Transport
Discover facts about transport. Small discoveries that change the way you see familiar things.
Transport
When Sydney ferries have to dodge migrating whales
Taking the ferry to work in Australia isn't just scenic, it’s a full-contact sport. The harbor is teeming with migrating humpback whales who have zero respect…
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Modern pirates attack with tiny speedboats
Modern swashbucklers don't sail around in massive wooden galleons flying a skull and crossbones. Instead, they use cheap, incredibly fast open motorboats to…
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Early Volkswagen Beetles made you guess when you were out of gas
Because nothing instills confidence in German engineering quite like playing Russian roulette with your fuel tank. Early Beetles genuinely didn't have a gas…
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First aluminum frame backpack was crafted in the fifties
Before 1952, carrying stuff on your back meant suffering under the weight of a floppy, unstructured canvas sack. Dick Kelty changed the game by welding…
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How chefs cook in a moving train
Cooking on a moving train involves wielding sharp knives and boiling liquids inside a violently swaying metal tube. The culinary crew is squeezed into a…
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Onewheels ride on a single giant pneumatic tire
Hook: Riding a heavy wooden plank balanced on one massive rubber donut requires extreme core strength. Explanation: The Onewheel functions like a sideways…
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France required license plates before cars existed
Bureaucratic tracking systems are older than the internal combustion engine. In 1893, French authorities mandated that all horse-drawn carriages operating in…
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Why the Tower of Terror drops faster than gravity
Normal gravity simply is not terrifying enough for paying tourists. The famous haunted drop ride does not simply let go and allow the cabin to freefall. Heavy…
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Why the time signal has six radio pips
Since accurate time is essential for navigation, the BBC began broadcasting six electronic 'pips' over the radio in 1924. It allowed anyone, anywhere, to…
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Gladhands link truck air hoses together
In what sounds like a cynical euphemism for networking, these interlocking metal connectors actually snap together to supply vital air pressure between a…
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Airline sick bags once mailed camera film
In a peak display of multi-tasking, historical airlines printed mailing addresses on their waterproof vomit bags. If you managed to survive the turbulence…
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Amtrak has a federal police force with nationwide reach
The remarkably polite folks scanning your paper train ticket also casually command a heavily armed tactical division. The Amtrak Police Department is a fully…
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Pedicab rides offer the absolute slowest urban transit
You pay a massive premium to sit in a glittering carriage while a sweaty human pedals you through gridlock at a walking pace. It is peak luxury to be…
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Domino's paid towns to fill potholes
When the government completely fails at maintaining basic road infrastructure, the private sector steps in purely out of self-interest. Tired of their drivers…
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Why ancient Egyptian ships struggled to sail upwind
The masters of pyramid engineering were surprisingly terrible at basic aerodynamics. Their early sailboats featured massive square sails that caught wind…
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The country where trains reach mountain cabins
You can take a flawlessly clean train practically to an isolated cabin in the deep mountains. Their intense obsession with punctuality makes the rest of the…
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The roller-skate brake that helps launch jumps
Hook: The giant rubber plug on the front of a roller skate isn't just for panic braking. Explanation: While beginners drag the toe stop to slow down, figure…
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Flatbed trailers have no sides and rely entirely on straps
When hauling awkwardly giant lumber or massive pipe, restrictive side walls are a total nuisance. Drivers utilize completely naked decks and spend an absurd…
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In Venice, even deliveries have to travel by boat
It is exactly as incredibly inconvenient as it sounds. Venice doesn't just hate cars; the geography physically forbids them. Since the entire city is just a…
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Swallowtail snowboards feature a V-shaped rear notch
Taking a perfectly good snowboard and chopping a massive triangle out of the back. The swallowtail design mimics surfboards, allowing the rear end of the…
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A Boeing 747 has 150 miles of wiring
If you untangled all the copper veins inside a classic 747 aircraft, the wiring would easily stretch from New York to Philadelphia. To ensure that 400…
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Wakeboards utilize tow ropes to stay completely above water
A flat board has practically zero buoyancy with a human on it. The entire system only works because the tension from the tow rope pulls the rider forward,…
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Van sliding doors utilize multiple guide tracks
Standard hinges require too much swing space, so sliding doors operate on an unholy trinity of metal channels. The door hangs entirely on a middle track while…
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Hot-air balloons once spied on enemy armies
Nothing says stealthy military operation quite like a massive, brightly colored bag of hot air floating above a battlefield. Long before drones, the French…
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