Years ago I did a video about "Link NYC" I was mostly concerned about the possibility of surveillance through the cameras.
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Hey, people in other cities than NYC:
1. Do you have a way to charge your phone on the street?
2. Are there municipal information screens? Do they show ads?
3. Is there public wifi? Is it any good?
4. Can you make a phonecall on the street even if you don't have a cellphone?
@futurebird the public transport has accessible information straight on the street, but nothing else. i haven’t seen a pay phone in years and there aren’t really any outside places where people are welcome or encouraged to stay long
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Hey, people in other cities than NYC:
1. Do you have a way to charge your phone on the street?
2. Are there municipal information screens? Do they show ads?
3. Is there public wifi? Is it any good?
4. Can you make a phonecall on the street even if you don't have a cellphone?
@futurebird in Oakland, we have the Ike digital signage. https://www.oaklandca.gov/Public-Safety-Streets/Streets/Interactive-Digital-Kiosks. It doesn't allow for charging.
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@futurebird london has these (https://global.com/outdoor/roadside/street-hub-advertising/, https://business.bt.com/public-sector/street-hubs/street-hubs-for-the-public/) which seem useful but I've never had to use, apparently they're also in other uk cities
@futurebird apparently the company that manufacture them are uk based and have a delightfully shitty website https://trueform.com/news/
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Hmm. I think the backlash to this kind of system being a way to collect data made it not spread to other cities as much.
Because the data is what's really worth the most with this system. The ads are fine, you can raise enough to keep it running and have staff and that's great... but that's not what some of the early supporters were hoping for.
And so they moved on to those wicked traffic cameras and other schemes.
North Little Rock, AR. Nothing on the street. But phone and charging available in the library (when open), and all the bars/cafés have charging with no questions asked.
City information is a large gentleman named Beaufort, who is officially a cop, but whose title is Ambassador. He and his crew also provide golf cart rides to people who need to get around downtown if they're mobility impaired or if the weather is bad.
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@futurebird apparently the company that manufacture them are uk based and have a delightfully shitty website https://trueform.com/news/
Why does the crappy website make me less suspicious of them?
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North Little Rock, AR. Nothing on the street. But phone and charging available in the library (when open), and all the bars/cafés have charging with no questions asked.
City information is a large gentleman named Beaufort, who is officially a cop, but whose title is Ambassador. He and his crew also provide golf cart rides to people who need to get around downtown if they're mobility impaired or if the weather is bad.
ya'll literally have a town crier? like of the olden days??
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Hey, people in other cities than NYC:
1. Do you have a way to charge your phone on the street?
2. Are there municipal information screens? Do they show ads?
3. Is there public wifi? Is it any good?
4. Can you make a phonecall on the street even if you don't have a cellphone?
@futurebird Wait! I think some of our bus stop shelters have chargers. But I'm not sure how available they are.
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Hey, people in other cities than NYC:
1. Do you have a way to charge your phone on the street?
2. Are there municipal information screens? Do they show ads?
3. Is there public wifi? Is it any good?
4. Can you make a phonecall on the street even if you don't have a cellphone?
@futurebird Australia has a payphone network with phone booths everywhere, and it’s now free to make calls to fixed lines and standard Australian mobile numbers from those phone booths. Very useful for people who don’t have a phone.
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ya'll literally have a town crier? like of the olden days??
Not a crier, he doesn't have a bell and yell stupid things like "All's Well." when they obviously aren't.
Beaufort and his crew of ambassadors walk / golf cart around downtown most nights, with more when there's an event going on.
They guide tourists to safe (free!) parking, advise about restaurants suitable for your group, tell you what events are coming up, and walk little old ladies across the street to the theatre.They also generally keep the peace in a way that most cops don't. I've seen them talk down a belligerent drunk, walk him outside and get him an Uber home...along with a card with numbers for several free therapy options.
They have a radio, baton, and a tazer; no body armor, no gun. In 15 years I've seen a baton come out once. It was used on an arm with a knife, not on a head.
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@futurebird Australia has a payphone network with phone booths everywhere, and it’s now free to make calls to fixed lines and standard Australian mobile numbers from those phone booths. Very useful for people who don’t have a phone.
@emmadavidson apart from the costs to operate these and deal with vandalism etc it makes sense when most people are on a monthly plan with fixed costs no matter how many calls they make. @futurebird
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Not a crier, he doesn't have a bell and yell stupid things like "All's Well." when they obviously aren't.
Beaufort and his crew of ambassadors walk / golf cart around downtown most nights, with more when there's an event going on.
They guide tourists to safe (free!) parking, advise about restaurants suitable for your group, tell you what events are coming up, and walk little old ladies across the street to the theatre.They also generally keep the peace in a way that most cops don't. I've seen them talk down a belligerent drunk, walk him outside and get him an Uber home...along with a card with numbers for several free therapy options.
They have a radio, baton, and a tazer; no body armor, no gun. In 15 years I've seen a baton come out once. It was used on an arm with a knife, not on a head.
Hmm to do the same thing in NYC we would need about 40 Beaufort's, one for each major superneighborhood ... probably more though. Nonetheless they could all watch a video each morning about what the latest thing was so they would be in sync.
Maybe they could find the old time square elmos and have them do it.
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Hmm to do the same thing in NYC we would need about 40 Beaufort's, one for each major superneighborhood ... probably more though. Nonetheless they could all watch a video each morning about what the latest thing was so they would be in sync.
Maybe they could find the old time square elmos and have them do it.
@futurebird @johntimaeus So, can Beauforts scale?
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@futurebird @johntimaeus So, can Beauforts scale?
IDK. sound like one might need to take cover if true.
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@futurebird @johntimaeus So, can Beauforts scale?
I just walked right into this one didn't I MY GOD WOMAN
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@futurebird @johntimaeus So, can Beauforts scale?
@linuxandyarn @futurebird @johntimaeus Probably better than cops.
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@linuxandyarn @futurebird @johntimaeus Probably better than cops.
@linuxandyarn @futurebird @johntimaeus Goddammit.
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IDK. sound like one might need to take cover if true.
@futurebird @linuxandyarn @johntimaeus Sure it can(e)?
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@linuxandyarn @futurebird @johntimaeus Goddammit.
@arclight @linuxandyarn @johntimaeus
got em
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@futurebird @linuxandyarn @johntimaeus Guilty as charged.
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@mayintoronto @futurebird I've never noticed!
@deborahh @mayintoronto @futurebird Someone pointed out USB charging ports on busses to me once, would never have known, and would have to be new busses only I think. Subways?
