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| Interoperability |
 Title text: We're getting a lot of complaints from commuters who were routed onto a coaster, but the theme park patrons who spent hours stuck on an intercity line are also not happy. |
Explanation
Black Hat gives a presentation regarding the existence of two standards: rail systems predominantly use the standard gauge of 143.5cm (or the virtually identical 4 ft 8½ in, in the US), and associated subway systems and their cars are built to match this standard. Meanwhile 'many' roller coaster tracks, and their cars, are said to use a 110cm gauge. The two standards are not compatible, without some additional engineering; subway cars could not travel on roller coaster tracks, and vice versa, even assuming you solved other issues.
However, Black Hat has professed to make changes to roller coasters such that they now conform to the subway standard (i.e. 143.5cm gauge). This seemingly is Phase One of a plan, for which there is a further phase to come. No details of Phase Two are forthcoming. But, at face value, it may superficially allow subway cars to ride on roller coaster tracks and/or roller coaster cars to ride through subway systems, apparently in the name of interoperability and compatibility. This would have the implied advantage of letting many more people ride a roller coaster at the same time (110cm gauge rollercoasters usually (always?) are 4 or less seats wide even with only transverse aisles while if New York City Subway cars (143.5cm gauge) only had transverse aisles like rollercoasters they could fit 6 actual seats or 7 if they could jam 17.0 inch airplane seats on the whole 10' width due to rollercoasters' lack of walls) and granting subways easier access to additional rolling stock. However, the lack of interoperability in this case is by design, since if a railroad and a roller coaster track were ever to be accidentally connected (e.g. a circus train has a roller coaster and sets the parts on the railroad tracks during assembly), cars routed to the other system (e.g. a roller coaster car rolling backward onto the railroad track) would simply derail.
Cueball and Hairbun are the apparently unwitting audience to Black Hat's presentation, and one of them (from off-panel) objects by stating that interoperability isn't necessarily a good thing, recognising where the plan is heading.
Black Hat suggests that it would be fine as long as passengers of such interoperable systems listened to the destination announcement, indicating that he does indeed plan to connect the two which may lead to various unexpected surprises.
The title text confirms that both reapplications of railcars are being used: There are commuters who find themselves traveling upon a coaster (their exact problems are not stated, but they could range from merely not reaching their intended destination to suffering unexpectedly extreme g-force, if not both simultaneously) and there are roller coaster riders who find themselves traveling down a subway line (a much, much longer loop).
Furthermore, those expecting to experience a theme park ride were probably expecting exciting g-forces, and also to shortly return to no more than a short walk away from where they initially boarded, but find themselves outside the theme park, spending hours on an intercity line and not moving much at all. (Noting that a subway line would also not usually be expected to travel between cities, unless serving a conurbation, but at least the interoperability of subway rail and wider rail systems might be expected, so long as the appropriate infrastructure and track links can be made compatible.) Some part of this might be that the roller coaster cars will come to a stop (in the case of gravity coasters, where the cars aren't self-propelled), which may lead to the patrons being unable to leave the cars safely and will lead to the blockage of the route.
Transcript
- [A close-up shot of Black Hat from the shoulders up]
- Black Hat: Compatibility and interoperability are so important.
- [A zoom out reveals that Black Hat is standing in front of and pointing at a diagram showing a commuter subway car and a roller coaster car, and the tracks they both run on. Standing next to him are Cueball and Hairbun]
- Black Hat: For example, most subway rails are 143.5 cm apart. But many roller coasters use a narrower 110 cm gauge.
- [This panel shows only Black Hat]
- Black Hat: For the last few years, our company has been quietly retrofitting roller coasters to use 143.5 cm tracks.
- [Black Hat now has his fists raised]
- Black Hat: Soon, we can begin phase 2.
- Voice from off-panel: Maybe interoperability is actually bad.
- Black Hat: If you listen to the destination announcement while boarding, you'll be fine.
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