Today we’re launching a new contest to help pass the time while you’re taking public transit. It’s simple to enter, and when you post your entry here, we’ll put your name into a draw for a very cool Spark grocery bag.
Here’s what we want you to do:
The next time you ride on public transit, count the number of people who are using a digital device. That means anyone listening to music, using their Blackberry, playing on a gaming device, talking on the phone, or texting. Anything that’s digital.
Next, come back to this blog post, and add a comment. Tell us three things:
- How many people you counted using digital devices
- What route you were travelling on (Say, bus route 87 Downsview)
- The name of your city or town
It’s that simple. If you’re keen, tell us a bit more about what you observed about your fellow commuters. For instance, there’s a guy who I often see on my morning route, and he somehow he manages to listen to his iPod while sending emails on his Blackberry and he’s also reading the newspaper! I don’t know how he does it…
And if you’re really keen and have the right gadget, you can send us your entry right from your bus seat. Why wait?
To post a comment, click on the comment button below, type in your entry and hit submit. Don’t worry, your email address won’t show up, that’s just for us.
Next Wednesday at 4:00 pm we’ll draw 10 names and contact the winners.
Good Luck and Happy Travels!
Original photo by specialkrb
52 total plugged in TTC,ers from Euclid ave to Brentcliff Road. I take the #506 College street car East from Euclid ave to the Young street subway… From here I take the subway North to Egg station and wrangle any bus going East…. tonight it was the #54.
I would say it was 98% headphones I only noticed 2 people on their phones.
This all went down in Toronto on Tuesday March 10th 2009 between 6-7pm
501 bus in Helsinki, Finland: 7 people on the bus. 3 people texting or possibly checking emails on their mobile phones. 1 person (me) checking emails on my mobile phone and listening to the Spark podcast on my iPod
Ligne A in Lyon, France: Full subway car (none standing) with five (including me) listening to something from my vantage point, around 9 am today local time. I was listening to Spark podcast at the time.
TTC from Finch to College Stn at 8.30 AM: I do this everymorning as I go to school, observing trends for different routes/ times.. today's windy weather might have something to do with practically 90% "plugged-in" population.. alas.. I took out my textbook and read instead!
I am not entering the contest, but have to report on something I found incongruous while riding transit to the Uni in Edmonton, Alberta. I never thought texting would reach a new level of annoying until I saw/heard a young woman receiving gossipy yet inflamatory text messages and reading them aloud to her riding companion. Not on the bus!
This afternoon at 4:45 on the 50 Lakeview in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, I counted 4 texting cell phone users and 5 plugged into their MP3 players… myself one of them. The bus was quiet this afternoon with only 16 people on board rather than the usual "standing room only". I often wonder what they're all listening to since they all have that blank electronic daydream look on their faces. I'm usually listening to some podcast or another; rarely music.
However yesterday I had an unfortunate insight. There was a university student on the bus who insisted talking on her cell with a loud enough voice for all on the bus to hear. While talking on the phone is no big deal most use a "muted" bus voice and keep the call short. This one was getting the irritated looks from the fellow passengers while she gabbed on about the mornings' gossip, the bathing suit she bought on-line and whether or not the size she ordered would fit, pizza-flavoured goldfish crackers and other bits of unimportant nonsense. There is an etiquette involved with using a phone in close public spaces and she was obviously unaware of it.
i agree with the etiqette use of cel phone, ipod , and or blackberry. i feel some people on transit are exibitonist and want to gra your attention. its more info then passengers ned to know. also i find in winnipeg, the highschool, andjunior high cogregate around the backdoor of the bus when there is seats avaliable. totaly ignorance and frustration.
Calgary Alberta
City Centre Train
17 out 0f 24
including myself.
epp!
Tokyo, Japan on the ??? Yamanote line… between Shibuya and Meguro (two stops) 5 minute journey
50+ in one car of an 11-car train in mid-afternoon weekday..
My observations come from route 101 Bayshore in Ottawa. I counted 10 people on the bus (including me), with 6 either listening to headphones or using a cellphone. One intrepid fellow was listening and texting at the same time.
I occasionally listen to music (or one of the many fine CBC podcasts) on the bus, but in general I find my daily bus commute is a good chance to unplug and read a book.
I ride the #3 University bus route in Regina, SK. This morning I counted 7 people listening to digital devices with headphones (including the bus driver! – not too safe…)
What! The bus driver? I hope he was listening to something soothing
Hi Nora!
I work from home as an illustrator and designer so my commute consists of walking across the house.
During my commute I am carrying my iPod from the bedroom dock to my studio dock. I pass my wife who is talking on her blackberry and checking email and doing research on her MacbookPro, while listening to music on her iPod, which is docked into an iPod dock. I sit at my desk which consists of 2 computers, one is a modified MacBook, called a modbook, which is a tablet computer allowing me to digitally draw and paint right on the screen. The other computer is a PC desktop Pentium 4 which is really aging quite nicely, thank you. Across my desk I have 3 monitors… One built into my Modbook, one is a large LCD, and the third is an early 18 inch Wacom tablet/monitor (also allowing me to draw on screen). I have yet another Wacom tablet, 2 scanners, a printer, 3 external hard drives, a modem, a router, a clock, a paper shredder and a desk lamp from Ikea. All of these (except the clock) are plugged into 2 battery backups (to avoid the many one-second power failures my neighborhood is prone to) which are plugged into one power bar, which is plugged into the one and only power outlet that my 100 year old house has to offer in this particular room.
Oh yeah, and I have my cellphone behind me in my backpack,, a cordless land line, and a corded phone, and a separate headset device attached to the phone. And I use a digital egg timer to remind me to let the dogs in from outside
That adds up to 30 gadgets.
My iPod
iPod Dock in the bedroom.
blackberry
MacbookPro
iPod (my wife's)
Ipod Dock in the dining room.
iPod dock in my studio
modbook
PC desktop Pentium 4
large LCD monitor
18 inch Wacom tablet/monitor
yet another Wacom tablet
2 scanners
a printer
3 external hard drives
a modem
a router
a clock
a paper shredder
a desk lamp from Ikea
2 battery backups
one power bar
cellphone
cordless land line
corded phone
separate headset device.
and I use a digital egg timer to remind me to let the dogs in from outside
30 devices, not including the DVD player, stereo and TV I use for my daily yoga routine…, 27 of which are used exclusively by me… 1 person.
Cheers!
Scott
Guelph ON
Observed five people on the 4 Oxford East bus, in London, Ontario. There were, perhaps, only ten people on the bus. London is wired!
Love the show!
Hey Nora
I was listening to the show on my ipod on the GO train heading into Toronto from Pickering. There were about 35 people on the train(I had to run upstairs for a full count)
Six were listening to ipods with earphones
4 were on cell phones or similar devices
Elizabeth Bowie noted the lack of people reading now. On this train there were 5 people reading books(all hardcover). One of the above noted six people who were listening to ipods was also reading a book.
Talking about reading. My commute time on the train, about 50 minutes, used to be my reading time. When I received my first ipod for Christmas this past year my world opened up to podcasts and now I'm addicted. The unfortunate trade off is that my reading time has disappeared.
Love your show(and now that I have an ipod I never miss it)
Jim
Pickering
Interesting. I know what you mean about the podcasting addiction, though in my case it's expanded my 'learning' time. I used to ride my bike to work, but when I started walking instead, it opened up a whole 'podcast time' for me. Now, if I could only carve out some book time!
Audiobooks for your ipod.
Montreal, orange line, from Berri-UQAM to Montmorency, 25 minute commute at 11pm, weekday. Surprisingly, only about 7 people out of 35 were actually with an iPod or a phone.
I'm loving this contest! It's like a research project with reporters from around the country…and world!
Regina, on my early morning bus ride I have only noticed one person listening to an i-pod and one person playing with a blackberry, the rest of the people are looking glumly out the window or having a quiet conversation. Until today the weather has been brutal so it is not surprising that people on this early morning commute have been too despondent to do much but stare quietly off into space.
Halifax-Dartmouth Ferry, 5PM crossing
Out of about the 50 people in my line of sight, less than 10 were plugged in. By in far the majority were engaged in conversation with fellow riders (probably lots of co-workers/friends). Love the ferry in Halifax! I gave up taking my iPod on the commute because there are so many people to talk to!
On Sherbrooke St. (bus 24) Westbond, I saw 4 people with a MP3 player and 1 mobile phone (Montreal)
The type of transit matters! The Toronto TTC subway has been a fairly consistent 20% (today westbound between Runnymede and Jane @ 13:10, 11/53 people), which seems low compared to other comments made here. Toronto is one of the few major North American cities left that lacks subway cell service & most people are using iPods, games, or laptops here. In the few places the line runs above the ground I've seen people hurridly pull out cell phones and blackberries (including me) to text or check messages before we decend back into "digital darkness". People pulling out and checking cellphones as soon as they come up out of the subway station is commonplace. It would be interesting to see by how much the percentage of plugged in passengers goes up once the planned subway cellular relays are installed.
I am in Montreal and take train towards Deux-Montaignes daily. Yesterday i counted, among some 40 people in the train car, 8 were 'connected' (1 laptop, 1 phone, 1 some fancy handheld, and the rest had ears plugged with mp3 players). 5 people were reading books or other reading material.
By the way, great show!! i dont miss even the full interviews in the enhanced podcast or website.
Caught the bus at just the time right time, when schools were letting out. From my count 12 people were listening to devices or on phones. This is also counting two people splitting one set of headphones to listen to one ipod as one person. It was the #1 going downtown in Edmonton.
Montreal; The Orange line going towards Montmorency, traveling between St. Henri and Lionel Groulx metro stations. Twenty four people in total. Four(4) using digital devices- apparently 3 with mp3 players, one possible a PDA or Iphone, but also wearing headphones.
The time was 16:30 on Wednesday the 11th of March. I transfered across to the Green line, going towards guy metro. This car had eighteen people, with three using digital devices.
Both counts seem unusually low as regards digital users. Perhaps it is the time of day? Everyone is sick of staring at screens, big and small? or was it anomalous?
Sunday evening in Halifax on the #1 Spring Garden bus: 33 people; 2 talking on cellphones and 1 using her cellphone for something other than talking.
Ahhh, Sara. You're making me nostalgic for the #1 Spring Garden bus I took to school almost every day during university.
Total suprise for me on the Orange Metro line into downtown (Direction Cote Vertu, b/w Montroyal and Bonaventure) in Montreal this morning (7:45ish). Normally, there is a high rate of IPod use in the jam packed metro. Today, I took the subway about 30 minutes later then normal and was suprised to see 90% of the people around me READING!! 3 people reading actual books and the rest with their free copies of 24 or the Metro in hand. I spotted 3 sets of the ubiquitous white ear buds (including my own). (Sample size approx 30)
5 of 14 people using electronic devices, on the 31 (Orchard Park) bus in London, Ontario, on the way to UWO on Thursday morning, March 12.
8 of 22 people using electronic devices, on the 9C (Whitehills) bus in London, on the way home from UWO Friday evening, March 13.
Montreal. Orange Line between Bonaventure and Montroyal, 5:15pm. 30 or so people. 3 people plugged into MP3's (including myself), one person doing something with a mobile phone. 5 or 6 people reading. Much more conversation between people, in comparison to the morning commute, which is eerily silent.
Again, way less people plugged in than I would have expected. Maybe its a monday thing?
I counted 8 out of 17 people using an MP3, cell phone or BB on the 63 Ossington Southbound between Davenport and Ossignton Station in Toronto.
I also commute on the ??? Yamanote line, Shibuya to Gotanda (podcast time), and can vouch for Dergen's 50+ estimation… but it's hard to count!
I also commute on the ??? Yamanote line, Shibuya to Gotanda (podcast time), and can vouch for Dergen's 50+ estimation… but it's hard to count!
I also commute on the ??? Yamanote line, Shibuya to Gotanda (podcast time), and can vouch for Dergen's 50+ estimation… but it's hard to count!
I rode the #6 bus from Victoria West to downtown Victoria last night,
to take in the Gregory Charles concert. I counted 24 people on the
bus, and only two were plugged in, that I could see. Before we got to
my destination, more people came aboard than left, and I would say
that of those, there was a slightly higher ratio of people plugged in.
My usual commute toward downtown Toronto lasts almost the entire route of the 68 Warden. Of the approximate 30 people that were on the bus today (at around 1pm), I noticed about ten of them had headphones on, and another 5 were using cell phones; three were reading newspapers. On an unrelated note, I saw an elderly Chinese couple sitting side-by-side having a nice chat with each other (at least it seemed that way; they were speaking in Mandarin so I couldn't really make out what they were talking about). I wish people would have more moments like that instead of letting technology consume so much of their life (myself included).
I am currently plugged into my MP4 player listening to spark along with seeing the Spark blog on the CBC website on my Samsung Instinct phone on the 3G network all while on the bus. Their is 17 other people on this bus and only 3 others are plugged in. I realize I am too late for the spark Bag, but I thought I should just comment this fact.
in three days of transit travel on the bus. i counted 81 in total, including handgames. cell phones, and ipods. my personal comment as i find it destracting if you need to get off with someone tuned in to the ipod esprcially, the person may not hear that you have to get off the next stop as, they are tuned into the ipod no the world around them. i find that annoying. good idea for a survey study cbc.. avid cbc listener sincerly r. yachison
I agree. That's a pet peeve of mine (even though I listen to my iPod on transit!)
I am a renal dialysis patient, and travel to and from a local hospital 4 days a week – summers I ride a scooter. My morning journey starts at 7:00 a.m. on the #7 route in Halifax, Nova Scotia, which goes crosstown, down Gottingen, along Barrington, finally to South street and the hospital. In the morning, there are about 20 regular passengers, mostly about my age (40's) going to work. I counted only 1 person with earbuds. I DID notice several lively conversations going on amongst passengers.
My return trip from the Victoria General hospital generally occurs about 2-2:30 in the afternoon. The route, #7 but in reverse, runs near Dalhousie University and so the bus is often filled with undergrad students. the last trip, which held 32 passengers. Fully 12 of these were either using a cellphone, or accessing a music device. But, there seemed to be EVEN MORE conversations happening between passengers! Maybe we're just a friendly people, here in Atlantic Canada!!
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Forgot to post, but on the day this contest started, I saw about 12 iPods on the 53A Bus heading eastbound at 7PM. BUT, I also saw a walkman, not the MP3 kind but an old circa 1993 tape player.
On the morning Woodside Ferry from Dartmouth to Halifax. Out of roughly 90 people, only about 15 people were listening to some type of mp3 player, Another 10 business types busily e-mailing on their crackberry, and 5 texting on their cells. A lot of people reading or chatting with someone next to them.
Whoa.