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Mass Transit... One person at a time!
The InAmerica Solution:
We apologize for keeping the electron hidden under a digital tarp and scaffold, but there are still too many variables that will affect how it looks in its final form. You can pretty well guess that it will somehow resemble a jelly bean with either 3 or 4 wheels sticking out of the bottom. It will likely have 360º of window and most probably have a front access door. There will be a rear access door to load some luggage and it will be large enough to carry two adults comfortably.
While it sounds like a vehicle, it is actually a battery-powered computer that will drive itself to your location, prompt you (and one companion) to sit in a safe and comfortable seat, and then drive itself to your destination.
Where Are You?
But how does it know you need a ride? Or for that matter, where you are?
The electron Comes To Get You
When it arrives at the curb, just outside the cafe, it waits until its sensors detect your proximity, before it opens its doors. But how does it know it’s you? It knows, because in order to use the electron you need a transit card issued by your local authority contains an RFID chip in it. So it knew who you were when you ordered it and until you are within feet of it, it will not open its doors. We haven’t determined how much time you need to get to the electron, but at some point, if you don’t show up, it will cancel your call and make itself available to the system. It will probably charge you a small fee for having it drive over and you not show up, but since you only had a few feet to walk from where you hailed the electron, we don’t believe that’s being too severe.
You step up to the electron and it beeps to let you know it recognizes you. The door slowly opens, inviting you to sit in its comfortable interior. There’s no problem getting in as there is no steering wheel or foot controls. Only a monitor that’s built into the door in front of you. The electron senses that you’ve sat down and asks you to buckle up. If you’re not very intelligent, and don’t buckle up, it will keep asking you until you comply. The electron is not going anywhere until you buckle up. If you into playing games, at some point it will warn you that it will begin to charge a waiting time to your transit card for delaying your departure. Of course, if there is a problem on board, the tv cam will alert the monitoring station to investigate the problem.
But in this case, since you clicked the “Home” button, it knows exactly where it is headed, and knows approximately when it will arrive. The digital clock now appears on the monitor. Of course, depending on road conditions and traffic the electron constantly adjusts the digital clock to reflect the arrival time at home.
You step out of the electron, and once the sensor detects you are clear of it, the door closes, and the electron politely thanks you for your patronage. Since your use of the electron is completed, the electron no longer will respond to you. It leaves to go collect its next rider.
How Does It Get Paid?
At any time, you are able to access your account via the internet and review all of your trips, all of your payments, and anything elss that is related to your electron account.
You’ve been lucky enough to have a city or town who opted against building a giant infrastructure for a rail system that would move tons of steel in order to carry a few passengers, or a giant pollution spewing bus that was made to carry 40 or 50 people with only a few hypnotized passengers staring at a very well-paid driver, to drive the same route every day.
Now that you’re home, you smile because you traveled without polluting the air, having avoided the cost of fuel, parking and wear and tear on your automobile. You’re even humming the tune that played when you inserted your iPod into its dock on the electron.
Is this some crazy Jetson’s dream? Is this possible in the near future? If the electron is battery operated, how can it go so long without recharging? Well, you’ll be happy to know that all of this is possible using existing technology. The only real obstacle is the collective mindset.
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