22 February 2013

The loneliest bus stop in the world?

| johnboy
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bus stop

Benaresq sent this in, can anyone confirm the veracity?

I recently noticed a bus stop next to a shared path in Weston.

Not sure if it’s some surprisingly clever vandalism, subtle street art or the result of a horrible government miscommunication, but it’s amusing anyway.

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bus stop

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Sadly I noticed today that the bus stop is missing, I’m not sure if it was the government fun police or the ‘artists’ who appear to have recently tagged the seat.

It appears that the back story will remain a mystery.

gooterz said :

Aluminium is rumoured to contribute to dementia. Yet everything we in cooking is mostly made from the stuff – read that as get an iron wok.

By everything, you mean the cheap crap they sell in Kmart and the Reject Shop. Because everything I use (mostly on sale from Myer and DJs) is stainless steel and copper base.

BimboGeek said :

A medical opinion that aluminium is harmless. Yet is DrKoresh brave enough to open a restaurant with aluminium cookpots, whisks, spatulas, wine goblets, cocktail shakers?

Am I rich, motivated and qualified enough? Hell no, but I’d be more than willing to eat at a place like that. Are you deliberately twisting my words when you claim I say it’s harmless? Because I didn’t say that anywhere, just that exposure doesn’t cause dementia. The very fact that soft-drink comes in aluminium cans or that aluminium foil is used everyday in food preparation and yet every person born in the past 30 years isn’t dribbling into their Coke should be enough evidence to dispel this misconception, but apparently some people will believe anything you tell them.

Come to think of it, do you drink Coke and use alfoil? If so, I reverse my opinion and accept that it’s probably what’s made you so demented.

A medical opinion that aluminium is harmless. Yet is DrKoresh brave enough to open a restaurant with aluminium cookpots, whisks, spatulas, wine goblets, cocktail shakers?

That aluminium stuff is BS, sorry gooterz. Well, I’m not really sorry ’cause it means you can save money on cooking utensils in the future.

Jindy said :

Seeing as the sign is for a “school bus” stop I suspect it has something to do with a walking school bus for one of the local schools (and someone having a bit of fun with it)

The old stop posts said ‘signal bus’.

Aluminium is rumoured to contribute to dementia. Yet everything we in cooking is mostly made from the stuff – read that as get an iron wok.

I wonder if they built it on the cheap. It would be funny if they could built a stop cheaper than action.

I’ve sometimes wondered if someone just happened to make a stop closer to my house whether the bus drivers would observe it as a stop.

Seeing as the sign is for a “school bus” stop I suspect it has something to do with a walking school bus for one of the local schools (and someone having a bit of fun with it)

caf said :

c_c™ said :

Dilandach said :

Yes it is near an aged care facility. Yes, it is most likely a dummy bus stop to help get the wondering dementia patients.

Just going to throw this idea out there, wouldn’t it be cheaper to fit at risk patients with lojacks than build whole fake bus stops?

No.

Yes, what planet do live on where tens of thousands of gps trackers are cheaper than bunging up a few hundred bus-stops? I mean, it’s not as though they even necessarily have to put in benches, just knock-up a yellow post with the words “Bus Stop” written on it.

I used to work on public transport. Occasionally we’d get old people get on, and by the end of the trip they were still there. When we asked, they tended to have no idea where they were going. Oh, they knew where they wanted to go, such as “Home”, “My daughter’s place”, or “My son’s house.” It was sad to realise that these people, who once were in their prime, were now lost in suburbia. It was scarey to realise that if I lived that long, that future awaited me.

caf said :

c_c™ said :

Dilandach said :

Yes it is near an aged care facility. Yes, it is most likely a dummy bus stop to help get the wondering dementia patients.

Just going to throw this idea out there, wouldn’t it be cheaper to fit at risk patients with lojacks than build whole fake bus stops?

No.

You know those devices cost under $300. Willing to bet fitting them to those at this facility at risk would be cheaper than building this, and wouldn’t rely on them happening to end up here.

Comic_and_Gamer_Nerd said :

Having recently gone through two dementia people on my wife’s side the thought of this makes me incredibly sad. Sure it stops them wandering but got ham, tricking the lack witted seems really wrong.

Kill me before I reach that point.

Me too. If I ever sit down at that bus stop, it won’t really be me doing the sitting. I reckon at that point I’d be better off somewhere else. Actually, my wife’s mum went through dementia before she died and I know I’d be better off.

It’s for the new ACTION green bus…

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Party_bike

I hope it has a bell.

Could be a standard park bench, which they sometimes have next to paths, where some larrikin has hammered in an old bus stop sign.

c_c™ said :

Dilandach said :

Yes it is near an aged care facility. Yes, it is most likely a dummy bus stop to help get the wondering dementia patients.

Just going to throw this idea out there, wouldn’t it be cheaper to fit at risk patients with lojacks than build whole fake bus stops?

No.

Well and here is was thinking that it was superimposed! 🙂

I was thinking it was where you catch the catbus.

Looking at this makes me wonder how anyone could complain that Action isn’t putting in an effort to try new suburban routes or that our cycling facilities are somehow inadequate.

Wow, I was expecting a less logical and depressing solution to this mystery.

I miss my imagined underground dinking based public transport alternative.

Comic_and_Gamer_Nerd3:35 pm 22 Feb 13

Having recently gone through two dementia people on my wife’s side the thought of this makes me incredibly sad. Sure it stops them wandering but got ham, tricking the lack witted seems really wrong.

Kill me before I reach that point.

My grandmother is in an aged care facility in Sydney that has a fake bus stop out the front. So yes, they actually do this.

From a certain perspective this is a terrifying conspiracy.

I’m not so sure on the dementia patient idea (as nice as it sounds), there are ‘real’ bus stops either side of Mirinjani on Namatjira drive. Anyone walking from Mirinjani would have to walk straight past one of them to get to this one.

I find that quite poignant, given that it probably is used for dementia patients.

Paul0075 said :

It’s a new piece of public art. I am sure the govt spent a few million on it.

Just gets funnier the more this is repeated doesn’t it?

Paul0075 said :

It’s a new piece of public art. I am sure the govt spent a few million on it.

With wit like that, you should do stand-up.

schmeah said :

Many moons ago I worked in a nursing home. “Waiting for the bus” or “going to get the jetty” was a common quip expressed by those with dementia; sometimes as they were attempting to walk out the door, other times as they lay in bed blankly staring.

Love the thought behind this 😀

+1

Unlike the other posters, who took pot shots…show some class!

It’s a new piece of public art. I am sure the govt spent a few million on it.

Many moons ago I worked in a nursing home. “Waiting for the bus” or “going to get the jetty” was a common quip expressed by those with dementia; sometimes as they were attempting to walk out the door, other times as they lay in bed blankly staring.

Love the thought behind this 😀

Postalgeek said :

I could dink, at most, two passengers.

Ok, where do I swipe my MyWay Card?

That’s a stop on the on the Godot line.

HiddenDragon11:46 am 22 Feb 13

Looks like the bus stop where Cary Grant got chased by a crop-duster.

I could dink, at most, two passengers.

Dilandach said :

Yes it is near an aged care facility. Yes, it is most likely a dummy bus stop to help get the wondering dementia patients.

Just going to throw this idea out there, wouldn’t it be cheaper to fit at risk patients with lojacks than build whole fake bus stops?

Curiously, the bus stop is even marked on Google maps (the aerial and street view photos must pre-date the construction). http://goo.gl/maps/6tn3v

I’d hate to be a cyclist entering the underpass,kasplat!

Yes it is near an aged care facility. Yes, it is most likely a dummy bus stop to help get the wondering dementia patients.

Holden Caulfield said :

Is it near an aged care facility?

They are usually inside the secure part of the facility but good point.

Looks like it’s right near Mirinjani Nursing Home… I’d say it was a therapy installation to assist with the dementia ward.

This the top secret trial of the government’s new public transport light ride system – a fleet of pedal cabs ferrying people through scenic routes to destinations only to be imagined. Timetabling may be an issue

Holden Caulfield9:53 am 22 Feb 13

Is it near an aged care facility?

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