Sometimes it seems Europeans just have so much more fun that we do here in the U.S. Exhibit A: This slide on the stairs at a Berlin U-bahn station. I think Apple needs to sponsor this for the long stairway at North/Clybourn on the CTA's Red Line.
Of course, this would never fly in our litigious society.
Forget the stairs - take the slide to the platform
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16 Comments
Richard S. said:
They are missing a splash pool at the bottom of the slide.
Martha said:
The problem with installing a slide at North & Clybourn is the fact that there already is a splash pool. It's dirty and murky and thoroughly spooky.
jack said:
... the Addams Family.
Richard S. said:
Is there anyway of angelling the slide so it will empty into one of the CTA train cars? This would save even more time.
jack said:
Considering that CTA isn't like Disney World, and doesn't have a gate immediately opposite an open car door, I doubt it. There is currently no assurance that the car will stop "right on the spot."
Also giving this more thought (and far more than it deserves), if the train has not yet pulled into the station, are you just dropping people onto the third rail? There would seem to have to be a "holding tank" at the bottom of the slide.
CCWriter said:
This would be so much easier on the knees than walking down a long flight of stairs.
Kevin said:
"Of course, this would never fly in our litigious society."
Actually, it would fly...that's the problem.
Richard S. said:
Jack: "Also giving this more thought (and far more than it deserves), if the train has not yet pulled into the station, are you just dropping people onto the third rail?"
That did cross my mind, but people should slide at their own risk. Maybe the gate should be placed at the top of the slide preventing people from sliding until the train is approaching the station. Better yet, the CTA personnel that are at each station can serve as "life guards" telling people when it is safe to jump.
Richard S. said:
Jack: "Considering that CTA isn't like Disney World..."
I'd have to disagree. Like the mono rail at Disney, the CTA L, rides on rails (two instead of one), the train is driven by someone, both the CTA and the monorail pass by many different "lands" and stop at these places to let people off and new people board, both require a ticket to board, both have been involved in accidents (although the Monorail has had a lot less than the L). So it can be argued that riding the L is a lot like riding the monorail at Disney since both povide the passengers they will never forget.
Martha said:
And it has been suggested that the CTA is a Mickey Mouse operation.
jack said:
I meant in the sense I indicated that there are gates at the platform edge that keep people on the platform until the train door line up with them.
There is a similar situation with the Tampa Airport terminal shuttle, where there are things that look like elevator doors, except, when they open, they provide access to the people mover car.
Richard S. said:
The CTA can always put in that technology. It should be on the infrastructure improvement list right behind new rail cars, slow zone repairs, signal improvement, station improvements, express service to the airports and train tracker.
Richard S. said:
Martha: "And it has been suggested that the CTA is a Mickey Mouse operation"
Can we get the CTA to change the lines names to reflect Disney characters instead of colors?
jack said:
Unfortunately, there would be a big debate over which one gets Goofy.
Martha said:
Either the Green or the Pink since they stop next to CTA HQ where they make all those goofy decisions.
borg said:
"Sometimes it seems Europeans just have so much more fun that we do here in the U.S. Exhibit A: This slide on the stairs at a Berlin U-bahn station."
Please not that this is just an ad by Volkswagen. In real live we don't have any fun here.
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