(17 Oct 2016, 9:25 pm)Cock Robin wrote You grow up. I wouldn't want headphones either.
We're in the age of making public transport more accessible for everyone - that is not a bad thing.
Gone are the days of step-entrance vehicles which turned away wheelchair users and forced pushchair users to fold them up if they wished to board. Gone are the days where partially-sighted people would not have the confidence to travel independently. Gone are the days where tourists have to hope that they don't miss their stop, in an unfamiliar area.
These 'new technologies' are here to stay and are here to be developed for further use. There will be a day whereby every single vehicle in the fleet is equipped with features such as Wi-Fi and Next Stop Announcements - it's just a matter of time. I'm a huge advocate of Next Stop Announcements - it's about finding a happy medium between selecting a volume low enough for those who the system won't benefit to a great extent (i.e. passengers who may regularly travel on a service and know the stops well), and a volume high enough for customers who the system does benefit and who may depend on these audio-visual announcements.