Tuesday, July 22, 2008
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No Country for...nevermind
When I moved here in 2000, I joined an online forum about transit issues in the Twin Cities. It was an official forum, monitored by the city councils and various government reps. I suggested a thing I called BusTrax, a plan I hatched to monitor the positions of all the buses (with GPS onboard each bus) and then to relay the information to the cell phones of BusTrax subscribers. For example, when a subscriber's preferred bus was 10 minutes from her stop, she could be alerted with a ringtone. It'd revolutionize the whole "bus thing"...especially up here in the cold of winter.I received no response to my suggestion. Not even a "Thanks for your input, we'll think about this." Undaunted, I pressed. After about six months, the daunting set in. Revolutionary and cost effective or not, my BusTrax simply wasn't gonna leave any tracks in this bureaucratic parking lot. So I gave the fuck up.
Well....
Just heard on the news that they implemented the exact system I advocated EIGHT YEARS AGO...to chirping crickets.
The only difference is it's called something much dorkier than BusTrax: It's called NexTrip.
At least they kept my "x" factor.
I suppose the right thing for me to feel is "better late than never".
I'm working on it.EDIT: done. thanks, everyone. i've let it go. it's the right move, and heck, you've made me pretty sure it's a sexy one, too. ;) + <3 @ you all.
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Comments (38)
Good they adopted it, Bad you didn't get the credit you deserve. Politics!
Wow, that's gotta suck.
Sue!
meh. Fuck 'em. When have you not been ahead of your time, Phil? Visionary's are never appreciated in their own time. But look at it this way: they usually have to die before someone recognizes what a genius they were. You're still alive.
anh, brilliant! n sounds like the stereotypical scientist's (and/or government's) battle with getting ideas out there - you're epic
You're a regular pillar of the community, Phil.
That "Nextrip" thing makes it sound like it's potential users should be too busy slamming mountian dew and screaming about their N00b head-shots on the Halo to worry about getting on the bus.
@llibra - it really wasn't a revolutionary idea. it was kind of obvious, though the effect it'll have on bus transportation may be revolutionary. it turns out that seattle (at least) has had something like it up and running for several years.
people suck.
what a super idea and i like your name a WHOLE lot better...and i'm a professional
(i work in advertising and design) . it really blows that you don't get credit for it 
it's called city government-frankly I'm impressed they got around to it in under ten years-beats our city.
congratsNow write a letter to the editor and take the credit due!
at least we all know it was your idea. and we're dern proud to know the guy who invented it.
:)
that's coz you're THE MAN!
glad to hear that bears can move on now, and sexily, no less.
*butshebites* has a good idea.
but...what if you didn't have a cellphone? : )
rbear is always getting on me about bitching about the bus being late. his advice to me, infuriating as it is, is that "hey honey, the bus will be here when the bus gets here. forget the damn schedule." so profound, ha. and it gets cold here, sometimes. but standing in this heat, waiting on a bus? sucks.
@k8tthelate - *rollseyes* ....having said that, <3
@be_the_rain - @butshebites - your point is well-taken, but in this case it's not the best move for me. attachment...just gets us all wrapped up.
@Southland - thank you. yeah, their name pretty well sucks. ;)
as liddy said...the trick is in not minding. sounds like you've got that down.
and: <3
We'll be mummified in red tape.
The world is full of idiots and assholes.
I just try not to be one of them.
That's about the best I can do.
Don't feel bad Phil. Sometimes it takes the rest of the world a little time to catch on to genius. I've recently had a similar experence. A few quarters ago, I deliever speech to my class and recieved a rounding applause but the teacher was less than impressed. He thanked me for my "enthusiasim"
This month in the Texas Director, a trade magazine, I open to find an article written almost to the letter about the same thing I had sO passionatly given my speech over. It even had the same tag lines and asked the same questions in the excact same way I had.......hmmmmm. Sumting fishy......
Have a good one and congratulations. They have seen the trax.
So you're getting a BusTrax tattoo?
@Mischief_Skittles - my old dad used to say not to worry, ideas are a dime a dozen for us idea people. adjusting for inflation, i think he was right. so, idea person. you see... :)
Demand credit, but don't sue. I'd probably go around telling reporters.
sexy indeed!
Well, at least it happened. That would actually be very useful.