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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: 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.