this post was submitted on 01 Jun 2024
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xkcd

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xkcd #2940: Modes of Transportation

https://xkcd.com/2940

Explain xkcd #2940

Title Text:

My bold criticism might anger the hot air balloon people, which would be a real concern if any of them lived along a very narrow line directly upwind of me.

alt-text:A chart that categorizes various modes of transportation based on their practicality and danger level:

Zone of Practicality:

  • Trains
  • Airliners
  • Boats
  • Walking
  • Cars
  • Scooters
  • Bicycles

Zone of Specialty and Recreational Vehicles:

  • Motorcycles
  • Helicopters
  • Light aircraft
  • Go karts
  • Skateboards
  • Rollerblades
  • Skis
  • Unicycles
  • Sleds
  • Bumper cars

?????:

  • Hot air balloons

“Hot air balloons are the optimal mode of transportation, if your optimization algorithm has a sign error.”

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[–] [email protected] 22 points 5 months ago (3 children)

Not sure I'd put unicycles as being safer than bicycles.

[–] [email protected] 14 points 5 months ago (1 children)

I'd guess it's because unicycles are used in a much narrower range of circumstances. Few people are being hit by cars commuting to work on a unicycle, nor are there many mountain-unicyclists getting injured.

[–] [email protected] 19 points 5 months ago (1 children)

Which honestly just speaks for the insane amount of training mountain-unicyclists have done

[–] [email protected] 9 points 5 months ago (2 children)

You joke (I think?), but the people I know that do unicycling (including mountain-bike style unicycling, and unicycling Himalayan trails, and crazy stuff like that) do do an insane amount of training 😆

[–] [email protected] 5 points 5 months ago (1 children)

You’d have to. Anyone who mountain bikes regularly knows how much work it is to climb some trails with 500% gear range. I can’t imagine the work involved with a single gear to climb on some trails. Brutal.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 5 months ago

This is probably another reason why unicycles are less dangerous. People I know that do mountain biking end up in hospital from time to time from coming off at speed, speed on most unicycles is probably a lot lower. Though I thought geared unicycles existed?

[–] [email protected] 3 points 5 months ago

I was joking, but i guess now i know what im gonna watch on youtube next

[–] [email protected] 7 points 5 months ago

It’s probably there because you don’t reach as high speeds on a unicycle

[–] [email protected] 2 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago)

There are basically no unsafe ways to get off of a unicycle. You can fall in any direction and just end up standing next to your unicycle. Compare that to a bicycle "over the handle bars"-accident.