It took me a while, but I’ve finally compiled all the comments left online to the Toronto Star article that appeared last month. Here, in a completely unscientific study, I present the results.
Most of the comments left could be categorized in one of four ways:
- This is the worst idea I have ever heard of in my life.
- This is a good idea that is worthy of further investigation.
- Whether it is a good idea or a bad one, the real problem is with our current transit planning regime.
- Steven Dale is a complete idiot who should learn to shut his mouth.
Here are the percentages of comments that fell within those categories:
- (36.73%) This is the worst idea I have ever heard of in my life.
- (33.67%) This is a good idea that is worthy of further investigation.
- (22.45%) Whether it is a good idea or a bad one is irrelevant. The real problem is our current transit planning regime.
- (7.14%) Steven Dale is a complete idiot who should learn to shut his mouth.
In order to dig a little deeper, however, I also compiled the percentage of people within the “thumbs-up-thumbs-down” crowd who agreed with the consensus in each category. Those results are rather striking:
- 71.62% of people within the thumbs-up-thumbs-down crowd agreed that cable transit is a good idea that is worthy of further investigation.
- 68.60% of people within the thumbs-up-thumbs-down crowd agreed that whether cable transit is a good idea or a bad one is irrelevant. The real problem is our current transit planning regime.
- 51.92% of people within the thumbs-up-thumbs-down crowd agreed that cable transit is the worst idea they had ever heard of in their life.
- 41.48% of people within the thumbs-up-thumbs-down crowd agreed that Steven is a complete idiot who should learn to shut his mouth.
I’ve gotta’ say, considering the knee-jerk, reactionary nature of online comments . . . those aren’t bad numbers no matter how completely unscientific they are.