A small step backwards on the buses

[dhermann1]

New York City will replace the newfangled yellow press tape with old fashioned pull cords. A step in the right direstion.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/13/nyregion/13cords.html?_r=1&hpw

 

[Undertow]

Although I find this interesting, it's not for the same reason. Iowa is most definitely 10-40 years behind every state in the Union, save perhaps Montana (and there's nothing wrong with MT, in my opinion) so an article like this is almost painful.

I ride the bus every day to work and we have always had pull cords to signal a stop. I hadn't realized there was any other way to do it besides shouting. lol

Well, you learn something new everyday!

 

[Viola]

We have pull strings and the button things here in Philadelphia.

Also, "Yo, man, back door! Open the back doooooooor!"

 

[Lady Day]

As some one who rides PT, I say bring on the press tape. Ive seen people yank on those cables so hard, and without regard, that they brake whipping in the air and can actually hurt someone.

Ive seen people yank on them with canes and umbrella hooks, hang on them so yeah, bring on the press tape.

It can go in many different areas of the bus, and just works better.

LD

 

[Paisley]

The buses in Denver used to have the tape, but went back to lanyards.

 

[dhermann1]

Who would have thought getting off the bus could stir up such a hornet's nest of controversy!?

 

[Brinybay]

I drive a bus in Seattle, we actually have both. For most passengers, it's the pull cord. The tape is only on the underside of the fold-up front seats for use by people in wheel chairs. The seat folds up, they are strapped in next to it and can easily reach the yellow push tape.

Personally, I hate the push tape, mostly because of where it's mounted on our buses. The wheel chairs are right up against it and many times when going over rough roads (Seattle has the worse streets anywhere) all it takes is a bump to accidentally trigger it. Even when folded down, sometimes people will stuff their little pull cart of groceries or packages under the front seat with the same results.

What will be interesting to see is which type of stop request our new buses will have. I wouldn't be surprised if the cash-strapped county gov't went with the more expensive push tape.

Most annoying times when people pull the cord? When I'm pulling into a transit center. It's a given that I'm going to be stopping and opening the doors, there's no need to pull the cord.

 

[KittyT]

(Seattle has the worse streets anywhere)

Oh please, you guys don't even live in a climate where heavy snow and salt use cause major potholes and crevices in every single street in the city! I know Seattle well and live in Boston now - you guys have nothing on us! AND I know that the city of Seattle refuses to use salt on their roads for fear it will harm the environment.

 

[Luke 42]

How does this tape-thing work?[huh] I've only ever seen buttons to push on buses both in the UK and in Germany? Never thought of anything else, although I've heard of the cords in old buses.

 

[KittyT]

How does this tape-thing work?[huh] I've only ever seen buttons to push on buses both in the UK and in Germany? Never thought of anything else, although I've heard of the cords in old buses.

It's kind of like a button only it's a slightly raised strip that you push. Often strips will be placed vertically between rows or seats, of horizontally at the level of the bottom of the windows. So actually, it's not really like a button at all lol

 

[i_am_the_scruff]

I don't know about in America, but here when we had the cords they were high up near the ceiling of the bus. That's not very good for short people or kids.

 

[Nathan Flowers]

Kids can grab them in NYC.

 

[J.J. Gittes]

I live in L.A. and take PT all the time to get places, we have the pull cord. Its a habit now. For example, down in Long Beach they have those push tapes. I reached up to pull the cord but there wasn't one. I noticed that it didn't have one then pushed the yellow tape that my friend pointed out. No satisfying yank just a simple push.[huh]
I'm don't like the tape. Us PT people are picky.

 

[get_atomized]

Most annoying times when people pull the cord? When I'm pulling into a transit center. It's a given that I'm going to be stopping and opening the doors, there's no need to pull the cord.

I think people just like to hear the "ding" of the stop request

Not that I would ever do such a thing.

 

[Brinybay]

Oh please, you guys don't even live in a climate where heavy snow and salt use cause major potholes and crevices in every single street in the city! I know Seattle well and live in Boston now - you guys have nothing on us! AND I know that the city of Seattle refuses to use salt on their roads for fear it will harm the environment.

I think I meant anywhere in the Puget Sound area. I don't give a rat about Boston.

 

[MrBern]

I havent seen any yet & Im on the bus everyday. Looking forward to it!

 

[Charlie Noodles]

Down our way I haven't seen a cord in a while. And I've never seen the tape. Our buses just use buttons similar to those in the NYC bus picture.

 

[Undertow]

I drive a bus in Seattle...

I envy you in a terrible way, sir. I wouldn't say that is my dream job, but it's certainly one of my dream locations. Given the opportunity, I would drive a bus in that city if it meant I could live there forever.

BTW, here in Iowa, the weather changes from 110F summers to -20F winters pretty regularly, so I know a little something about crumbling disaster roadways.

 

[Ethan Bentley]

It's kind of like a button only it's a slightly raised strip that you push. Often strips will be placed vertically between rows or seats, of horizontally at the level of the bottom of the windows. So actually, it's not really like a button at all lol

I wonder where you got his picture from? Thanks all the same. It's buttons all around here although some buses have buttons in the ceiling?

I hear the London Routemaster is making a comeback though.

 

[Lady Jessica]

I've never been on a bus before... I think in our buses in town, you just wait for a bus stop, and they stop at every bus stop, even if no one's going to get off or get on. But I'd love to pull a pull cord!