Longtime readers may remember the news from back in February about how our bus drivers were going to be trained like fighter pilots (don't click the link - it shows how bad our Photoshop skills used to be). Here's an update. Sort of.
Trainee bus drivers are to be introduced to Firsdon - a virtual reality suburb which will feature in a bus simulator programme. Firsdon is a specially-created London suburb complete with pedestrians, cyclists and traffic, and a bus depot. Firsdon is based at Willesden Junction bus depot in north-west London and will be launched on Tuesday by Transport for London (TfL) and bus company First. (via Virgin.net)
Let's be honest that this isn't a huge story, but it does offer a wide scope of pisstakery.
Can we expect house prices in Firsdon to increase exponentially to bring it into line with the rest of the capital?
Will trainee bus drivers have the option to ditch the red behemoth and drag out some unsuspecting pimp from the wheel of an MG Gouranga and then run over ten Hari Krishnas for a COWABUNGA bonus?
Will the Standard be the first paper to report Chaos on the Streets of Firsdon (probably having something to do with asylum seekers and the congestion charge)?
Will the buses in Firsdon get cut up by lightcycles?
Will there be a helpful virtual drunk at each stop kicking the crap out of the virtual ticket machine?
Is there any danger of a holodeck like mishap letting loose a virtual evil genius into the real Transport for London offices?
Will the software eventually be ported into a big budget action movie starring The Rock?
If nothing else maybe we can look forward to this being the new bus driver's uniform.
