Some more slug questions from your friends at IU
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Topic: Some more slug questions from your friends at IU
Posted By: hank
Subject: Some more slug questions from your friends at IU
Date Posted: 27 Nov 2006 at 11:29pm
Which is more important information to you:
a.) The trustworthiness of the driver
b.) The trustworthiness of the sluggers you ride with
c.) Both are equally important
Why did you pick that answer?
If a system based on previous feedback could deem a driver or a rider untrustworthy, and notify you before you got in the car or picked up a slugger, would you listen to the system?
If a system assigned trust ratings to sluggers, which characteristic would be more important in that rating? Trustworthiness based on feedback or how long the person has been slugging?
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Replies:
Posted By: sluDgE
Date Posted: 28 Nov 2006 at 5:59am
hank,
Since I am now always either a driver or am riding with a driver in our permanent carpool when we need to pick up a slug to put 3 in the car, we rely on the trustworthiness of the slugs we pick up. In 20-plus years of participating in the NoVa slug system, we've never had an untrustworthy slug. They are just working stiffs just like us who need a ride to & from work.
It seems odd to me that you are asking a question on trustworthiness. From my experience, I don't think it's a major slugging issue. I view the major issues as HOV lane congestion and violators, ample parking, and balanced supply/demand of slugs and drivers at various slug lines. Your question implies there are a lot of untrustworthy slugs and drivers, and I don't think that's the case.
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Posted By: Galah
Date Posted: 28 Nov 2006 at 8:47am
I tend to agree with sluDgE, but I am also a driver, not a slug. My perception is that slugs would like to know if there is a bad driver. But as a driver, I'm not sure what trustworthiness of a slug means?
(and I know you're from out of town, but they aren't sluggers, they are slugs)
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Posted By: Scroll
Date Posted: 28 Nov 2006 at 10:58am
In the Slug Line, trust tents to not be an issue--it's sort of a given....UNLESS the slug or driver has done something in the past to break that trust. Examples: Overly aggressive driver (never EVER scare your slugs), or a slug that habitually breaks the "rules".
We find out about these problem children mostly through this website and word of mouth.
And as Galah said, we're 'slugs'. 'Sluggers' are maniacal shoppers fighting over the same discounted Tickle Me Elmo on Black Friday. [B)]
Scroll
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Posted By: chhmx
Date Posted: 28 Nov 2006 at 12:28pm
Many of you are inquiring why we are asking about the trustworthiness of drivers. The goal of our research is to design a system which will create more slugs. We have seen posts on this message forum about dangerous drivers and this led us to believe that trust might be an issue with the system.
However, the real reason for our focus on trust deals with our goal to get new slugs using the system. Most current slugs trust the system, but the business professionals from the Washington D.C. area that we have spoken with have continually expressed a fear of riding to work with a complete stranger. Our solution is more designed towards getting new slugs and helping them trust the system rather than currents slugs who already know it is trustworthy.
Have any of you ever ridden with a rookie slug? Has this person ever expressed any nervousness or issues with trust with the system?
Thanks,
IU Friends
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Posted By: Scroll
Date Posted: 28 Nov 2006 at 2:55pm
CHHMX,
I see what you're doing, and believe it has merit. My thoughts:
-- This website has pigeon-holed into several places all sorts of gripes/complaints about (my estimate) a dozen or so drivers over the last two or three years. Hold that up against the total DAILY number of drivers travelling into/out of the Capitol Region--let alone the total number of slugs riding with them--and I believe you'll derive a ratio of bad drivers/total drivers that is statistically insignificant.
-- Slugs rarely travel alone. In nearly all cases, another slug (sometimes 3) entered the car with them. So to a certain extent there's some strength in numbers.
-- Cell phones are a wonderful thing. If I'm with a rider that has alarmed me, I'll politely but firmly ask the driver to stop doing whatever they're doing that's got me spooked. No luck? I politely inform them that I'm forced to notify the police. I've only had to do this once, and I haven't seen that driver in the line since. Safety is paramount, after all.
To answer your question: Yes, I think nearly every new slug feels some concern regarding riding with total strangers, but Sludge put it perfectly. We're all just working stiffs--including the driver. We all climb in, say our 'good mornings', and get to work with our tasks--the driver drives, and the slugs sleep or read. I've become extraordinarily comfortable with the whole thing, as most new slugs do.
Scroll
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Posted By: slugdriverandslugrider
Date Posted: 28 Nov 2006 at 2:58pm
I am not surprised that you have honed in on this issue as a possible ‘fix point’. In the last year the top nine most viewed subjects on this website – in General Slugging Topics- have been: 1) The “Do Not Ride With List” (20,591 views), 2) Time to Start Tipping (6436 views), 3) Asking to Take Three (3720 views), 4) HOV Violators (3578 views), 5) FOR DO NOT RIDE WIT LIST (2652 views), 6) Do Not Ride With! (2267 Views), 7) Hi (2101 views), 8) Drop off Point (2041 views), 9) Slugs to Avoid (1983 views).
That’s an incredible 29,954 views of people not trusting other people (I’ve included the “Hi” topic simply because that much anger and racial/religious bigotry can’t possibly further trust of fellow man and thereby is defaulted to this category.)
How is it that we are surprised when outsiders look at our message board and assume that trust, of and by, those who utilize the system is of critical importance? Out of all that we could talk about, those are the topics that we imply are the most important to us by simply addition. Our IU Friends are obviously postulating their hypothesis based on inferred concepts drawn from our own data.
To provide an answer to our IU Friends: I would not trust Bobby Knight behind the wheel after IU (or now TT) had lost a game… many anger issues with that young man. But I digress… on to slugging:
Once again I will put forward that all of these posts about “Do Not Ride…” etc., are not a valid reference for the slugging community. Perception is a funny thing. Then its not so funny when it turns into a witch hunt and before you know it the slugging community is riled up about an individual for no reason other than the poor guy spilled coffee in his lap and swerved over the line a bit, or drives a jaguar a little fast, or maybe goes too slow because she’s a lonely old lady.
Look… it’s like anything else – unless you live in a bubble on your own private island in some remote, desolate location – you are always at risk. Slugging is simply not the risk than say skydiving is. And even when you skydive wouldn’t you research the sport or company even to ensure that you understood the risks? Maybe check out the safety record of the company before forking over the cash to jump out of a craft that didn’t necessitate the act in the first place?
Well the same can be said for slugging. Most newbies may harbor some trepidation about jumping in with both feet to the ‘sport’ of slugging. But there are enough sluggers (you see – you can use the term if you are referring to both riders and drivers) around to gather information from, that most newbies don’t go in totally oblivious to the concept.
I think slugging would be better served by researching the historically favorable material attesting to the lack of incidents related to slugging. That information could be put forth to minimize or alleviate potential fears of prospective participants.
Its still gathering statistical information for you purposes and I would even say that there are some very able ‘research assistants’ right here on this site. Some of these sleuths uncover articles and information related to slugging- past, present, and future – and I go away stymied as to how.
Kudos to them, to you, and good day.
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Posted By: sable2
Date Posted: 28 Nov 2006 at 5:57pm
As a fairly new official slug, [:I] I have to agree with the previous posts. I have been reading and posting to this site for a few months now, but have only begun to slug in the past 3 weeks. I too have read the "Do Not Ride", "I was Scared" and "Jagman" posts in here. While taking all of that information into account I also took into account the positive information I received through this site and word of mouth [^] (as well as other transportation options).
I'll tell you what I don't "trust" too much, VRE's ability to get me to work on time. [V]
Enjoy!
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Posted By: SpongeBob
Date Posted: 29 Nov 2006 at 9:47am
Has there ever been a crime committed in connection with Slugging?
As far as I know (which ain't far, I'll admit,) there has never been a kidnapping, a rape, a robbery, or an assault among slugs and sluggees. That is a pretty darn good record.
It took me a couple of months to convince my wife to slug -- I think security was always the issue for her. Now she slugs or drives slugs several times a week without any concern.
I don't think there is a way to brand bad drivers or slugs -- I've warned others slugs about the mustachioed guy in the decrepit old white Taurus station wagon with the broken speedometer -- a really bad, bad driver, too -- and they shrug and hop right in his doomed crashmobile. Impatient late slugs don't seem to put much credence in warnings.
If your research is intended to boost the number of slugs, it is pretty easy to do: expand the dang parking lots! Improve the range, number, and routes of the Omniride and other buses into DC and reduce the busfare to $1 with government subsidies. Run the buses into all the new subdivisions.
(Why do I mention buses? Because buses are the backbone of the slugging system: they provide the gathering spots for the best functioning sluglines, and guarantee you will get to work or home if there is a shortage of drivers.)
With more bus stops, cheaper fares, and more direct routes to more parts of DC, more people will ride the bus, and bus riders are future slugs.
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Posted By: sluDgE
Date Posted: 29 Nov 2006 at 10:50am
Sponge,
There was one incident I recall. I'm fairly sure it was reported in the local Springfield paper, and was posted on this site.
A slug was mugged and robbed of her purse near the American Legion or VFW parking lot just south of the "Bob's" slug line in Springfield. That happened about two years ago.
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Posted By: n/a
Date Posted: 30 Nov 2006 at 3:47pm
I have to admit, now I am getting suspicious.
Now it appears that several individuals are posting 1x each with "survey" questions, under the guise "to get new slugs using the system," and validating their inquiries with the fear inducing statement, "business professionals from the Washington D.C. area that we have spoken with have continually expressed a fear of riding to work with a complete stranger," and offer a solution "getting new slugs and helping them trust the system." Gosh, I didn't know we needed that kind of help!
We slugs ARE a trusting bunch, and regular slug forum participants have volunteered answers to these seemingly innocent inquiries, I know that I have. However we do not know how this information REALLY will be used, now do we!? All that we do know that any information that we post here becomes public property, to be used any way a viewer chooses.
I submit this advice to all fellow slugs and slug forum participants for consideration; If you have read any of my 200+ posts over the years, you know me, my views and opinions, you know that I am a daily slug driver and/or rider, and love me or hate me, I participate without reservation or ulterior motive, as most of you also do. But we do not know these surveyors!
DO NOT RESPOND WITH ANY MORE ANSWERS! The information we provide here may be used against us.
And to the "surveyors" come on down to the slug lines and talk to us in person, shake our hands, see our smiling faces, see how it works, and let us see your faces! We want to know who is so curious about our commute.
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Posted By: Galah
Date Posted: 01 Dec 2006 at 10:44am
I would hope that any serious statistical study would not consider the comments of the comparatively few, albeit vocal, people that post to this site, statistically significant. I know we consider ourselves representative, but I can not believe that any serious science can be conducted in such an un-scientific manner with an incredibly small sample of folks who are obviously true believers.
Which means raymond may be right, these people are not likely to be who they claim to be, they may be reporters or worse...politicians from the western and southern portons of Virginia!!!!!!
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Posted By: Bob
Date Posted: 01 Dec 2006 at 12:57pm
Unfortunately, there are enemies of slugs as we all know, including those that are pro HOT, pro hybrid and just slug bashers. The net results is a suspicion on our part, as is natural. What is the solution to this for someone coming on the site wanting information about slugging? Get involved in this forum and build up some hit points and credibility first. But as for wanting information on the down side of slugging, I say, slug some yourself and you will see there is a small downside.
Final point. As far as I am concerned any newcomer to this site is suspicious until they have posted somewhat consistently over a period of time. Doesnt have to mean they have to agree with the majority of us, just that they appear sincere.
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Posted By: hank
Date Posted: 02 Dec 2006 at 11:49am
In regards to your comments about a small sample size not forming a valid statistical study, that only has a little validity to it. Your comments are not meant to necessarily prove a statistical study, this is more of a focus group we are conducting. Your answers can lead us in a certain direction with our research and then we conduct more research on our own. Thus far, your answers have been very helpful.
We assure you we are graduate students of Indiana University and none of the information you provide us will ever be used in a way other than our project.
From the previous responses we found some of the other issues to be lack of Parking space, introduction of hybrid cars, HOV congestion etc, however being informatics students these issues were not something we could address in our design solution. That is why we decided to address the issue of trust. Our study is not likely to have any direct or indirect impact on slugging. The only impact it could have is that people from different part of country will come to know about the beauty of this great system.
Soon we will have some concept prototypes that you will be able to provide you feedback on, if you wish. We will be posting this information within the coming week.
Also, if anyone would like more specific information on our project please email me and I will be glad to send you more information.
My contact information:
Kenton Hankins
hankinsk@indiana.edu
http://www.informatics.indiana.edu/people/profiles.asp?u=hankinsk (if you want to verify that I am a student)
To everyone who has helped us thus far, thank you.
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Posted By: CallmeMrSlug
Date Posted: 04 Dec 2006 at 12:54am
Fortunately, my wife gave birth and I can respond to this at this late hour when I would normally be asleep preparing for my commute.
Are you really GRADUATE students? I mean really, you identify a small problem and ignore the obvious. Do infomaniacs pride themselves on small achievements? How about doing a survey on when riders most often go to particular sluglines which would help drivers know when to be there, or visa versa. Something like that might be meaningful. This varies considerably depending on how far from DC the slug park and ride happens to be. But trustworthiness means accepting someones word, and that has NO meaning in the slugging community. I don't accept the drivers promise to appear, he just does, because its convenient for him to be there at that time, and convenient, on that particular day, for me to meet him there. Tomorrow, it may be convenient for him to get there a little later, and thats cool, cause I may do the same. If you really want to make an improvement, you would study the times of "convenience". Just my opinion.
From the previous responses we found some of the other issues to be lack of Parking space, introduction of hybrid cars, HOV congestion etc, however being informatics students these issues were not something we could address in our design solution.
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Posted By: getmehome pweeze
Date Posted: 04 Dec 2006 at 9:18am
off topic- CONGRATS Mr. Slug!! Many warm wishes to you, your family, and your new addition!!
Slug'n till 2010 (when the HOT lanes roll in)
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Posted By: dudte
Date Posted: 04 Dec 2006 at 10:57am
Hank
What is the name of your IU approved project?
If this is for a specific class then course # and professor?
Who is your faculty advisor?
What is your IRB #?
Legitimate IRB approved collegiate research is not hard to verify. give us the #'s and we can make our own calls. I would suspect your IRB approval also requires more research subject (us) consent than what you have provided so far. I'm not saying your not legit - yet - but you haven't done a very good job of informed consent and subject protection. If you are not to IRB yet you may be learning about the difficulty of inquiring of your subjects without their trust. We seem to trust drivers and riders (statistically) significantly more than we trust unknown and poorly identified researchers.
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Posted By: getmehome pweeze
Date Posted: 04 Dec 2006 at 1:07pm
oh oh, RLD is mad...he has typo's.
Hank, we appreciate your interest in slugging, but as you can see, if you are going to come to this site phishing for info, you really should provide some sort of proof of interest here. Thanks.
Slug'n till 2010 (when the HOT lanes roll in)
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Posted By: SpongeBob
Date Posted: 04 Dec 2006 at 3:20pm
We slugs are so trusting we get in cars with total strangers and promptly fall asleep. But by God you better not ask too many questions on our website!
I think you may be real, but let's test this.
I go to IUPUI in Indy several times a year. Want to meet for dinner?
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Posted By: CallmeMrSlug
Date Posted: 05 Dec 2006 at 12:17am
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Thanks GMHP, much appreciated. :-)
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Posted By: hank
Date Posted: 09 Dec 2006 at 4:57pm
For everybody who doubts our credibility, tommorrow all of your questions will be answered!
In reply to the following people who have questions for us:
dudte:
For our Introduction to Human Interaction Design Class we have the priveledge of trying to answer the CHI problem for CHI 2007. The CHI problem, Computer Human Interaction, is a design competition for students in Computer Human Intertaction. Feel free to check out there site: http://www.chi2007.org/submit/competitions.php The class number is I541, the professor's name is Dr. Marty Siegel.
Currently we are seeking HSC (Human Subject Commitee) approval for our scenario based prototype and user-experienced prototyping. Once we have approval we will post a information about how you can participate in our user-experienced prototyping.
My contact information:
Kenton Hankins
hankinsk@indiana.edu
http://www.informatics.indiana.edu/people/profiles.asp?u=hankinsk (if you want to verify that I am a student)
Also, our HSC number is: Study #06-11569
CallMeMrSlug:
Are you really GRADUATE students?
Yes, we are and graduate students (see above for my information). Congratulations on the new addition to your family.
RobertLangDirect:
We can not answer this issues for you, we are only trying to use technology to get more people to slug. In no way do we want to inhibit the current slug system.
getmehomepweeze:
We are not phishing. If you are interesting in phishing research we will be glad to direct you to people within our program and school that are studying phishing and other cybersecurity issues.
spongebob:
Please send me an email (see previous response in this thread) to me with the next time you are in Indy, we could go to the Rathskeller and discuss slug system.
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Posted By: hank
Date Posted: 10 Dec 2006 at 6:13pm
Hello,
For those not familiar with us, we are graduate students at Indiana University studying Human-Computer Interactions. We are attempting to create a solution which will increase the usage of the slug system for one of our classes.
We have created a brief summary of our design concept and created mockups of our prototype. We would greatly appreciate your help and cooperation. We would also greatly appreciate if you could please pass this link on to any of your friends and family who do not currently slug and ask for their opinions. If you are willing to help, please click the link located below.
http://www.surveymonkey.com/Users/17075259/Surveys/950233014354/1F5CE362-E857-4808-8E67-62FAF03720FF.asp?U=950233014354&DO_NOT_COPY_THIS_LINK
Thank you.
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