With the money allocated for anti-terrorism after 9/11/01, one of the things that was set up in the 'big' cities was a method of tracking where each coach was, as a method of identifying say, a stolen bus, or one hijacked, or blown up (loss of signal). Transportation dispatchers looked at this and thought, we can see where drivers are stopping for coffee, having a go in the back with a doll (better when cameras came along in the middle 2000s) allowing them evidence for punishment of drivers, or the passengers who flogged them, physically and mentally. (We have a secret button to call the cops, and they know exactly where we are! )
Come forward a few years and shifty engineers who knew about this developed the systems to which you refer. They were put in major transfer stations in 2005, when I left in 2007 they were replacing bus and train stop kiosks with first CRTs behind unbreakable glass [when that was shown to not be true] by those red LED reader boards with voice that announce when the next XX bus will arrive, late of course, and to have your fare ready. "It is a misdemeanor to avoid paying the fare". We drivers, of course, were told we could only remind a scofflaw once, then shut up and drive. Saved a few drivers a bloody nose, I'm sure. So there you have it Bob. Transportation history from the inside. Wiki probably has a say on it, maybe different. If you've been in government, you know to ask for the maximum allocation of funds, and provide some reason for getting it. Surplus to some other agency or trash it before the next fiscal allocation year comes around. On Oct 19, 2012, at 00:01 , Bob W wrote: > I've also learned, since having my no-cycling ankle problem which is now > more or less done with, that we have interactive bus timetables. When I'm > heading to my bus stop in the morning I can text its number and it will tell > me when the next 10 or so buses are due. The most amazing thing is, it's > very accurate. A real benefit. -- PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List PDML@pdml.net http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net to UNSUBSCRIBE from the PDML, please visit the link directly above and follow the directions.
