April 6, 2007
What Metro Needs: Knight Industries Two Thousand
So we're guessing by now, you've all seen the orange light bars that have been installed on Metrobuses to make them more visible to pedestrians. After seeing them the first time, we have to admit, our reaction was less than optimistic. Can a noisy, 50-foot long hunk of red-white-and-blue glass and steel be any more visible? Whether it's an oblivious pedestrian or a careless driver that is the cause of an accident, would a 12-inch long flashing LED really have made the difference?
But then the folks over at Governing.com gave us an idea... If you grew up in the eighties, upon seeing these new additions to your local bus, you might have made the same association they did: Knight Rider. The similarity to the Knight Industries Two Thousand, aka KITT, is unmistakable (and our commute now makes us yearn for the days of melodramatic, hour-long action dramas on a daily basis).
The question is, why did Metro stop with the lights? If Metro really wanted to make its buses better and safer, why not take this idea to its obvious conclusion, and install the rest of the technology used in KITT?
Think of the possibilities! The Knight 2000 Microprocessor would never let a bus fall behind schedule. Even the worst traffic could be avoided with a quick Turbo Boost. The beloved voice of Mr. Feeny would courteously yet sternly tell passengers to move to the back, and announce each stop. The impenetrable Molecular Bonded Shell would protect buses from even the worst rock attacks by neighborhood youth. And the Auto-Drive Collision Avoidance System has obvious applications.
So c'mon Metro, and let's get some vision! We fully expect you to begin working on this, at least, after you finish implementing the rest of our Metrobus recommendations.
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What is this KIT? Don't you know a Cylon when you see one?
Or is it a Roomba?
Weather? I think you meant whether.
Definitely a Cylon. But not nearly as sexy as the super hottie but kinda scary blond Cylon model...
Instead of that little light bar, which I'll admit does look cool, I think Metro should just put lights all around the top of the bus so more than 2 feet of the vehicle is lit. They could use rope light, or just a line of LEDs or something...but basically, the entire roof should be wrapped with lighting around it so you can see the upper corners of the bus above traffic and parked cars. That way, no matter which side of a bus is closest, you'd be able to catch a glimpse of the lights at the top. They could even split them into two systems so one side of the bus top could blink when the bus turns. Many truck trailers have similar edge lighting for visibility.
Here's a crappy sketch to show what I mean, since I didn't describe it that well. But basically either a string of lights, or a marquee effect is what I have in mind.
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/232/448645306_1ec5cb2ef6_o.jpg
Maybe metrobus can buy up all the discarded Aqua Teen Hunger Force LED "packages" and put them on the bus...
YES.
Although I will say that my usual driver on my Metrobus commute sort of drives like that anyway. But he most definitely does not look like David Hasselhoff.
If my morning commute were an 80s drama, I'm guessing it would be more of an A-Team thing going on. I definitely have the BA Baracus piece.
Perhaps metro already knows the identity of the final five!
Those orange light bars would be FAR more effective at eye level. Know any 10 foot-tall people?
They should just equip the buses with a version of that light show from Close Encounters of the Third Kind, which the musical chime too.
i had the same reaction they did... in fact, i couldn't stop myself from making KITT's electronic wooshing noise when he was scanning for danger or signs of life or whatever else the hoff had him look for. Luckily there weren't any other pedestrians close enough to overhear(d) it.
ok. I can't believe I actually watched the whole thing but it did bring back some cute memories.
Meanwhile, when the turbo boost when to 70,80, 90 mph; I was like "so?"
then it hit 117 and I thought, "my car never just flys through the air when I'm doing that speed, what a rip off!"
KITT was bad ass but impractical for city streets. 18th street? Are you kidding? lol!!
Also, love how "Mr. Knight" was sitting on the left hand side of the car in one shot and the right in the other.
Great video anyway. Thanks =)
First we have police cars running around the city with their lights always on, and now this... it seems like we're just jumping into a spiral escalation of scare-lighting that will have it's 15 minutes of effectiveness and then the inevitable tuning-out by most folks will set in. *Shrug* -- that's just a guess. I'd assume time & data will tell whether or not it makes a difference.
Yup, both KITT and our beloved Metrobuses are definitely Cylons. Frak it.
KITT just went up for sale on Tuesday... coincidence?
Maybe the lights are intended to help out the deaf and hard of hearing?