March 27, 2010
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WTF was that?
Anybody who has ridden the new buses - tooted as the future in mass transit travel – knows what I mean.
They pride themselves on safety. The exits now identify their location with a blend of double whistle and crack followed by a thump. Safety on the new Hybrid Electric buses (from Detroit) needs to be re- addressed. The exit doors warn of a green light before the push on sticker. No warning of a very loud crack overhead. I wonder why the drivers have not asked for a maintenance check to REPAIR TO QUIET? Their union tells them what to do, I guess. It seems to be a combination of electric light and mechanics. They might need a engineer with a sound meter. Should be covered by a warranty since the buses are fairly new. Other bus lines are quiet at the back door.
How safe is it? Is it an exit guard? Does the driver control the level of sound? Many people have good hearing? The noise drowns out any radio and interrupts reading. Should passengers wear ear-plugs to protect their hearing? Don't they need customers? So, I went on-line to make a suggestion regarding their loud “ticket” sound – no reply as yet, just a blend of double whistle and crack followed by a thump.
This combo of sound is not music to my sensitive ears. They are trained for symphonic music, opera and heavy non-fictional reading. But of course, if you're trying to click with a lot of people daily (over one million riders), a subliminal message embedded in the noise of the bus might just do the trick. Marketing is everywhere - why this promotion? Rider comfort increases ridership. The majority keep it running, not the few with hearing aids.
Studies have shown that if a dog hears a click, they respond to the source of noise in attention. They have really sensitive hearing. I don't know what constant clicking does to a human but people are strangely quiet on the buses. Does their brain register a “shut up” off the noise? On the flip-side, noise could wake up a coma victim (someone has to pay the bill to allow the sleep). What will the tourists say?
I guess I'll wear ear plugs and watch the effects.
