Advertising; ubiquitous and sometimes useful

Video advertising screen and USB port in Black Top taxi cab, Vancouver, BC

Video advertising screen and USB port in Black Top taxi cab, Vancouver, BC (Detail)

I probably don't take taxi cabs often enough. If I did I would have noticed these devices installed in the headrest of the front seat.

The video screen shows a roll of news and ads, while the support has a sticker with an advertisement for Telus. The USB port on the left-hand side gives riders a convenient way to recharge their mobile devices while they are in the taxi.

What percentage of taxi users have mobile devices? Probably very close to 100. What is one of the most common complaints about today's mobile devices? Short battery life. So, this provides a very useful service to taxi users.

Telus has also done a similar same thing at Science World. There the device goes into a recharging station in a small locker. The lockers include cables with the appropriate plugs for most popular mobile telephones.