Top
Best
New

Posted by agotterer 9 hours ago

London Gatwick has launched a robotic airport parking service(aerospaceglobalnews.com)
263 points | 220 commentspage 3
artisinal 7 hours ago|
Will probably not be long until a YouTuber tries to hide in their car while it gets picked up. Would make for a fun video.

Tom Scott perhaps? Though he will likely get full access to the system.

nialv7 2 hours ago||
meanwhile, in japan: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=voYdl7IFZsM
lucb1e 6 hours ago||
15 quid that it won't work without installing an app that could have been a website or a card swipe terminal
pkulak 7 hours ago||
I guess we can add this to the ever-growing list of extremely expensive, complicated, inefficient and convoluted solutions to problems that end with the final specification: "but it can't be a train".
ChrisMarshallNY 7 hours ago||
My company used to cover a car service for us (limo), my door to the terminal.

When they set up the AirTrain, I stopped using the car service. It took longer, but I have always had a soft spot for mass transit, and I kind of got a kick out of boarding a train in Huntington, NY, and leaving the train, in Shinagawa.

joe463369 5 hours ago|||
But there is a train to Gatwick.
jasoncartwright 4 hours ago||
It's not very good - late around half the time.

https://www.gatwickexpress.com/how-were-performing/train-ser...

dyauspitr 7 hours ago|||
Yeah because I want to haul all my luggage on a train journey when I go to the airport. I’ll take a train to a lot of places but the airport is not one of them.
scratcheee 6 hours ago|||
Easier to haul my luggage on a train designed for that purpose than take a car and spend longer parking it than the entire train journey. I live 10 minutes from Gatwick, have never driven there, and don’t understand why anyone would want to if there’s any alternative.

Taxis I understand.

glitchcrab 5 hours ago||
Same, I also live very close to Gatwick, the train is about 4 stops for me and puts me right at the terminal. Zero reason to drive.
rpadovani 6 hours ago||||
My company pays for taxi from my door to the airport and I still take the train, unless I am leaving before dawn.

There is both a rational environment choice in that, and a nice feeling of being part of a humming crowd

dyauspitr 6 hours ago||
I drive an EV powered by my own solar panels. I’ve done my part and frankly don’t much like public transport unless I’m specifically looking to be in the hubbub which is mostly on the weekends when I’m socializing.
scld 5 hours ago||
....what part have you done???
dyauspitr 1 hour ago||
For the environment. I’ve done my part for the environment in the travel context. I travel without causing emissions or using any grid power.
louthy 6 hours ago||||
Presumably, you've never taken the Heathrow Express? That is a train journey that is always better than a car. The Gatwick Express, not so much.
rsynnott 4 hours ago||
As far as I can see, the Gatwick express is mostly an excuse to rip people off. Last time I was there, there was a normal train to Victoria for about a third the price, which took literally two minutes longer. Is there a tourney for which the Gatwick express actually makes sense?
niltecedu 4 hours ago||
For not being stuck at any shenanigans that might happen at East Croydon.
entech 4 hours ago||||
Doesn't have to be binary. Train is more efficient at moving large volume of people reliably compared to a bus or a taxi. I would wager that there are many more people travelling with carry-on only or a single bag for which train is more than adequate.
Gud 4 hours ago|||
I travel 40-50 times a year by flight and I absolutely don't mind taking the train. I live in Zürich which has an excellent rail network.
fdsdffds 5 hours ago||
Yes, let's depend on a train for my time-sensitive journey with lots of awkward luggage.

Do you people even ride trains? Are you OK with the 50/50 odds of gettings home on time?

niltecedu 4 hours ago|||
Its gatwick, 3 lines go here, one every 15 minutes. I have always taken the train to either Heathrow or Gatwick, there's always been more than enough space to accomodate luggage, idk what people here are on about.
dymk 5 hours ago||||
A train system is a much safer bet than praying traffic won't be bad
sealeck 2 hours ago||||
Trains are literally scheduled according to a timetable... traffic isn’t
Atlas667 5 hours ago||||
Took the south Florida brightline 3 times, recently, to get to the airport (+2 times for leisure travel) and it was pretty good.

Get there by rideshare in 20 mins, trains on time, 1hr to city, 10 min shuttle to airport. On time every time.

I moved my luggage by hand more WITHIN the airport than getting to the airport.

Would do it again

rsynnott 5 hours ago|||
I mean, it probably depends on the train line? Only airport train I’ve ever had issues with was Manchester, and more due to an absolutely ridiculous ticketing situation than anything else.
OptionOfT 5 hours ago||
This is interesting for the point of saving space. You need a lot less space between cars and can easily park multiple rows without having to leave egress space. All you then need to do is move 3 other cars.

Give a buffer that should be feasible.

ukrulez 6 hours ago||
This problem has already been solved, better. 100 years ago. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Car_elevator
dgellow 6 hours ago||
I never thought about this, can you steal cars by lifting them like that in the air? Not that I think that will happen, but it would be really funny to hack such a robot and just collect cars around
jameshart 6 hours ago||
This technique is frequently used by towing companies impounding cars and reposession agents collecting cars for loan defaults - absolutely you can pick up and take a car away with the right hardware.

Just for most people a stolen locked car isn’t really of much uses.

kkrkgbbsvjdlzn 6 hours ago||
Already invented protection for this. https://youtube.com/watch?v=n1Ug4I89c98
OptionOfT 5 hours ago||
Yes. If you can get under it.
simonbarker87 7 hours ago||
Of all the airports to do it at in the UK this is probably the one that doesn’t need it. Parking at Gatwick is a breeze, lots of options close and far from the airport and quite reasonably priced. Now Luton, that’s another story.
kioleanu 5 hours ago||
Are these not the guys that ask like 7 pounds to drive up to kiss & fly? Good to see that money’s put to good use!
amiga386 4 hours ago||
You're behind the times. It's 10 pounds now.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c2lqd72d4lqo

jplrssn 5 hours ago||
£7 is about the price of a pint. Surely that’s worth it given the convenience of driving right up to the front door of the terminal?
kioleanu 4 hours ago||
I may be a socialist but being able to bring your heavy luggage to the door of the place you already pay a fee to be at (airport taxes) should be free, no? Like in all other parts of Europe

And they say, oh, no, you can come for free if you’re willing to walk 15 minutes to the terminal. No, that’s greed plain and simple.

Gud 4 hours ago||
Not everyone takes the car. Why should people who don't deem it necessary to take a personal vehicle to one of the most expensive locations on the planet(city airport) subsidize those who do?
kioleanu 4 hours ago||
What exactly would be subsidized by the people taking the train if the people driving up to (not parking at!) the airport wouldn’t pay a fee?
embedding-shape 8 hours ago|
> The service must be booked in advance. Same-day drive-up parking is not available.

Interesting, I wonder if this is just a "Like to be able to see availability and cross-reference data to set individual pricing" or if it's because of a technical limitation, and if so, what could that possibly be?

dlopes7 7 hours ago|
Well if there are 100 cars waiting in line for the little garage to be available it defeats the purpose
More comments...