Easy Does It, Riders

Our current Ampolo video, Easy Riders, suggests a way for urban transit systems to increase ridership and revenue--create specialty cars offering speed dating, ESPN, movie trailers, silent reading, and the like for commuters.

My explanation of this idea on a website devoted to those riding the CTA in Chicago elicited several responses, many of them emotional.

Some wondered about the logistics.

*No one is dumb enough or crazy enough to ride the L to watch TV!
And I can't wait to see hundreds of people on the platform trying to figure out which L car to get in to.
The ESPN car, the movie trailer car or the speed dating car.
Or will there be multiple dating cars: separate straight, bi, gay & lesbian cars?

Others wondered about priorities:

*The CTA needs to focus on providing reliable service, not gimmicks.

Others were somewhat open minded:

*It would be ridiculous and intrusive, but if it was a generator of significant revenue -- and I mean VERY significant revenue -- it might be worth it.

One commentator had already thought of the idea:

*The logical conclusion to the AMPOLO idea is casino cars or the politically incorrect smoking car.
Don't hold your breath on specialty cars,I suggested using el cars as mini outposts of museums to entice people to go to the real museums and be more inclined to the C.T.A. I also suggested that a day be designated cheap date night ,where couples would use the C.T.A. to go to inexpensive places[along with a singles night where people could get use public transportation as a place to find dates for cheap date night ,if they didn't have anyone.
Even having libraries or book exchanges[as is widely done in other cities] on the train or in stations is too radical for the C.T.A.

A couple responses were funny:

*For all you fans of gimmicky ideas....

How about designate up to 8 cars on every train as being substantially litter and "scent" free, and arriving at their destinations in a timely manner. ;)

*We already have quick date cars on the CTA. It's called fondling and flashing, and is found throughout the train.


Two thoughts:

1) No one is suggesting that specialty cars be mandatory. If you think showing a movie trailer is too commercial or that running sports highlights would be too intrusive, then you don't have to enter those cars or any specialty car. There will still be the good old fashioned smelly, littered cars you love to hate. (And it seems to me that the cars could be identified on the outside so that riders could quickly determine which one to choose.)

2) The above responses are much appreciated. At www.ampolo.com and on Ampolotalk, we are offering ideas to stimulate conversation and, we hope, action.

So please avail yourself of the comment sections on each of our sites. You have to register to do so at ampolo.com, but it is very easy to do so.