Friday 18 July 2014

Why are big companies so short-sighted? It's time they learned to maximize their prophets!

Q:  What do bicycles and airplanes have in common?
A:  Bike seats!


You might think that business class travellers wouldn't stand for such seating arrangements, but really, they have nothing to complain about, because for the money they have to shell out, surely they will be upgraded to Brooks saddles. 



If they implemented recumbent technology, they could just stack the seats on top of one another! Imagine how many more passengers you could fit into a plane that way!  And what's that?  Bit of turbulence causing issues?  No worries. There's always the old shark fin saddle.  The soon to be released ribbed version will add an extra dimension of pleasure to any turbulence you may encounter along the way.


Yeah, ok, so the future of air travel is nothing to rave about, but have hope.  There are still bikes.


And if you happen upon a bike rave in Vancouver, you'll find thousands upon thousands of them.


What's that?  You've never  been to a bike rave?  Lighten up!  You're sure to love it.


Let go of your pre-conceptions.  It's not all about the glow-schtick. 



Actually, Vancouver has lots of things to rave about these days.  Like the Point Grey bike lane, for example.



Have you ever noticed how the level of resistance to new bike infrastructure is directly proportional to the affluence of the neighbourhoods involved?  This particular lane created unprecedented opposition and controversy before it was built, though it sure is popular now.  This used to be a very dangerous, difficult road to travel, a congested and fast-moving thoroughfare, and now it is a pedestrian and bicycle paradise.  The houses along Point Grey used to have to deal with endless heavy traffic, twenty four hours a day, and now the road is almost like their own private drive.  It's really hard to understand just what all of the fuss was about.
Resistance = no place like ohm.


And don't I know it.  Ohm sweet ohm.  

And in other current events, Kinder Morgan wants to build a tunnel through Burnaby mountain to triple the amount of oil they transport to their  Burnaby tanker terminal, and they can't understand why Vancouverites don't dig it.  Never mind that an oil spill in this harbour would be devastating.  Never mind that ramping up petrochemichal production is counterproductive to planetary health and the greater good of its inhabitants. Kinder Morgan has to placate its shareholders and we all know that's really what matters. As the Canadian Pacific railway demonstrates, people don't count.  The environment?  Poohey.  Who cares?  Sacrifice it on the altar of profit.

And me?


After spending some time in Alberta, home of the tarsands, and where Car is King, I am just happy to be home.



21 comments:

  1. Being that i hold a degree in electronic engineering, I'd like to say thank you for the resistance joke. Just remember, theres 11 kinds of people in this world: those that understand binary code and those that dont.

    -somedudeinFLA

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    1. And I would like to thank YOU for getting it!

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    2. How many of the 11 types of people know that a hex isn't just a magical spell?

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  2. AI wouldn't mind the bicycle seat so much if they would also put in handlebars so you could take some of the load off your butt. And maybe Aerobars so you could take a nap.

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    1. ...and wheels and a trainer so you can get a bit of a sweat on, too! :D

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  3. ...I love the sardine can artwork & how it is so appropriate that i'm at a loss for words (as of this instant)...

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    1. This comment has been removed by the author.

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    2. LOL! I had a snappy reply in mind when I deleted that last one, but it wandered off...

      now we're BOTH at a loss for words! :) xo

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  4. I love the glow shtick. I have always wondered why light manufacturers for bikes can't be a little more innovative. If it's safe to be seen then I'm happy to be a mobile Christmas tree (as long as it's aerodynamic). I also chuckled at the resistance joke, the scientific pun is definitely niche humour.

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    1. Then to avoid doing any work this afternoon I went to Bike Snob and clicked on one of his sponsored links and found the wheel brightz on the Chubby Bikes website. Being a WASP I think I would have to confine myself to white wheels but I might have to order some now.

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    2. Heh heh. Snobberdooders is prolly responsible for a significant dent in the GDP down there...

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  5. Can you imagine? Bike seats, with armrests, no less. That I see that going over as well as a lead balloon. The first time they try to stuff the 'average sized American' in between those narrow armrests, that'll be the end of that. The Super-sized Americans will have a field day using class-action lawsuits to sue the airlines for discrimination.

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  6. This vegetarian always thought he was getting packed in like a veal calf before. Now this!

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  7. Next it'll be long wooden benches and they'll give the passengers oars to power the plane. Burly flight attendant in the back of the cabin will beat time on a big drum.

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  8. These airline seats would make a slave ship seem plush.

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