Monday, February 12, 2007

DTA Buses Are Getting Too Smart

DTA buses have been talking, yes literally talking for a long time now. Saying things like "Miller Hill Mall, Door 8" and "Downtown" and "Stop requested." Now they say "Approaching...Lake Superior Zoo" and "For your safety, please remain seated until the bus comes to a complete stop." The fare paying thingy even says "Coin not accepted" if one of your coins doesn't go in, and if you request a transfer, it spits one out and says "Please take transfer." These buses never fail as far as navigation is concerned. I found out they're wifi equipped, so sometimes when they say "Approaching...Commonwealth Avenue and Gary Street" they're actually past Gary Street, but not very far past it. Tonight though, I was officially creeped out for the first time about these "smart" buses. I've heard a lot of the buses phrases many times, including the new one about the use of profanity being prohibited on DTA buses. But tonight's phrase almost made me freeze. I was listening to music on my iPAQ as per usual, and I had my groceries in my seat, and was just being a good bus rider. The bus said "Please remove your feet from the seat." I ignored it figuring it was another new random message like the one about profanity or the one about crossing the street. Again the bus said "Please remove your feet from the seat." I was thinking "WTF, my feet are on the floor, does someone on this bus really have their feet on the seat and the bus KNOWS this??" I was creeped out. The bus knew somebody had their feet on the seat!! The driver said "Take your feet off the seat, you in the back..." I knew it wasn't me that had my feet on the seat, I always sit in the middle of the bus and my feet were on the floor, but I was still just thinking "WTF, how did the bus know that? Maybe I don't want to know."
YOU! Reading my blog!! PULL UP YOUR PANTS!!

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