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from the crisco-and-a-shoehorn-to-get-more-in dept.
One of the few comforts we economy class fliers have left is our right to strap on noise-canceling headphones, stare at the back of the seat in front of us, and pretend we're on a beach, or at home, or in a modest-sized jail cell—anywhere, really.
Now that right is at risk. Zodiac Seats France, an industry supplier, has patented a new seating configuration that rips out the (horrid) middle seat in favor of one that faces the rear. With "Economy Class Cabin Hexagon," you get more neighbors than ever before—and they are right in your face.
The goal of the design is "to increase cabin density while also creating seat units that increase the space available at the shoulder and arm area." To be fair, it seems to do that—because you're no longer facing the same direction as your immediate neighbor, you have more shoulder room. And if you're traveling with your kid or spouse, being face-to-face can be nice (we guess).
Why not move to standing-room only, with roller-coaster style restraints?
Original Submission
(Score: 2) by AndyTheAbsurd on Friday July 10 2015, @06:52PM
Who wants to invest in my new intercity bus service? Here's the plan:
Okay, I know it's pretty much a pipe dream - but damn if I don't wish the companies that are already starting on these ideas wouldn't expand on them.
Please note my username before responding. You may have been trolled.
(Score: 1) by tftp on Friday July 10 2015, @08:04PM
Who wants to invest in my new intercity bus service? [...] Rental car (and possibly rental bike) locations nearby or possibly on-premise
I will not invest. If the intercity distance is small enough then it does not make sense to rent a car after so little travel - you'd be better off driving your own car. If the distance is large enough, you either carry a lot of cargo, or you fly. The niche for a bus business is very narrow, and can't even be sure who it serves. I have never used intercity buses.
And a rental bike at the destination... take that 1% of the whole population who might ever consider your service, and take another 1% of those - that will be your target audience for bike rentals. I know only one person - a UPS driver - who owns a bike. Everyone else among my acquaintances is too busy to depend on a toy for work. Recreational use of bicycles is higher, but that's not your scenario. Your scenario is more like "A young graduate is travelling to a job interview in a city 100 miles away" - and I wouldn't recommend him, in his business suit, to pedal even ten miles to the destination, across a city that he most likely does not know.
(Score: 2) by Phoenix666 on Friday July 10 2015, @09:46PM
I don't know about your full list, but Greyhound has new buses now that do have outlets, onboard wifi, and movies. Bus stations in many American cities are not in savory places, but they are centrally located. Usually that means they're connected to local mass transit. Riding a bus cross-country sucks, but regionally isn't bad. It is definitely a cost competitive option. You can take Chinatown buses from NYC to Boston or to DC for about $20. I prefer rail because you can walk around more and there's a dining car, but bus works too.
Washington DC delenda est.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday July 11 2015, @12:06AM
How come those $20 busses advertise $1 on the outside of them? I know $1 is unrealistic, but what do they call the other $19 when you travel with them?
(Score: 2) by Thexalon on Friday July 10 2015, @09:50PM
I can't speak for the full-service rental car kinda thing, but much of what you can find on your list can be found on trains. And as an added bonus, train stations tend to be in the middle of cities rather than out in the boonies, so if where you are going is downtown you're often within a short walk or subway ride.
There are also, in some places, auto trains where you can park your car on the train, go wander around and relax while the train takes you where you're going, then drive your car off the train.
The only thing that stops a bad guy with a compiler is a good guy with a compiler.
(Score: 2) by AndyTheAbsurd on Saturday July 11 2015, @01:44PM
I know about trains. I'd love to take trains, and have in the past when I wasn't going too far. But I'm in the US, where we've only got Amtrak for intercity passenger service...and it covers disappointingly little of the country (especially away from the East Coast), is disappointingly pricy, takes a surprisingly and disappointingly long time, and has absolutely dismal on time performance on many routes. Which adds up to "well I avoid the TSA bullshit and get a wider seat but the trip is just as expensive and literally takes at least five times as long (if things are on schedule, which they usually aren't) so it's probably worth being uncomfortable for a few hours on a plane."
(And Amtrak's AutoTrain service only runs from Sanford, FL to Lorton, VA. They don't offer the service on any other routes, and they don't let you get your car off at any other stations besides the two end points.)
Please note my username before responding. You may have been trolled.
(Score: 1) by toph on Saturday July 11 2015, @03:31PM
Same here in Canada. I'd love to ride the train more, but the only option is Via and there is simply no motivation here to improve speed and/or cost.