Turk Posted January 26, 2014 Share Posted January 26, 2014 (edited) By ET Bureau 26 Jan, 2014, 06.15AM ISTIt is a shuttle bus service that the company provides for its employees to commute between San Francisco and Google offices at Silicon Valley.What? Google is getting into buses?Don't be daft. Why would Google want to manufacture buses?The same reason why it bought thermostat and wind turbine makers.Buying Nest Labs and Makani Power were strategic decisions.Just thought that Google was diversifying. anyway what is this bus business?It is a shuttle bus service that the company provides for its employees to commute between San Francisco and Google offices at Silicon Valley. Actually many tech companies offer this service. But they've been lumped under the Google buses label.So where's the problem? buses would mean lesser number of cars on road. and that would lead to lower pollution.That's the argument the tech companies and their employees are making. Considering that these shuttle services make nearly 35,000 trips a day translates into thousands of cars remaining in garages. But there are bigger issues involved.Really?Tech employees prefer to rent apartments near these shuttle stops. And because they earn more they've jacked up rentals.Ah! so the less-privileged are evicted?Exactly. Plus these buses when they park at bus stops cause traffic jams; they also push cyclists into rush hour traffic. There's the section that is against what is being called the 'gentrification' of San Francisco.Obviously there've been protests?Yup. Besides the usual slogan shouting-and-banner-waving ones, there've been interesting ones.Like what?Check out this song by Cachebox - "I'm on that Google bus, hangin' with the upper crust / I left my Porsche up at the condo with my poodle pups / Got on that Google bus, avoid the traffic rush / Hi speed wi-fi, lots of leg room and the seats are plush..."Even California has its Kejriwals!Unlike our Delhi government, Frisco civic guys called a meeting of those living in the city, discussed the problem and decided to charge Google buses $1 per stop per day. No dharnas, all very civilized.http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/news-by-industry/et-cetera/why-google-buses-are-in-news/articleshow/29364095.cmsEdit: Google bus song embedded Edited January 26, 2014 by Turk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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