Are they smarter?
As technology continues to advance, the number of horror stories involved in that jump to the future continues to grow.
Just recently, the RM and I were running to catch a train. I got through the turn style before her and walked a few steps before realizing she wasn't behind me. As I turned around she finally struggled through with an odd story.
If you don't know, the turn styles here in grand old New York City have a computerized interface that will tell you whether it has read your metro card or not by writing out in little green letters "Go," "Insufficient funds," "Please swipe card again," "Cannot read card."
To our knowledge this was the extent of the turn style's vocabulary.
Not so.
She swiped once "Please swipe card again."
She swiped twice "Please swipe card again."
She tries a third time "Swipe just one more time."
The RM hesitates, a little put off by this "just one more time" bit, then switches to the next turn style.
This new turn style says "Cannot read card."
Apprehensively, RM approaches the original turn style, swipes her metro card and receives a "Go."
Creepy.
Those things are getting smarter. Technology is getting smarter.
Very creepy.
Just recently, the RM and I were running to catch a train. I got through the turn style before her and walked a few steps before realizing she wasn't behind me. As I turned around she finally struggled through with an odd story.
If you don't know, the turn styles here in grand old New York City have a computerized interface that will tell you whether it has read your metro card or not by writing out in little green letters "Go," "Insufficient funds," "Please swipe card again," "Cannot read card."
To our knowledge this was the extent of the turn style's vocabulary.
Not so.
She swiped once "Please swipe card again."
She swiped twice "Please swipe card again."
She tries a third time "Swipe just one more time."
The RM hesitates, a little put off by this "just one more time" bit, then switches to the next turn style.
This new turn style says "Cannot read card."
Apprehensively, RM approaches the original turn style, swipes her metro card and receives a "Go."
Creepy.
Those things are getting smarter. Technology is getting smarter.
Very creepy.
posted by ldbug at Wednesday, March 28, 2007
17 Comments:
"Swipe just one more time" - I rather like that. Mind you, the technology might be getting smarter, but it still took four tries to read a perfectly good card.
creeeeepy indeed ;)
xx
pinks
z - true...well that or it was messing with her!!
rev - I know!
Since I still dont know how computers work, my guess is RM probably pissed off some of the little people that work in the machine. Give those Keebler Elves some money and maybe they'll forget about their differences.
dt - you are brilliant!!!! Keebler Elves, I think you're on to something;-P
Those two turnstyles were engaged in some sort of power battle, methinks. And RM was their plaything.
I like the first few sentences of your post, in particular ('tho the whole thing is good).
We have too many faith healers, like Voodoo. Some voodoo on the computers ?? Perhaps the computers demand, some prayer, offering or a sacrifice. Sacrifices have gone simpler now. Shaving my head is a sacrifice or giving up ice cream, chocolates is a sacrifice as well.
there was an incident.
i'll copy and paste here.
Vanilla Ice Cream that puzzled General motors! (An Interesting Story)
Never underestimate your Clients' Complaint, no matter how funny it might seem!
This is a real story that happened between the customer of General Motors and its Customer-Care Executive. Please read on. The Pontiac Division of General Motors received a complaint:
'This is the second time I have written to you, and I don't blame you for not answering me, because I sounded crazy, but it is a fact that we have a tradition in our family of Ice-Cream for dessert after dinner each night, but the kind of ice cream varies so, every night, after we've eaten, the whole family votes on which kind of ice cream we should have and I drive down to the store to get it. It's also a fact that I recently purchased a new Pontiac and since then my trips to the store have created a problem.
You see, every time I buy a vanilla ice cream, when I start back from the store my car won't start. If I get any other kind of ice cream, the car starts just fine. I want you to know I'm serious about this question, no matter how silly it sounds "What is there about a Pontiac that makes it not start when I get vanilla ice cream, and easy to start whenever I get any other kind?" The Pontiac President was understandably sceptical about the letter, but sent an Engineer to check it out anyway.
The latter was surprised to be greeted by a successful, obviously well educated man in a fine neighbourhood. He had arranged to meet the man just after dinner time, so the two hopped into the car and drove to the ice cream store. It was vanilla ice cream that night and, sure enough, after they came back to the car, it wouldn't start.
The Engineer returned for three more nights. The first night, they got chocolate. The car started. The second night, he got strawberry. The car started. The third night he ordered vanilla. The car failed to start.
Now the engineer, being a logical man, refused to believe that this man's car was allergic to vanilla ice cream. He arranged, therefore, to continue his visits for as long as it took to solve the problem. And toward this end he began to take notes: He jotted down all sorts of data: time of day, type of gas uses, time to drive back and forth etc.
In a short time, he had a clue: the man took less time to buy vanilla than any other flavour. Why? The answer was in the layout of the store. Vanilla, being the most popular flavour, was in a separate case at the front of the store for quick pickup. All the other flavours were kept in the back of the store at a different counter where it took considerably longer to check out the flavour.
Now, the question for the Engineer was why the car wouldn't start when it took less time. Eureka - Time was now the problem - not the vanilla ice cream!!!! The engineer quickly came up with the answer: "vapour lock".
It was happening every night; but the extra time taken to get the other flavours allowed the engine to cool down sufficiently to start. When the man got vanilla, the engine was still too hot for the vapour lock to dissipate.
I don't like when technology gets too familiar with me. I can do without the politeness. I am very robot-skeptical. But then, I also believe that squirrels are planning something sinister...
mwuhahahahahaha
jocelyn - they were messing with her, I'm sure of it;-)
rauf - that's a cool story!!
jay - oh the squirls I'm with you on that one too;-)
dilling - yikes! :-)
Ya, when they start talking to you like they are human it gives you a startle! However, they are kind of like the human like robots gone awry in the horror movies - something a bit sinister lurks there, I think.
gardenia - they have a sinister sense of humor!
technology's always been smarter than me. Hate it
They're taking over...
it starts with turn styles, then killer robots...
I dislike technology. Well, let me qualify. I make my living off it, but GGRRRRR.... It drives me crazier.
If all I ever had to do with computers was check email, listen to RP, chat and blog, then I would love technology.
duuuuude thats hilarious and crazy
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