If the All-Knowing Judges of the Big Green Commute have any sense of justice, then they’re gonna have to give our “self-propelled” participants triple points for this one. You heard it: TRIPLE POINTS.
Yep: We just took ownership of a fleet of Fred Flintstone cars to help our folks get to work. That surely earns the drivers and passengers of these suckers more than the standard 10 lousy points for a “self-propelled” daily commute. Why?
The answer is self-evident, of course. As the brainiacs at Scientific American explain: the coefficient of friction on these new (well, Stone Age) vehicles is RIDICULOUS. But we’re getting ahead of ourselves.
Our Newest Green Transportation Idea: Go Back to the Stone Age
A few of our transportation consultants were attending Bingo one night at the Loyal Order of Water Buffaloes (Lodge No. 26, Fred and Barney’s old club – hey, we know where to hang). When the Big Green Commute came up in conversation, they realized that the future of transportation was actually in our past. Way in the past.
The conversation went something like this:
Armin Hajdar (traffic engineering technician, as he bit into a brontosaurus burger): “Did you hear what Spacely’s Space Sprockets are doing for the Big Green Commute? It’s some kind of new space age thing.”
Nancy Randall (W+A principal and veteran transportation planner): “Oh brother, I’m so sick of hearing about Spacely and Jetson and their grand schemes. If we want true green commuting, we need to go back to some Fred and Barney technology. Squeezing a bird to honk the horn – now that’s sustainability.”
Julian Coles (traffic engineer, after finishing his dinosaur rib): “You’re singing my tune, Nancy. Those Space Age dudes have nothing on Fred’s technology. As far as I’m concerned, if you can figure out how to keep a rear wheel on a forward-moving vehicle without a backstop, then you’re a genius. No one explained that stuff to me when I was in engineering school.”
A Carpool Strategy That Bamm-Bamm Can’t Bust
But we’re going one step further – we’re using these fancy stone-wood-and-animal-skin vehicles to carpool as well.
Fortunately, our team members get along fine. It’s been all smiles in our Flintstone carpool test drives so far.
Said Senior TDM Associate Sami McPadden, “If I wasn’t going to bike to work during Big Green Commute, then for sure I’d do the Stone Age carpool with my buddies. If you think using your feet to drive or slam on the brakes is bad, then I’ve got news for you: At least Fred’s mother-in-law Pearl Slaghoople won’t be in the car.”
Our 2017 Big Green Commute Transportation Strategy
Day 1: Beam Us Up Scotty: New Star Trek Transporter Room at W+A
Day 2: W+A’s Latest Rideshare Technology: Straight from Star Wars’ Galactic Empire
Day 3: Watch Out Wizarding World: W+A Joins the Floo Transportation Network
Day 4: Carpooling Middle-Earth Style: Radagast’s Retooled Rabbit Sled
Day 5: Back to the Stone Age: W+A’s “New” Flintstone Transportation Solution