Comments on: Photo of the day: You must be in one of the first five cars http://whitneyhess.com/blog/2009/05/14/photo-of-the-day-you-must-be-in-one-of-the-first-five-cars/ Improving the human experience one day at a time Thu, 29 Jul 2010 14:53:46 -0700 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Dave Friedel http://whitneyhess.com/blog/2009/05/14/photo-of-the-day-you-must-be-in-one-of-the-first-five-cars/comment-page-1/#comment-3659 Dave Friedel Fri, 15 May 2009 21:52:39 +0000 http://whitneyhess.com/blog/?p=1529#comment-3659 It was a massive project for almost 5 years. They had to dynamite and drill out bedrock while not affecting any surface streets. I think the main purpose was because of tourism, but I think they added track as well. It was on Discovery or the History Channel at some point.<br><br>PIC: <a href="http://bit.ly/UASq8" rel="nofollow">http://bit.ly/UASq8</a> It was a massive project for almost 5 years. They had to dynamite and drill out bedrock while not affecting any surface streets. I think the main purpose was because of tourism, but I think they added track as well. It was on Discovery or the History Channel at some point.

PIC: http://bit.ly/UASq8

]]> By: francois http://whitneyhess.com/blog/2009/05/14/photo-of-the-day-you-must-be-in-one-of-the-first-five-cars/comment-page-1/#comment-3657 francois Fri, 15 May 2009 20:12:30 +0000 http://whitneyhess.com/blog/?p=1529#comment-3657 I'm a commuter on Southeastern trains in the UK. They have the scrolling LED display but it is frequently wrong, cueing an announcement by the conductor to ignore the display boards. I'm a commuter on Southeastern trains in the UK. They have the scrolling LED display but it is frequently wrong, cueing an announcement by the conductor to ignore the display boards.

]]> By: Dan Eastwell http://whitneyhess.com/blog/2009/05/14/photo-of-the-day-you-must-be-in-one-of-the-first-five-cars/comment-page-1/#comment-3652 Dan Eastwell Fri, 15 May 2009 11:28:45 +0000 http://whitneyhess.com/blog/?p=1529#comment-3652 Before they upgraded trains on the Southern network in the UK to have announcements (visual on a scrolling LED display and audible announcements) saying 'Due to a short platform at [station], customers must be in the front [4] carriages for [station]. This is carriage [1] of [4]", there would be either no announcement, or the conductor would ask you to find the carriage serial number!<br><br>He'd then say something like "if the number ends in 47-49, you're at the front of the train"..! Before they upgraded trains on the Southern network in the UK to have announcements (visual on a scrolling LED display and audible announcements) saying 'Due to a short platform at [station], customers must be in the front [4] carriages for [station]. This is carriage [1] of [4]“, there would be either no announcement, or the conductor would ask you to find the carriage serial number!

He'd then say something like “if the number ends in 47-49, you're at the front of the train”..!

]]> By: LukanX http://whitneyhess.com/blog/2009/05/14/photo-of-the-day-you-must-be-in-one-of-the-first-five-cars/comment-page-1/#comment-3651 LukanX Fri, 15 May 2009 09:33:16 +0000 http://whitneyhess.com/blog/?p=1529#comment-3651 It would probably help to break down the problem a bit.<br><br>1) They have platforms that can't fit all the cars<br>2) The order the cars are in probably switches depending on which direction its going, and probably on a day to day basis.<br>3) If it's anything like the DC Metro they have severe budget constraints<br><br>The best solutions I can come up with off the top of my head:<br><br>1) Put a little LED above each car graphic. the one that is illuminated is the train you are on. (Not familiar with New York subway, do they all have the same number of cars?)<br>2) Could they use the PA system to inform only the cars that matter that if they want to get off at the next stop they'll have to move up?<br>3) LED board up at the front and back of the car interior that says what car number you are riding. It would probably help to break down the problem a bit.

1) They have platforms that can't fit all the cars
2) The order the cars are in probably switches depending on which direction its going, and probably on a day to day basis.
3) If it's anything like the DC Metro they have severe budget constraints

The best solutions I can come up with off the top of my head:

1) Put a little LED above each car graphic. the one that is illuminated is the train you are on. (Not familiar with New York subway, do they all have the same number of cars?)
2) Could they use the PA system to inform only the cars that matter that if they want to get off at the next stop they'll have to move up?
3) LED board up at the front and back of the car interior that says what car number you are riding.

]]> By: Whitney Hess http://whitneyhess.com/blog/2009/05/14/photo-of-the-day-you-must-be-in-one-of-the-first-five-cars/comment-page-1/#comment-3649 Whitney Hess Thu, 14 May 2009 23:33:14 +0000 http://whitneyhess.com/blog/?p=1529#comment-3649 I haven't been to the new South Ferry station yet. They expaneded the platform to fit the entire train?! I haven't been to the new South Ferry station yet. They expaneded the platform to fit the entire train?!

]]> By: Daniel Szuc http://whitneyhess.com/blog/2009/05/14/photo-of-the-day-you-must-be-in-one-of-the-first-five-cars/comment-page-1/#comment-3641 Daniel Szuc Thu, 14 May 2009 23:08:14 +0000 http://whitneyhess.com/blog/?p=1529#comment-3641 This happened to us on one of our visits to NYC and as NYC newbies we thought the train needed to creep forward some more to reach the rest of the platform. <br><br>So we just sat in the carriage waiting ... waiting ... waiting :) OK if you are in no rush and in tourist mode. This happened to us on one of our visits to NYC and as NYC newbies we thought the train needed to creep forward some more to reach the rest of the platform.

So we just sat in the carriage waiting … waiting … waiting :) OK if you are in no rush and in tourist mode.

]]> By: Amy S. http://whitneyhess.com/blog/2009/05/14/photo-of-the-day-you-must-be-in-one-of-the-first-five-cars/comment-page-1/#comment-3640 Amy S. Thu, 14 May 2009 19:24:28 +0000 http://whitneyhess.com/blog/?p=1529#comment-3640 And since South Ferry is where you get off the 1 train to get to some major tourist destinations, the "first five cars" thing especially affects people who are already unfamiliar with the subway. You can always count on seeing a rush of panicked tourists when the conductor announces that passengers need to move to one of the first five cars (which also suggests that people don't read the sign, or don't comprehend if they do read it). <br><br>The recently opened new South Ferry station actually eliminates this problem, but I notice that the signs haven't been taken down yet, just to add to the potential confusion. And since South Ferry is where you get off the 1 train to get to some major tourist destinations, the “first five cars” thing especially affects people who are already unfamiliar with the subway. You can always count on seeing a rush of panicked tourists when the conductor announces that passengers need to move to one of the first five cars (which also suggests that people don't read the sign, or don't comprehend if they do read it).

The recently opened new South Ferry station actually eliminates this problem, but I notice that the signs haven't been taken down yet, just to add to the potential confusion.

]]> By: Wayne http://whitneyhess.com/blog/2009/05/14/photo-of-the-day-you-must-be-in-one-of-the-first-five-cars/comment-page-1/#comment-3639 Wayne Thu, 14 May 2009 19:13:44 +0000 http://whitneyhess.com/blog/?p=1529#comment-3639 Riding the subway is a bad UX overall. This is just one in a long line of bad experiences you can have courtesy of the MTA. Riding the subway is a bad UX overall. This is just one in a long line of bad experiences you can have courtesy of the MTA.

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