses very often. You've no idea where each route goes, so it's no use you knowing that one will be along in 5 minutes if you've then got to turn to the maps, timetables etc. to find out more about it. At least the destination would give you some idea of where it's heading. And since there are routes which don't always go all the way (and there were a lot *more* of them when Countdown was first introduced) the destination info is useful for those routes. (E.g. before the 2 was split into the 432, I needed to know whether each 2 would be going all the way to Crystal Palace or terminating at Norwood.) Finally, the displays are easier to read for people who are already familiar with that style and layout from the Underground. It saves them having to figure out different pods. (See below.) So, what I want is a small pod for each route, with the number of the route painted on the top third of the pod, the number of minutes to the first arrival of that route as LEDs in the middle third, and the number of minutes to the second arrival of that route as LEDs in the bottom third. .... This would be cheaper and more informative than the current system. Except that every time a route is changed, renumbered, diverted etc., the pods would all have to be repainted. New pods would have to be added to stops that gain new routes, and moved from them when routes are withdrawn. Who's going to pay for all that work each time? It doesn't sound cheaper than the current system. Also, your system of different pods for different routes makes it harder to have a quick comparison between different routes to the same destination. (e.g. Waiting at Brixton Police Station, one glance at the display reveals that a 322 is the first bus to Crystal Palace, a 432 is second and a 3 is third. Under your system I'd have to find three different pods and compare them all in order to decide whether it's worth getting the 322 or wait for a quicker, less crowded route.) And, how are your pods going to display information like "Oil spillage on the South Circular. Expect delays on the following routes..." (Yes, I know the existing system doesn't do that, but it *could*. The displays are flexible enough.) Ok, I admit it. I'm biased. I don't travel by bus very often. Your system might be better for frequent bus users, especially frequent users of only one route, but the existing displays are more useful for everyone else. |
Bus Stop Displays
Ian Tindale wrote to uk.transport.london on Wed, 29 Sep 2004:
Where are you people seeing these displays? I see none. There's a bus shelter, a post, a place where timetables should be but often aren't, and the bus numbers at the top of a pole. Inside the shelter at the end facing oncoming buses. Perhaps there are none at the stops you use most regularly? There isn't one at my nearest bus-stop heading east, but oddly, there is one heading west. -- "Mrs Redboots" http://www.amsmyth.demon.co.uk/ Website updated 26 September 2004 |
Bus Stop Displays
In article , John Rowland
wrote: Secondly, as usual, nobody in the transport industry thinks about what info passengers actually want. When I get to a bus stop, I am not interested in the number and time of the next three or four buses - I'm interested in the first and possibly second arrival of the route I want. Even with only one frequent route and one infrequent route, the current system gives you a screen full of multiple occurences of the frequent route and zilch info on the infrequent one. Save that if buses 1, 2 and 3 are route 123 arriving in 3, 10 and 16 minutes you can infer that your 234 will not be coming for at least 16 minutes. and if it's that far away then any information is not likely to be very reliable. As to multiple indications of the same route, I would agree that most people are only interested in when the next bus is, but if there a buses in 2 and 10 minutes you might decide to pop across the road and come back for the second one, whilst if it the only one shown is the 2 minute one you'll get on it. In short, I can see it could have been done differently, but any change would help some people and disadvantage others. For better or worse the 1, 2, 3 next arrivals system is the one used on the underground for years. -- Tony Bryer |
Bus Stop Displays
In article , wrote:
OK, "the next bus 13 will be here in (an estimated) 8 minutes" -- this isn't what I wanted to know? Or isn't this what the displays are telling me? No, John's point, AIUI is that the display is telling you that a 12 will be here in one minute, a 33 in 3 minutes, and another 12 in 8 minutes, leaving you with no clue as to when the next 13 is. -- Tony Bryer |
Bus Stop Displays
Tony Bryer wrote to uk.transport.london on Thu, 30 Sep 2004:
In article , John Rowland wrote: Secondly, as usual, nobody in the transport industry thinks about what info passengers actually want. When I get to a bus stop, I am not interested in the number and time of the next three or four buses - I'm interested in the first and possibly second arrival of the route I want. Even with only one frequent route and one infrequent route, the current system gives you a screen full of multiple occurences of the frequent route and zilch info on the infrequent one. Save that if buses 1, 2 and 3 are route 123 arriving in 3, 10 and 16 minutes you can infer that your 234 will not be coming for at least 16 minutes. and if it's that far away then any information is not likely to be very reliable. Save that half the time, a 234 appears with absolutely no indication that it was going to..... -- "Mrs Redboots" http://www.amsmyth.demon.co.uk/ Website updated 26 September 2004 |
Bus Stop Displays
On Thu, 30 Sep 2004 12:14:31 +0100, Tony Bryer
wrote: In article , John Rowland wrote: Secondly, as usual, nobody in the transport industry thinks about what info passengers actually want. When I get to a bus stop, I am not interested in the number and time of the next three or four buses - I'm interested in the first and possibly second arrival of the route I want. Even with only one frequent route and one infrequent route, the current system gives you a screen full of multiple occurences of the frequent route and zilch info on the infrequent one. I understand exactly what you mean and I agree that a comprehensive system covering all routes should be provided. I'm not terribly in favour of your proposal for painted route numbers and pods - it sounds very like some of the tram displays in Amsterdam. It probably works for a tram system where routes are typically fixed and vehicles always run end to end. I think a display that shows the destination, route number and mins left to wait is sufficient. The key is that you can trust the system and that if something disrupts the system or the buses then further info is provided. I haven't seen Countdown being used in that way. Save that if buses 1, 2 and 3 are route 123 arriving in 3, 10 and 16 minutes you can infer that your 234 will not be coming for at least 16 minutes. Sorry I disagree - at Aldwych the other day I missed a 76. I looked at the display and no 76s were shown. However a few minutes later a 76 popped up on the screen as the third bus being 3 minutes away. For whatever reason - either because it doesn't register until the bus leaves Waterloo (3 mins away) or a beacon fault - buses can just appear and disappear from the screens. More than once I have waited for an invisible route 24 at Leicester Square station while other times none are listed and yet one is coming down the road towards the stop. and if it's that far away then any information is not likely to be very reliable. Don't understand this comment. Provided the system knows what time a bus is due and the system communicates to all the vehicles it is entirely possible to provide info on something 20 mins away. Happens all the time on railways and at airports. As to multiple indications of the same route, I would agree that most people are only interested in when the next bus is, but if there a buses in 2 and 10 minutes you might decide to pop across the road and come back for the second one, whilst if it the only one shown is the 2 minute one you'll get on it. Provided always that the information is reliable. At present you can't really do that with Countdown information as routes are missing etc etc. -- Paul C Admits to working for London Underground! |
Bus Stop Displays
On Thu, 30 Sep 2004 12:14:31 +0100, Tony Bryer
wrote: No, John's point, AIUI is that the display is telling you that a 12 will be here in one minute, a 33 in 3 minutes, and another 12 in 8 minutes, leaving you with no clue as to when the next 13 is. Maybe because it doesn't know? The ones I've seen certainly have info on more than 1 of each route. |
Bus Stop Displays
On Thu, 30 Sep 2004 09:28:43 +0100, "Solar Penguin"
wrote: Ok, I admit it. I'm biased. I don't travel by bus very often. Your system might be better for frequent bus users, especially frequent users of only one route, but the existing displays are more useful for everyone else. The primitive (and pretty inaccurate) system that used to be in place in Hamburg put the displays on the bus stop flag, like some of the regional UK ones do. They have one "row" on the flag for each route (because there aren't as many city-centre-penetrating routes as there are anywhere in the UK) and that row has a printed representation of the route and an HH:MM display in LCD form. To display additional information, I've seen a similar system with an extra "row" on the flag with a full-width scrolling LCD/LED. I think that variety is in use in Preston, while Manchester are trialling a Countdown-style system. Neil -- Neil Williams in Milton Keynes, UK To e-mail use neil at the above domain |
Bus Stop Displays
On Thu, 30 Sep 2004 13:17:03 +0100, Barry Salter
wrote: I like the system they have in Southampton City Centre. Each group of bus stops is given a series of letters (e.g. those by the station have one prefix, the ones at the 'Above Bar' end of West Quay Shopping Centre have another, etc), and associated monitors displaying the time the next 20 or so buses are due, what route they're on, their destination and which stop they're calling at. If there's service disruption, that can also be displayed on the appropriate monitors. Such a system is in place in Milton Keynes, and it's pretty useful (if lacking in real-time information - it's purely a timetable feed). It's only really suited to large stops or bus stations, however, and a CRT is, in general, less reliable and much more susceptible to vandalism than an LED. Neil -- Neil Williams in Milton Keynes, UK To e-mail use neil at the above domain |
Bus Stop Displays
Tony Bryer wrote:
In article , wrote: OK, "the next bus 13 will be here in (an estimated) 8 minutes" -- this isn't what I wanted to know? Or isn't this what the displays are telling me? No, John's point, AIUI is that the display is telling you that a 12 will be here in one minute, a 33 in 3 minutes, and another 12 in 8 minutes, leaving you with no clue as to when the next 13 is. Well, yes, but I've seen those displays swapping through a whole series of eight or so bus/time combinations. It's true the route 13 I'm interested might not have been there, which I usually assume is a secret code for "we have no idea when the next 13 is" ... something no amount of display tech is going to fix. If you really hate the no-13-info case, then I imagine it might be easy for the displays to show "route 13, ??" (or perhaps a little infinity "oo" symbol) -- no need for a completely different set of LEDs. #Paul |
Bus Stop Displays
On Wed, 29 Sep 2004 20:24:58 +0100, "John Rowland"
wrote: Firstly, nearly all buses go to the end of the line, so the destination info is a waste of a huge number of pixels. Is that true for all routes? The destination also assures you that you have the stop for the direction you want (not always obvious in a one way system). Secondly, as usual, nobody in the transport industry thinks about what info passengers actually want. When I get to a bus stop, I am not interested in the number and time of the next three or four buses - I'm interested in the first and possibly second arrival of the route I want. Even with only one frequent route and one infrequent route, the current system gives you a screen full of multiple occurences of the frequent route and zilch info on the infrequent one. But you may be interested in the first bus to, say, Victoria, regardless of route number. I would agree that displaying more than two buses with the same route and destination is unnecessary. So, what I want is a small pod for each route, with the number of the route painted on the top third of the pod, the number of minutes to the first arrival of that route as LEDs in the middle third, and the number of minutes to the second arrival of that route as LEDs in the bottom third. If the bus isn't going to the normal terminus for that route, the time should flash. The same info would be on the back of the pod. Stack a load of them next to each other for multiple routes. This would be cheaper and more informative than the current system. I think the current display is preferable as being self-explanatory - desirable when ?50% of users are visitors. -- John Rowland - Spamtrapped Transport Plans for the London Area, updated 2001 http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Acro...69/tpftla.html A man's vehicle is a symbol of his manhood. That's why my vehicle's the Piccadilly Line - It's the size of a county and it comes every two and a half minutes -- Peter Lawrence |
Bus Stop Displays
Dan Gravell wrote:
This is the thing: "when it is working". The biggest problem with it is that seemingly every time that I walk to bus stops near where I live the familiar "COUNTDOWN" display warns of another failure. Plus there was the great time I saw a 319 due in 10 minutes... 9... 8... 3...2...1... went past the bus stop on the other side of the road. I hope it was just co-incidence :D *lol* I've had this experience, too. But over here in Stuttgart it seems to me that these displays have a built-in Einstein's theory of relativity: Sometimes one minute equals to 100 seconds, and sometimes to even more (i.e. bus running at the speed of light?) ;-) Torsten |
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