Solo's bus stop ad enables life-size chatting with strangers

Hot on the heels of Nokia's own bus stop gimmick comes none other than Solo, which has erected a clever display on a number of waiting areas to allow perfect strangers to yap it up on giant mobiles. The interactive billboards each sport a larger-than-usual flip phone, which allows curious onlookers to mash an enlarged walkie talkie button and get on the horn with a faraway stranger. The active two-way radio setup was reportedly installed in transit shelters in Vancouver, Montreal, Toronto, and Calgary, and the system supposedly connects users in the different cities to one another when a conversation is initiated. Unfortunately, Engadget HQ doesn't happen to reside in the land of the Canucks, so for our brethren in the north, why not stop on by and give a shout to a fellow Canadian, eh?

[Via Core77]

[aron @ Apr 26th 2007 2:23AM]

Haven't seen these around yet, but I foresee problems when people start screaming obscenities into it, making offensive remarks, or just being stupid in general. I hope there's a mute button!

[coastuc @ Apr 26th 2007 2:29AM]

Anonymous communications aid and abet the terrorists! Only when all communications of any type have been eliminated can we truly breathe a sigh of relief. Bus stops with these ads are simply asking for another 9/11!

[Lee Roy Brandon III @ Apr 26th 2007 2:49AM]

They must stop this immediately - THEY'RE KILLING ALL THE BEES!!! Hahahaha, rofl (sorry 'bout the caps)

[Adam @ Apr 26th 2007 2:50AM]

@coastuc: ROFL. That seems extremely appropriate considering the runin I just had with "US Border Patrol"

In Milwaukee and Chicago right now, but will definitely go hunting in the turboJetta when I get back to Toronto. Anyone got an intersection?

-Adam

[Galley @ Apr 26th 2007 4:26AM]

Cool, anonymous bus stop phone sex!

[g4scott @ Apr 26th 2007 8:54AM]

It kinda reminds me of this pillsbury ad in my local grocery store, where you could kick the little portable freezer, and it would make the "woo-hoo" sound. Not as cool as recording your own message, but I thought it was funny.

Unfortunately, nothing else I kicked in the store made as cool of a noise.

[Nando @ Apr 26th 2007 10:10AM]

Beware of the bus stop phone sexual predators...

[jberg @ Apr 26th 2007 10:11AM]

If that's "life-size" I don't want one.

[Jay_Starr @ Apr 26th 2007 11:27AM]

I'm betting it's in the Bay St district. Or Near Y&D Square outside of the H&M.

I'm going hunting today on my bike once this rain lets up.

[KC @ Apr 26th 2007 12:12PM]

Lots of paranoia about these huh? Terrorists? Killing Bees? Sexual Predators?

Come on! Are we all putting on our tin hats in fear of imaginary boogie men today?

This is a neat gimmick, nothing more.

[TheClashRocker @ Apr 26th 2007 7:48PM]

Push to talk's already make the most annoying noise ever. That GYNORMOUS (gigantic and enormous) one must make the LOUDEST & most ANNOYING buzz noise EVER.

[fwqhgads.mx @ Apr 26th 2007 8:19PM]

I live in Calgary, so I'll be on the look for these. I'll post back with my results ^_^