The Cellar  

Go Back   The Cellar > Images > Image of the Day

Image of the Day Images that will blow your mind - every day. [Blog] [RSS] [XML]

Reply
 
Thread Tools Rate Thread Display Modes
Old 08-05-2010, 12:31 AM   #1
xoxoxoBruce
The future is unwritten
 
Join Date: Oct 2002
Posts: 71,105
Aug 5, 2010: China's Big Bus

This fall, in Beijing, construction will begin on the first 186km of track for what is called the "3D Express Coach". Rather than acquiring new land, or competing with traffic, this big bus will pass over traffic... and allow traffic to pass under it.



Quote:
Seriously, this is the future that China's envisioning: huge friggin' buses engulfing smaller cars on the road. Despite the silly picture and the eccentric "3D Express Coach" branding, this cunning project by Shenzhen Huashi Future Car-Parking Equipment actually makes sense. The idea is to make use of the space between regular-size cars and bridges, thus saving construction costs as well as minimizing congestion impact by allowing cars to drive underneath these jumbo buses.
video at the link
__________________
The descent of man ~ Nixon, Friedman, Reagan, Trump.
xoxoxoBruce is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-05-2010, 02:52 AM   #2
toranokaze
I'm still a jerk
 
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Little Mexico
Posts: 1,817
I foresee this ending very badly
__________________
"Without deviation from the norm progress is not possible." - Frank Zappa

It is the ignorance of ignorance that lead to the death of knowledge

The Virgin Mary does not weep for her son, for he is in paradise. She weeps for the world , for we are in suffering.
toranokaze is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-05-2010, 05:20 AM   #3
casimendocina
Professor
 
Join Date: Jun 2009
Posts: 1,622
Looks pretty innovative to me. If a concept such as the autobahn works, there's a strong possibility that this could work too. Probably just a matter of training drivers appropriately.
casimendocina is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-05-2010, 05:21 AM   #4
SPUCK
Professor
 
Join Date: Oct 2006
Posts: 1,911
Yes! Very, very, badly.

Since Chinese can't drive worth a damn now, how are they ever going to handle the added complexity of rolling spaces.

Watch this movie you will see what I mean. It's like they have no idea.

SPUCK is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-05-2010, 05:27 AM   #5
Gravdigr
The Un-Tuckian
 
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: South Central...KY that is
Posts: 39,517
One would have to VERY careful when executing that left turn in Albuquerque.
__________________


These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA, EPA, FBI, DEA, CDC, or FDIC. These statements are not intended to diagnose, cause, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. If you feel you have been harmed/offended by, or, disagree with any of the above statements or images, please feel free to fuck right off.
Gravdigr is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-05-2010, 05:37 AM   #6
casimendocina
Professor
 
Join Date: Jun 2009
Posts: 1,622
Now is the time to reiterate my theory (based on 1.5 years experience living in beautiful industrial Wuhan) that in places like Australia everyone expects everyone else to do the right thing (follow the rules etc...) and then is surprised/gets really pissed off when they don't. In a place like China, no-one expects anyone to follow the rules, so aren't surprised when they don't and deal with it much better.
casimendocina is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-05-2010, 05:45 AM   #7
Griff
still says videotape
 
Join Date: Feb 2001
Posts: 26,813
Quote:
Originally Posted by toranokaze View Post
I foresee this ending very badly
What could go wrong?

__________________
If you would only recognize that life is hard, things would be so much easier for you.
- Louis D. Brandeis
Griff is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-05-2010, 05:59 AM   #8
Nikolai
Greener than the rest
 
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Near London
Posts: 68
Loves Spucks video especially at 2:02 she nudges him over with her car made me chuckle. Was also noticing a lack of decent lines on the roads or traffic lights.
__________________
“Nowhere can man find a quieter or more untroubled retreat than in his own soul” – Marcus Aurelius
Nikolai is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-05-2010, 07:45 AM   #9
newtimer
Operations Operative
 
Join Date: Apr 2008
Posts: 479
Quote:
Originally Posted by casimendocina View Post
(based on 1.5 years experience living in beautiful industrial Wuhan)
2 years in Wuhan, followed by another 3 in/around Beijing.
In an overcrowded country where many of the drivers only get a license because they are rich enough to bribe the examiner because they're too busy to actually study the rules, there's no way this can end well. However...

Has anybody considered the notion that this could be another government form of population control?
newtimer is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-05-2010, 08:29 AM   #10
Cloud
...
 
Join Date: Feb 2007
Posts: 8,360
I think they should invent the stop sign first!
__________________
"Guard your honor. Let your reputation fall where it will. And outlive the bastards!"
Cloud is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-05-2010, 11:38 AM   #11
Sundae
polaroid of perfection
 
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: West Yorkshire
Posts: 24,185
It appears to run on rails?
In which case, no more dangerous than trams mixed with traffic.

No matter how "adventurous" your driving style, you learn pretty early on not to mess with trams, buses, bin lorries etc. This would be the same.
I question just how economical it would be though. The space taken via the space utilised (for passengers) is less than 50%. Aren't subways still a better solution? NONE of the traffic issues and 99% passenger space?
Sundae is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-05-2010, 11:46 AM   #12
Clodfobble
UNDER CONDITIONAL MITIGATION
 
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: Austin, TX
Posts: 20,012
But if you don't already have subways, digging them from scratch while a city still functions on top is basically impossible. And geology can be a problem too--I don't know about China, but around here we will never, ever have subways because the whole area is sitting on top of solid limestone rock.

But either way, I think the problem with the normal trams is less about danger and more about convenience. They move slowly, and then they stop every couple of blocks and hold up traffic. (This is exactly what our public buses do here.) With this over-traffic model, when the tram stops the rest of the traffic just keeps right on going.
Clodfobble is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-05-2010, 11:50 AM   #13
Sundae
polaroid of perfection
 
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: West Yorkshire
Posts: 24,185
Quote:
Originally Posted by Clodfobble View Post
But if you don't already have subways, digging them from scratch while a city still functions on top is basically impossible.
Gotcha. Didn't think of that as our Tube system is so old.
Quote:
But either way, I think the problem with the normal trams is less about danger and more about convenience. They move slowly, and then they stop every couple of blocks and hold up traffic. (This is exactly what our public buses do here.) With this over-traffic model, when the tram stops the rest of the traffic just keeps right on going.
Good point also.
I was thinking - again- of European cities that never really STOPPED using the trams and built the roads around them. In Amsterdam the trams go places the cars can't go and vice versa. In Blackpool (Lancashire) the trams serve the tourist routes and are completely separate from cars for most of their journeys. Trams in traffic are no better than buses.

Last edited by Sundae; 08-05-2010 at 12:18 PM.
Sundae is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-05-2010, 12:12 PM   #14
glatt
 
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Arlington, VA
Posts: 27,717
Quote:
Originally Posted by Sundae Girl View Post
Trams in traffic are no better than buses.
Trams can actually be worse, if you get some idiot car driver blocking the tracks. A bus can drive around. A tram just has to sit there until the car moves.
glatt is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-05-2010, 12:33 PM   #15
Cloud
...
 
Join Date: Feb 2007
Posts: 8,360
what are "trams" as you use that term? electric buses that run on overhead cables?
__________________
"Guard your honor. Let your reputation fall where it will. And outlive the bastards!"
Cloud is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply


Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
 
Thread Tools
Display Modes Rate This Thread
Rate This Thread:

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump

All times are GMT -5. The time now is 09:35 AM.


Powered by: vBulletin Version 3.8.1
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.