There's more than one way to communicate a message through somebodies skull
Where's my axe.
Sky's ad agency has been showing off train windows capable of pushing ads direct into the skulls of tired commuters, as though advertising wasn't all-pervasive enough already. The Talking Window uses bone conduction to startle commuters who rest their weary head against the glass of the train window, admonishing them for …
I can just imagine the uproar in the news if they announced they were installing these. Commentators would decry the end of the free world as your own head is no longer free from adverts, the more impulsive among us would vandalize them, hypochondriacs would complain about how they have constant migraines and can't sleep since these came along - leading to ambulance chasers egging some of them on to sue - and amongst all of this Sky's already iffy public rep would nosedive as tired commuters badmouth them in public and on Facebook for not letting them snooze.
Plus, on longer journeys,
"This is your Under-Assistant Senior Train Conductor speaking. We will shortly be arriving in X. If you are leaving the train, please make sure that you take all your bags and personal belongings with you when you leave the train. We thank you for travelling with Y today and wish you a safe onward journey. ... The buffet in coach F is now open, selling a range of hot and cold beverages, sandwiches and snacks. ... First class is in coaches A and B at the front of the train. Coach E is a quiet coach [not that you'd notice]. Gargle, bargle, blah, blah, blah."
Not all announcements are bad. A train I was on recently had the announcement :
"Please be careful of the large gap between the train and the platform while leaving, as you may injure yourself and will certainly look silly if you do."
Raised a few smiles around the carriage.
On many routes around London they've just got to the end of those announcements before beginning the litany of instructions about the next (station) stop offering exciting connections to..., please remember to take all your items, thank-you for being a customer and sorry for any inconvenience cause by the late running of this service. Repeated moments later when the train arrives at the station, then a welcome to the train and they're off again..shut up! Shut up! Shut up!
Advertising on TV means I can watch the TV for free.
Advertising on El'Reg again means I can read El'Reg for free
If they're going to engage in advertising like this then it is reasonable for them to pick up the bill, so I can travel for free.
So you use some (a lot) of your hard earned to take a black cab in London - not a bargain but your choice
You sit down, relax back in the solitude, away from the rain, taking a break from the Northern Line
And there's a fscking LCD screen pushing adverts at you - your only option, other than getting out again, is to turn the sound down.
I'm surprised it took so long for trains.
That is what they call the forces applied to the track by steam locomotives
Is normally a pain when travelling. It means you hear the damn vehicle you're endeavouring to fall asleep on. You lean your head on the wrong part of the plane seat and suddenly the drone of engines is much louder despite all the cotton wool/ear plugs/noise cancelling... you might be trying to use to minimise the noise.
I wonder what sort of volume they'd need to pump their ads through at to get above the noise of the trains themselves. I'd have though this would then result in the whole window acting like a speaker.
I doubt if they'd see that as a problem, they'd be able to force the advertising onto everyone nearby, not just those leaning on the window.
More subtle than an axe, a small cordless drill to take out the transducer and the wires that connect it to the rest of the electronics, and a small tube of sealant to plug the hole once it's done.
Boneheaded Idea Leads to Forced Trains of Thought Leading to Bones of Contention
If you REALLY want to be annoyed, insert some good, rubbery earplug, sitting yourself upright, and then lean your neck forward, or if on a bed, lie randomly. After a while, you may hear the muscles in your neck or the bubbles in the skull/spine connection vibrating. Annoys the living hell out of me. Doesn't happen often, but does take a bit of readjusting.
If, however, advertisers tried forcing this onto the masses, maybe suitably-padded motorcycle helmets, lined with rubber, tin foil, water jackets, and some lead might lead to some heavy solutions. But, heavy metal music might work better than heavy metal helmets. Would prevent loads of damage to posture, too, hehehe....