We’re big fans of public transportation, that’s no surprise. Some people however think transportation, like taking the subway, stinks! Not that they believe it’s a bad way to commute, but they literally feel it smells bad. In an effort to combat the olfactory assaults a student from the School of Visual Arts in NYC has started putting homemade scratch and sniff posters around the subway. The posters allow subway riders to scratch and sniff for a brief break from the usual smells around the subway. The posters treat commuters to smells like vanilla, lavender and sweet orange blossom. Whether you’re a fan of those scents or not, it has to be better than some of the other smells that can be found in a subway tunnel.
This time of year most of us are happy to see some warmer temperatures. This may not be the case for some attendees of Winterfest in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, however. As parking became scarce at the event attendees began parking on frozen Geneva Lake. This is nothing new, but the unseasonably warm forty-degree day was. Over a dozen of the vehicles sunk into the lake when the ice gave way. On a positive note, no one was injured as the cars were all unattended. We’ll chalk this up as another example of why it might be better to leave your car at home and find an alternate way to commute.
We hear a lot about self-driving cars, autopilot, etc. No matter how much you hear about it, it still sounds like something of the future. Well, Tesla has recently released a video showcasing some of their car’s autopilot features. It shows their car pull itself out of the garage, be aware of other vehicles on the highway, navigate curves, and even parallel parking itself. You can head over to Tesla’s website to see the video for yourself.
Volvo has long been a leader in automotive safety and they continue to push the envelope. They are talking about having fatality-proof cars by 2020, that’s only four years away. With the continued push towards autonomous cars Volvo feels that the technology is almost there to keep cars from fatally crashing. Even if the car isn’t driving itself, it will have features like: lane keeping assist, collision avoidance, pedestrian detection, and others ready to jump in to keep everyone safe. Of course, there’s only so much the car can do, so it’s imperative to continue to drive safely even with all these safety features.
Long car rides can be taxing, that’s why it’s important to take breaks, and make sure you’ve had a good nights sleep before hitting the road for long periods of time. It’s important to have your cognitive functions working at their best before taking to the roads. One Argentinian man could’ve used another cup of coffee before heading home from vacation in Brazil. After stopping at a gas station with his wife napping in the back seat, he drove sixty miles back home before realizing his wife was no longer in the car! His wife had gotten out to get a snack in the gas station when he drove off assuming his wife was still fast asleep in the back. After the man realized what happened, he returned for his wife, but needless to say, she was less than happy with the events that transpired. So remember, to be rested, alert and aware when you take to the roads. Not only will it help keep you safe, but it could keep your relationship healthy as well!
