August 13, 2009 @ 12:36 pm
In a move I can hardly understand, the Customs and Border Protection agency is choosing to dismantle a brand-new, beautifully designed sign at the United States-Canada border because they believe it attracts “undue attention” and risks the lives of the employees working at the border station.
The sign in question, consisting of large yellow letters that spell out “UNITED STATES”, are hidden partially by the architecture of the border station which was designed by Smith-Miller & Hawkinson. The building itself will remain standing and serve as the border station between Canada and the U.S. and it is just the large signage that will be taken down. I don’t understand how this is going to make it safer for employees and less conspicuous to terrorists. I mean, could this building be anything other than a border station?
Fast Company has a few more words with the designer of the sign, Michael Bierut, and why he thinks it’s being dismantled by the government.
March 4, 2009 @ 5:49 pm
The NYPD is unleashing a fleet of 40 brand-new Nissan Altima hybrid vehicles in the next two weeks to be used as official NYPD patrol cars. The Nissan Altima hybrids have the capability to go up to 40mph before a single drop of gas is used. And compared to the measly 16mpg of the current fleet of Ford Crown Victoria’s, the Nissan Altima hybrids will be able to go up to 32mpg in the city, a fairly significant jump in fuel savings which will ultimately help the city save a few dollars.
Of course, the hybrid vehicles won’t go nearly as fast (113mph top speed compared to 165mph top speed of Dodge Charger), but then again, when are NYPD vehicles ever going anywhere near top speed anyway? I think 113mph is pretty fast already and with NYC streets as narrow as they are, I doubt any criminal being chased is going to top that without something terrible happening.
If you’re wondering how you’re gonna spot one on the street, the New York Post has the run-down:
To start, the NYPD has outfitted 18 hybrids as marked patrol cars, bringing the $21,500 base cost to $30,752 per car. Another 20 are unmarked ($25,595 each), and two are disguised as yellow cabs for anticrime work ($28,600 each).
All together, the city has reportedly spent $1.1 million on the new cars and hope it will curb pollution.
October 16, 2008 @ 8:39 pm
On the left, San Diego, CA, and on the right, Tijuana, Mexico.
I’ve been to Mexico before, but not through the United States-Mexico border station, where 50,000 vehicles and 20,000 people on foot allegedly pass through each day. The photos that Deputy Dog has dug up showing the border station between the two countries is remarkable. I had no idea that it was this busy since I always thought of the border as this barren land separated by a tall chain-link fence (so much for TV shows and movies…).
Anyway, I love the clear separation between the two cities. Mexico is known as a very crowded place and you an definitely see it in the photo above.
And again, in the photo below, the clear separation of two countries is literally accomplished by a thin sheet of metal. I’m assuming that there’s a border patrol guard standing nearby on both sides, but I can’t imagine how hard the job must be to make sure that people do not swim over to the other side on this beach.
Anyway, I really want to visit Mexico again now. Maybe in the near future.
