You think they don't have vandals in Tokyo, too?

Of course it's frustrating that some people don't respect public resources and public space. But the fact that there might be some people who might try to wreck something isn't a good reason not to try something new.

sadly, some nyc jackasses would figure out a way to ruin this thing immediately.

why is it that americans just can't have nice, civilized, community stuff without someone messing it up?

Can't help but wonder that future vehicles might be so light and compactable that they can be easily stored at the users desk or in an apartment, etc., that is , if they are not part of a public system.

Oh? Fire departments in Amsterdam, Florence, Prague and Tokyo -- to name just a few -- aren't able to deal with narrow streets?

Nonsense.

You don't build a city to fit your fire trucks. You buy thoughtfully designed trucks that will fit your city.

Why is everyone insisting "it would never work here?" I swear to god if I hear another New Yorker use that cop out to shoot down another good idea I'm gonna scream.

Did anyone catch the NYT video "Black Cars go Green," in which a reporter and a livery guy look for a green replacement to the Lincoln Town Car? They begin by utterly dismissing the Toyota Camry Hybrid: "not begin enough." Never mind that its official specs show it to have more rear leg room than the standard wheel base Town Car, and nearly as much as the stretch. Never mind that the Camry is used as an executive car in many markets around the world, and is a full size up from the Corolla, which is used as a Taxi from Dubai to Bangkok. Never mind that the Hybrid model would run rings around the Town Car in fuel savings. The livery dude and his NYT sidekick are so conservative and narrow minded.

What's so special about New Yorkers? Why can't we use a product or approach that's widely used in the rest of the world in often far harsher conditions? In the recent NYT blog piece on the MTA's testing of a low-floor Mercedes Benz articulated bus with six doors, a jingoistic MTA tool says he has doubts that the bus can withstand the unique rigor of operating in NYC. That same bus design is used in the Third World. If it works in Cairo, it damn well will work fine in New York.

Come on New York, get over yourself. Congestion pricing, bike sharing, low-floor buses, automated bike garages, RISING BOLLARDS -- they all work in huge metropolises in other countries and there simply is NO REASON they can't be adapted for use here.

Here's the NYT video on black cars:
http://video.on.nytimes.com/?fr_story=4c04ac48d8d7acdde59e37c86609fe925d2378c6

Whatever happened to the City's plan to install automatic toilets all over, anyway?

In Tokyo you have to provide proof of an off-street parking space before you are allowed to buy a car. Makes a lot of sense but will never happen here.

In Tokyo there are fare zones based on distance traveled. Makes a lot of sense but our beloved city council nixed that to pander to the poor.

So stop with the adoration and face the facts: this will NEVER happen here because the Federal transit chief doesn't care about bikes, the city promotes cars over bikes, and the city is BROKE.

This kind of design definitely makes sense in Japan, though, where every parcel of space is absolutely necessary. New York (at least, Manhattan) would definitely benefit.

I wonder if the system would work with other forms of bicycles however. The traditional city bike often called a "mama chari" in Japan, is very popular while other forms of bicycles used for transportation are not.

Still, really cool.

Jack: You don't have to remember anything (ok, maybe your card), the system remembers for you. [Now, if only "the system" could tell me where I put my damn keys!]

However, this is still really amazing technology, one that would be great over here (though sadly very unlikely).