I thought the Schmid Peoplemover was impossible

An elevator that can go smoothly from horizontal to vertical isn't possible... right? Turns out that the conventional wisdom is wrong, and the Schmid Peoplemover has been doing that for many years.
Camera: Moritz Janisch
Producer: Marcel Fenchel www.fenchel-ja...
Engineering consultant: Calum Douglas
Animation: Pete McPartlan
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[@TomScottGo]

Just a quick note: Herr Schmid is 80 years old. He has a gravelly voice. He is, no doubt, aware of this. If you're thinking of making a rude joke about that, please don't: it'll join the ones that moderation's already blocked (though they left one thread about it still running). I've got a duty of care to the people who are kind enough to appear here: please help me by being kind in turn!

[@JaelSerrano-kg3nu]

His voice is perfectly fine, soothing even, no rude comment anyone makes will change that.

[@69Buddha]

Pin this!

[@KiLLJoYYouTube]

As if everyone of these comments will never have a reason for people to be empathetic to them in the future. There needs to be more kindness in the world.

[@tmbocheeko]

I absolutely love his gravely voice! Why do people feel the need to be asses about everything online 😢

[@henryyandell3222]

I love it when people come on to explain their own invention and hearing how passionate they are about it, kinda like the microwave video!

[@volvo480]

Not only it was installed one hour earlier than planned, after 20 years it is still fully functional. Kudos for tracking down the engineer who designed it.

[@badtemtime999]

@@mathiasvries BRRRRRRAKA MONOGA GERMAN SCIENCE IS THE WORLDS FINEST

[@devikwolf]

Totally awesome that they deployed it so quickly. I'm impressed.

[@lolollolol5654]

@@mathiasvries german engineering is almost everytime fine, well with the big exception of the berlin airport that hurt our engineering/architecture reputation badly

[@nottheth0mm5ter]

@@badtemtime999 Germans be like: I could complain about the short timeframe… BUT I REFUSE

[@quantumfluffyflapjack]

I absolutely love it whenever Tom brings on a cool old guy who invented something niche. That's the absolute best use of this platform as far as I'm concerned. Living history in their own words.

[@chicken_punk_pie]

Ahh yes, the microwave. Very niche

[@charlesmayberry2825]

I agree, it's one thing for the invention to be there, but to hear the inventors side of it, is always amazing, we live in an age where a platform like this can keep that information, those interviews, where people can see and learn from them, rather than older times where at best it would be written down, or worse, never recorded outside the patent paperwork.

[@matthew9677]

Yes, it is magnificent

[@panda4247]

Haha, platform :)

[@teguhilhami5894]

a

[@florianwoo7997]

This is so incredibly German: the motivation is that cars don't need to stop, it's an over-engineered masterpiece, designed by an imperturbable Swabian inventor, delivered in only three parts, mounted in only a few hours, faster than scheduled. I'm somehow proud :D

[@arqelf9505]

chill... its just a stereotype

[@Somnogenesis]

I think "imperturbable Swabian inventor" is the best phrase I've read all day :)

[@Hexishu]

Dann kommt der Berliner

[@davidjorgensen877]

​@@arqelf9505 Emil Schmid is an example of a German engineer. An example of a German stereo type would be Blaupunkt.

[@OfficialBrownieGER]

A real swab wouldn't have build anything as it's too expensive! :D

[@SubsonicNoise]

We have one of these at a random train station in Berlin, which I only found out after I missed my stop on the way back from a party. I was only half concious and thoughg i was getting on a normal elevator, so you can imagine how baffled i was when i emerged on the other side of the rails 😭 I had to stand there and process that for a good five minutes

[@MWoyde]

Wait, which train station was it, I would be very interested to try it out. I never heard of this concept before this video.

[@SubsonicNoise]

@@MWoyde It‘s at Berlin-Rummelsburg Betriebsbahnhof! Had to look it up because i was way to sleepy at the time for it to register 😁

[@Ivan-zf6wd]

Thanks for the info, gotta check it out!

[@allornothing2926]

I just got this vid recommended and I recognised the device from rummelsburg too! So crazy

[@daryx.langdale]

I suppose Sisyphos was part of your evening? I used to leave right up the road from here but never needed to use this station.

[@Snookbone]

I don't think there's anything quite so German as being able to set up an entirely unique, large structure in four hours, and then doing it in three anyway.

[@seanthebluesheep]

There is: being proud of the achievement because the rail system was less disrupted as a result.

[@steemlenn8797]

There is. Goign to build an airport in 6 years and then it takes 16 (or so)

[@Seegalgalguntijak]

After all,it took us only a bit more than 14 years to build an airport.

[@_--_--_]

@@steemlenn8797 That was in East Germany, East Germany doesnt really count as part of Germany.

[@Darkness251]

Stuttgart 21 train station. Construction started in 2010, planned finish was 2019, now expected to be at least 2025. German efficiency is no more, sadly.

[@JackDalton]

In the south of Germany we call people like Mr. Schmid respectfully "ein Bastler". People who are starting with some small ideas in their garage and end up creating world leading companies. His dialect is just awesome!

[@arnodobler1096]

oder "Tüftler"

[@thetomster7625]

you're writing it wrong: its called "a Baschdler" ;P

[@Fabian-bx5pm]

I think the term „Baschdler“ is more approriate …

[@sambuydens6418]

Germany missed out on some great Blues when this guy decided on a carreer.

[@nematube]

♫ I see cars and trains People and streets I see them cross Draggin' their feet And I think to myself Peoplemovers we neeeed ♫

[@stefankrause5138]

@@nematube I lituratly heard that comming, when I opened the replys 😂

[@pedrofuster9161]

@@nematube funniest thread I've seen in a looong time

[@Natalie-101]

@@nematube this is too good for a youtube reply

[@__Andrew_]

@@nematube brilliant thank you

[@AFGuidesHD]

"It always bothered me that traffic had to stop for one person" what a quintessentially German problem.

[@Deochar]

German efficiency

[@thegrinderman1090]

Why do you say it's quintessentially German? I would've thought it was a global problem.

[@sebobald1227]

@@thegrinderman1090 because the most people would just take the problem for what it is and dont over engineer it.

[@thegrinderman1090]

@@sebobald1227 That's more to do with the solution than the problem. I would agree that it's a very German solution, but it's a problem faced everywhere that has heavy traffic.

[@plop010]

@@thegrinderman1090 actually you and Mr Schmid have it the wrong way around. the traffic is the problem, not the pedestrian wanting to move around in a public space

[@MDMart]

"They only gave us four hours to install it in, so we did it in three" Yup, he's German.

[@dontfckwithafish3409]

you ever hear of our airfield?🤔

[@MDMart]

@@dontfckwithafish3409 I have not

[@mntmntmnt]

@@dontfckwithafish3409 or stuttgart 21

[@f1f1s]

Maybe they have been rehearsing for several days how to do it in two hours.

[@ryuugureen4969]

@@dontfckwithafish3409 That's the politicians' fault.

[@SaszaDerRoyt]

I like that he talked to wheelchair users about this, is really a great example of technology that's explicitly made to be accessible for disabled users

[@JaredOwen]

Wow! I had no idea something like existed. Very cool

[@crystl5775]

Very Cool !

[@victorvance2573]

Same for me. And i life in Germany.

[@ethanaerni8938]

was gonna you should make a 3d animation on how it works but it looks like that's already been done.

[@bomtrady3133]

He’s so proud of his invention and his engineering firm, I love it.

[@zoro3485]

Tom brady

[@LyonPercival]

Took just 3hrs to install it, even 1hr more than given time. Amazing design and company.

[@khhnator]

well woulnt you? :D

[@MB-square]

As most Germans

[@ToyvideosKh]

Hello

[@Svartez]

Imagine being a commuter that lives near this train station, one evening at 6/7pm your at the station on your way home and everything looks normal, you get to the station at 7/8am the next day to commute to work and all of a sudden there is this massive people mover that has been installed overnight.

[@RGC_animation]

"Wait, was this there yesterday? I must be dreaming."

[@paulb9769]

That is not happening over night.

[@PhantomlyReaper]

@@paulb9769 They literally said it in the video. Did you not watch it?

[@RGC_animation]

@@paulb9769 smh

[@CornFlex420]

@@paulb9769 you're right, it only took 3 hours which is far less than overnight

[@AverytheCubanAmerican]

It's a shame it's not ubiquitous. It moved fast, arguably faster than a very busy passageway, increased accessibility (which as someone born with a hip disability and had to spend pre-K in a wheelchair, this is a plus) and above all else looks fun. A win-win to me And if you thought this was impossible, the St. Louis Gateway Arch elevator tram exists. A guy (let's call him by his cool surname Bowser) developed with his father elevator equipment that could travel horizontally, diagonally, and normal vertical. By chance, he was in the same room as the Arch's architect and was given two weeks to design and present in front of the team. He knew a normal system wouldn't do, so for the Arch he combined elevator and Ferris wheel elements to create a unique system where a tram of eight elevator pods that by rotating, allows the visitors inside to remain leveled the entire way

[@myladycasagrande863]

Thanks for sharing that story! I went up the Arch as a child, but didn't know the history of the "elevator" system.

[@HallsofAsgard96]

How very Willy Wonka. Btw I see u everywhere bro

[@longiusaescius2537]

Nice

[@lueck183]

There's such a crazy illusion around 3:37 -4:00 because of the reflection of the aluminium tower it seams at a certain point there is no tower but only an exit of an elevator which comes from underground. Maybe it's the magic peoplemover we observe here which traverse the cabin through thin air.

[@hisham_hm]

It got me going "huh!?" for a second too!

[@rahmspinat]

I thought that "Peoplemover" was a funny translation by Tom. Turns out Schmid actually named it that.

[@jannejohansson3383]

There is not many brand markings on/in that Peoplemover

[@Posiman]

"People mover" is a generic term for fully automated small-scale personal transport systems.

[@adamreif7338]

@@Posiman It's not in Germany though.

[@shirosurfer8864]

It's just make sense in German as everything else does too

[@rahmspinat]

@@shirosurfer8864 Personenbeweger isn't nice. Personentransporter however, is very nice.

[@Nighthawk20000]

Him bragging about being able to install that people mover in 3 hours is peak German pride haha

[@bonecanoe86]

If they tried to do something like that in Philly it would take 3 months, be way overbudget, and smell like hobo piss when it was opened.

[@mark9294]

Well guess what, installing a simple (non-horizontal) elevator now takes German Railways 6 months (no exaggeration) and most elevators in Germany do smell of piss too, so we’ve covered that as well. Hooray for modern German engineering!

[@mirjanbouma]

I'd brag too if I managed something like that!

[@Ghiaman1334]

"German Engineering is the best in the wooorld!"

[@killbotter6998]

@@Ghiaman1334 Is ThAt A jOjO´s ReFeReNcE

[@kevinlieby2798]

Thank you for subtitling the translation instead of dubbing over him. As someone independently studying German, I appreciate being able to hear common speech rather than the archaic format in my textbooks.

[@MikeyDoosifer]

As impractical as it may be to install, i would love to see these alongside standard footbridges for an easier world for people with disablities. this world isn't designed with them in mind and it would be nice to see them get some more

[@VulpisFoxfire]

I was thinking the same thing watching this--why not have both, similar to how places have both escalators *and* stairs, the latter being a backup if the former breaks down (and/or power goes out), or users *want* the extra exercise

[@azuralmusic]

If they installed the thing in three hours it's not impracticable to install.

[@Sam_T2000]

and if not that, at least a system of catapults and nets.

[@MisterW0lfe]

@@Sam_T2000 and sponges for when the nets fail... they are soft to land on, or make cleanup easier if the passenger also missed landing on them (a very Gnomish invention from a D&D Adventures book I can't remember the title of)

[@MrMalthusMusic]

Going the extra mile to track down the inventor and also include 3D models of the mechanism all in a sub 6 minute video is why Tom is the king of random things I never knew I need to know.

[@TheProtocol48]

Nicely sums it up.

[@hiddenshadow2105]

"Railway gave us only four hours, but this wasn't a problem, we finished an hour earlier." Wow! This is a good project coordination.

[@Ron.S.]

I’m thinking - this station is so busy, they should have given them two hours. Especially when it was night time. (“Sorry, the northern line is closed due to engineering works” London 24/7)

[@hiddenshadow2105]

@@Ron.S. Then, I bet, they'd do it in 1 h 30 min.

[@jeremywilliams5107]

It is nothing short of amazing. But the foundations were done weeks earlier, I just marvel that they got the vertical alignment done across such a large object. Also what commissioning tests were needed and did that require track possession? Wenn Herr Schmid dies liest, wie seid Ihr mit der vertikalen Angleichung klargekommen?

[@t0b3yyy16]

That part reminded me of german comedian Jan Böhmermann's favourite Germany joke: how many Germans does it take to change a lightbulb? One. We are efficient and have no humor.

[@julius6903]

@@Ron.S. this station isn’t busy at all… I live near by.

[@reilyn5366]

I went past this thing every day without noticing it, it takes Tom Scott to make you realise what kind of nice stuff is in your area

[@ImSquiggs]

I love that this is simply the dream of an engineer that couldn’t stand a prevalent inefficiency in an everyday system. I assume most people would just consider it a built-in element you have to deal with, but not this guy, he’s going for solutions. All the little differences in our brains come together and give humanity people like this - someone that’s looking for solutions to problems that don’t even register for the rest of us.

[@surprisedchar2458]

“You get four hours.” “Make it five.” “…Four.” “Three! Take it or leave it.”

[@Happymali10]

"And now I have an hour to tell you how rude you were, sit down and listen up."

[@trentonpaul6376]

SpongeBob Shanghaied reference

[@RalphH007]

And then finish in two!

[@xanksauri89]

You don't get it, they are germans so it most likely went like: "I'll give you five hours" "I'll do it in four" "Okay then, I'll give you four hours!" "... I'll do it in three"

[@mypowerlevelisover9000]

Ah yes the negotiator

[@adambrezing]

I actually drove the exact same peoplemover and for those wondering, it is not really exciting because it is so smooth, one does not even notice the engineering masterwork behind it. I never knew those things were so rare and only makes me appreciate it more. Great video as always and I hope everyone has a great day!

[@DieMimik]

Kommsch au ausm Neckartal? :D

[@powgames]

Naja vielleicht ist es ja exciting eben weil es smooth ist und sich nicht anfühlt wie ein Flugzeugabsturz ^^

[@daveh7720]

That's how you know a good design - it works so well people don't even notice it.

[@louisvictor3473]

They're rare for quite a few many reasons though. Interesting engineering for sure, but also over engineered.

[@vigilantcosmicpenguin8721]

@@daveh7720 99% Invisible sort of stuff.

[@FutureCommentary1]

I love that you featured the original inventor and I love that he accepted your invitation. It's amazing to see inventions that will survive their creator.

[@kristof2112]

I would never have thought it was so 'simple'. I mean the structure moves in a curve, and from the outside appearance there is nothing to indicate that. Amazing idea!

[@swisschalet1658]

The Germans love their straight lines and angles, don’t they?

[@xenon8342]

I absolutely adore Herr Schmid's accent. Even if I as a monolingual English speaker can't understand a word of it, it really sells that "Mad German inventor" notion

[@shadowhunterevil8214]

as a german and native speaker, it's hard to understand him, even for me

[@YTYY]

@@shadowhunterevil8214 really? its easy for me actually

[@joaopedrogomes910]

It's a Schwaben accent

[@jkobstube4314]

It's Swabian, that's my dialect aswell. Many big German engineering companies are in Swabia, though it's not at all an industrial region. Just seems to attract inventors.

[@davidpaprika5976]

It's between Swobian and 30 cigaretts a day for 60years

[@LimYangJunn]

I would like every transportation ever made to be named "Peoplemover".

[@lonestarr1490]

So I have here that concept of a Peoplemover consisting of a catapult and a parachute...

[@mirjanbouma]

It's a very German way of naming things.

[@alvinip9128]

@@lonestarr1490 use a trebuchet instead

[@JustAGooseman]

@@alvinip9128 much prefer a non-horizontal trebechut to use less space.

[@gmills5763]

@@lonestarr1490 Peoplepult

[@yumnjame546]

The fact that it is actually named "peoplemover" raised the respect bar for Schmid.

[@imogen1]

Really cool to see people's redstone builds get made irl

[@cat1554]

German Mumbo Jumbo

[@Planken]

as a german i can say: Emil Schmid's voice sounds epic in german also

[@bernds6587]

I concur.

[@grmpf]

As another German, I take it one step further and say that this video is worth learning German and all its accents to perfection just to appreciate how much his accent is the cherry on top.

[@null0seven662]

@@grmpf no Accent, just a good trained smoker lung

[@grmpf]

@@null0seven662 The only way you don't hear his accent is if you're also Swabian.

[@null0seven662]

@@grmpf ne, aus Bayern, aber ich habe wahrscheinlich nur dem Wundervollen Klang einer Drahtbürste auf einer löchrigen Regenrinne gelauscht^^

[@Whimsical3D]

"How, in this day and age, can it be that all road traffic has to stop because of one pedestrian?" As a former German myself, I have to say that this might be the single most German sentence I have ever heard in my entire life. 😳 Yes, I am fully aware that his intention was to say that he'd like to find a solution that accommodates BOTH instead of one over the other. But if taken literally, it so perfectly encapsulates the German Zeitgeist and their love of cars. 🤣

[@NahrAlma]

Cars above all. Luckily that is gonna change, slowly but surely.

[@Urmel331]

"former" German? please explain.

[@st_420]

Is Zeitgeist a word that english people use too? Like Kindergarten.

[@EuropeanQoheleth]

@@st_420 It is.

[@Whimsical3D]

@@Urmel331 Born and raised in Germany, moved to the US, and now I am no longer a German citizen.

[@Mynailgun]

Huge respect to the guy for coming on and explaining how it works

[@TheWinglessHawk]

Herr Schmid is btw really funny! His humor about how they just went there and built the whole thing up in three pieces and the 1 hour earlier done part was the perfect cherry on top. I also like the wheelchair accessibility with this, because germany really has a huge problem with that. Sure some train stations have elevators, but they are often badly maintained etc. so yes in the end this is a really easy and good solution without much of the hassle it else would present.

[@adrians1447]

I don’t think he was going for humour.. I think he was totally genuine in how he perceived the problem and how he took it upon himself to find a solution and to efficiently deploy said solution. Yes, it has flaws, but it does solve the original problem in a very elegant way that also makes the train station accessible to disabled people. I love everything about this video/story.

[@Vixduffield]

German railway: you’ve got 4h, overnight. Schmid: Halte mein Bier!

[@nyet_maker7948]

XD

[@dhooth]

XD

[@TakaG]

XD

[@eatyourcereal4747]

XD

[@anna-flora999]

More like "Hald mei Bier!"

[@sweiland75]

I did not expect this to become a story about disability access but as a person with a disability I appreciate it. We have a long way to go to eliminate every barrier.

[@ravendangernavy3575]

My thoughts exactly it's really nice not being an after thought

[@deetvleet]

@@marknorville9827 wtf are you talking about

[@thomasheller629]

@@marknorville9827 tf what's wrong with you

[@kaitlyn__L]

@@marknorville9827 because then that erases people’s varied access needs instead of normalising and affirming them. Talking about the current problem isn’t what creates the problem, it’s just that it’s made _you_ think about it. When it affects your daily life, it’s not surprising it becomes quite important in your daily life to do your bit to improve things. Stop being negative.

[@samcooke343]

@@marknorville9827 Maybe because disabled people need certain accessible features that other people don't? Would have thought that's obvious.

[@Fulgrim88]

There's also an old elevator design called "Paternoster" which was very popular in germany and can still be seen (and experienced) in a few public buildings to this day. Follows a similar principle. It's a continous line of open cabins that never stop as they go along a circular track. You just jump on and off at your desired stop. At the top and bottom they will also go from vertical to horizontal movement to switch to a second shaft that will take you back in the other direction

[@thegeneralissimo470]

Tom has already talked about Paternoster lifts

[@sunacifraoipicssuilenrocsu4719]

i literally live 7 km away from the peoplemover in altbach, so im kinda surprised its actually rare, like, i use it kinda often without thinking about it

[@kamo7293]

literally it was rail people: have it done in 4 hours Schmidt: I'll do it in 3

[@SaengerDruide02]

rail people doing it themselves: 4 days

[@Leblribrbrrq]

Isn't it usually like this? We need 5 hours. You get 4. We'll do it in 3.

[@ritawant9492]

loved by everyone who ☺️😚😙😗

[@ritawant9492]

what a nice plump m🍊🍉🍈🍇

[@Hendricus56]

@@SaengerDruide02 *years

[@grmpf]

As a German, I have no idea why, after this introduction, I wasn't already expecting an eccentric old Swabian to show up.

[@jkbecker]

Swabian old guy who filed multiple patents just to solve the problem of “a single pedestrian is holding up traffic” is the most German thing ever 😂

[@tomitiustritus6672]

And only three of them being installed because it's deemed too expensive, although it's just minimally more expensive than the alternative, is the most swabian thing ever. ;)

[@snjert8406]

@@tomitiustritus6672 true omg hahahaha

[@MultiArrie]

Can you explain why the region is key to be a exelent engineer.

[@user-ou7xk7db4h]

@@MultiArrie There is a strong engineering culture in south west Germany. Mercedes and Porsche had been founded there just a few kilometres apart from each other. There are lots of (global market leading) engineering companies like Bosch, Trumpf, Herrenknecht, Liebherr, Mahle, Carl Zeiss AG, SICK AG, Dürr AG, ebmpapst, Schaeffler, Storz, Würth and many more with each company having tens of thousands of highly specialized employees in that region. Many of the companies are not familiar to the average consumer but they've been operating for decades or even centuries. The SCHMID-Gruppe here in this video is part of this engineering culture. Obviously with the industry in place it keeps growing since knowledge is passed to the next generations through universities and schools. I believe it's hard to say what started it all but I think it comes down to family businesses being a thing. They are/were interested in preserving long term success and innovation. Automotive industries have also carried brands like Bosch and Mahle to the point where they've became much more than that. Swabian people are also said to work very hard while spending very little.

[@korlyboy282]

3:53 In Germany no one is late for their trains. The trains are the ones who are late.

[@nematube]

Wow, never heard of these Peoplemover turbolifts before, although they've been around for 20 years already. I see that one exists here in Berlin at the otherwise unremarkable S-Bahn station 'Rummelsburg Betriebsbahnhof' (and when I say unremarkable, I mean depressing ). I will try it out in honour of Tom and Herrn Schmid. Hope it won't be out of order by then.

[@Crafty266]

Den wollt ich auch erwähnen ;)

[@rogerbond2244]

Herr Schmid, you are a genius. Being mobility-impaired, as soon as I grasped the concept here I loved it. It's elegant, effortless and makes an arduous journey between platforms into a pleasant excursion. More of these, please! - which makes maintenance more... routine. (And, thank you, Tom, for not only bringing this innovation to a much larger audience but taking the time and effort to put the technical detail within our grasp. And also the guy behind it all). Three hours to install... Seriously, wow.

[@SnowTheBard]

I know right; as a disabled person myself … this is amazing. No stairs (oh god how many stairs I've fell down because there was literally no alternative); this makes public transportation so much more usable.

[@rogerbond2244]

@@SnowTheBard exactly. Press a button, get in, wait a few seconds, get out where you need to be - and you don't feel like you're inconveniencing anyone!

[@Addictive4real]

honest question: are 2 regular elevators and a bridge really much more of a hassle?

[@Flutterbyby]

We need these in Sydney, genius invention.

[@c182SkylaneRG]

@@Addictive4real I think the difference is that this was fully constructed off-site and brought in for final assembly in three major sub-sections. Two regular elevators and a bridge would more likely have been constructed on-site (even if off to the side of the tracks for later final assembly) which would have involved slightly more logistics. It's also a bit more of a hassle to the end user, who has to walk (or wheel) themselves across the bridge and then wait for a second elevator. Finally, adding a staircase necessarily increases the total footprint of the bridge on either end. Listen to the last minute or so of the video again. Tom describes all of the inconveniences a standardized setup creates to the end user, for the sake of easier maintenance and more widespread access to parts.

[@codex4046]

I think the main reason it's not as commonly used is because it's capacity is probably a lot less than with 2 regular elevators and a bridge, which allows for a constant two way traffic, where this elevator you'd have to wait for it to come all the way to you. This system works great for places that doesn't need a high flow capacity, this automatically results in 2 elevators + a bridge being installed in high traffic areas, and if it's used there why not everywhere. It's an amazing piece of tech and if it could move more people back and forth in less time it would undoubtedly be used more often

[@internetdumbass]

it looks like the station it's installed at also has an underpass?

[@Freekymoho]

maybe a double design? Two people movers synced to opposite sides

[@bdiddy77777]

Exactly, this system has very low throughput

[@flexo3333]

​@@internetdumbass ppl would get pissed very quickly if this thing was the only option

[@hoagy_ytfc]

@@internetdumbass it needs it, because the capacity of the peoplemover is so low. Those who can use the stairs will be way better off going that way.

[@dresdenkiller]

Berlin Airport should have hired him, alone for his project management skills.

[@norbertfleck812]

The manager jobs at BER were strictly staffed by relationship to the mayor of Berlin or at least by the relations to a specific political party. Competence was never an issue.

[@dresdenkiller]

@@norbertfleck812 Vitamin B is a very important supplement for career growth in Germany. It is the same everywhere, but I care for my country and this bothers me a lot.

[@completelymindfucked]

@@dresdenkiller Vitamin B?

[@Schattenhall]

@@completelymindfucked a humorous idiom in german, b stands for "beziehungen", meaning connections/relationships. Like a more generalized version of "old-boy network"

[@completelymindfucked]

@@Schattenhall Thanks!

[@karthik448]

There's just something special about an inventor talking about his work. You somehow feel the passion and the amount of time and effort behind it.

[@undefined40]

"DIe ham me al für bekloppt gehalten" ... If your subtitle translator wasn't by chance a native German speaker, cudos for getting that right.

[@patrickhanft]

Obviously a native Swabian speaker.

[@paulfaulkner6299]

I thought they were crazy too

[@rickmortyson4861]

Hahahaha geil alter

[@prinzibaer0]

hahahha junge

[@0xMN]

most of Tom Scott subscribers are swabian

[@scbtripwire]

"I had to hire an engineering consultant to look at the original patents and break it down for me." I love that dedication!

[@tsirakura1684]

as someone who is partially disabled and sometimes struggles with stairs and long walks, this is a dream come true

[@AkhilWalavalkar]

Another example of clever German engineering. Hats off for the elegant solution. I guess atleast some fancy Vegas hotels might be interested in the design if not the masses.

[@lukewarmairballoon6801]

I love how languages such as German and Norwegian have words that are so direct about what they do. "So what are you going to call this awesome invention that you've made? Maybe something after yourself?" "Hmm... peoplemover."

[@w0ttheh3ll]

German engineering companies love to use english names for their products to make them sound smart and modern.

[@sam8742]

@@w0ttheh3ll See China, put English on the box, somehow it makes it higher quality

[@ls200076]

Almost every Germanic language has that, it's the same with Danish, Dutch etc

[@helginator]

@UpNorth I dag er mest vanlig og burke Sykehuset og syke huset I to ord er mindre vanlig. Capercaillie = tiur or Storfugel

[@Novozymandiaz]

@UpNorth Let me add german. "Aeroplane" - "Fly-Stuff" "Hospital" - "Sick-House" "Capercaillie" - "Auer?-Rooster" "Orca" - "Orca", but also "Killerwhale" "Peninsula" - "Half-Island" So we share quite alot of meaning with Norweigian

[@tbestig4164]

My god imagine showing up for your daily commute and suddenly seeing this huge rectangular arch over the tracks that just wasn’t there the previous night

[@akiraakiraakiraakira]

* 3 hours ago

[@grahammonk8013]

I'm guessing the 3 hours was for the bridge piece. No reason the towers could not have been put in ahead of time. The restriction was likely working over the power lines.

[@jcskyknight2222]

@@grahammonk8013 if the subtitles are a correct translation then it suggests they were given 4 hours for the whole set-up. (2:50 or so) But I agree they could have done a lot without disruption anyway.

[@seppforcher4714]

@@jcskyknight2222 Austrian here. Subtitles are correct

[@KingBanter]

I see trees of green , red roses too….

[@VarunGupta3009]

Another video reminding me that the world is full of uncredited geniuses, and I can never even come close to being as ingenious as they are.

[@marachime]

Herr Schmid's German is so clear and easy to understand. I've been learning German for more than 15 years now and it's always a joy when someone is careful about how they enunciate. I didn't even need the subtitles :) Vielen Dank, Herr Schmid

[@yama123numbercauseytdemand4]

Was bedeutet „enunciate”? „pronunciate” sagt mir ja was, aber was bedeutet das Andere?

[@sstoeps]

I don't think he's careful about it specifically to be understood, by Foreigners, rather if he'd talk in his full accent even Germans from like the next state, or so will have trouble understanding him, so we in those areas are trying hard to talk in proper 'High-German' to be understood by everyone.

[@danielwi8653]

@@yama123numbercauseytdemand4 to enunciate bedeutet "sich ausdrücken / artikulieren"

[@vnixned2]

@Dampfkartoffel I'm no where near native but this dialect is super easy to follow, even if it kinda put me on the wrong note a few times. I'm not used to hearing "drie" instead of "drei" in German, but it is quite easy to follow still.

[@salmafirdaus]

Glad someone also notice this! Exactly his German is very clear and easy to understand!

[@macronencer]

It's a shame there aren't more of these in existence because it's a rather elegant thing. I especially love the calibrated springs for the counterweight!

[@jogon206]

It's elegant enough to imagine it with an art-deco design in some fancy 1920s promenade setting :D

[@ErikUden]

It also looks so futuristic!

[@praisethesun7255]

@matthew efficiency is lame

[@GamesFromSpace]

People don't want crosswalks which break.

[@acunningclown]

its such a shame that this wasnt mass produced, its the difference between an easy journey and a manageable journey for a disabled or elderly person

[@Fant]

I think this invention would be amazing in a lot of places for wheelchair users or other handicapped people. This could legit help so many lives. It could be preferential for handicapped people while also having the usual elevators + foot bridges for people that don't want to stay in line for the Schmid elevator.

[@Aluminio_siete_tres_siete]

I'm so angry about this not being everywhere... Such a technical marvel.

[@JoeBleasdaleReal]

“I see skies of blue Peoplemovers of grey And I think to myself… What a wonderful lift.” 🎼🎶🎵

[@jamescanjuggle]

😂👌 this and German cookie monster

[@es0strefis]

Goddamnit 😂😂😂😂

[@ColinFisher]

Why do I feel bad laughing at that? Good one.

[@Dr_Doctor_Lee]

no. you didnt. X3 it is...it is...

[@w0ttheh3ll]

For all you guys out there, the inventor has a very stereotypical swabian dialect and manner of speech. This makes it quite enjoyable to listen to him for us germans. I suspect it's mild enough to be understood effortlessly by most native german speakers.

[@user-jb5hu2wr3t]

dude it was very easy to understand even for non native speakers

[@sm3675]

What's so unique about the Sawbian accent?? Please explain. I'm not German.

[@sm3675]

Oh. Nevermind. It's a place with many mountains, and thus created an interesting variation.

[@steve1978ger]

@@sm3675 - it's a very distinct regional dialect with recognizable pronunciation, grammar and vocabulary. The Swabians also have a stereotype attached of being avid tinkerers and shrewd business people. It's not only the language, the whole demeanor and attire of Mr. Schmidt and his pride in his mechanical contraption and its usefulness fit the stereotype of the Swabian business owner very well.

[@Ponkdonker]

"Enjoyable", huh? If you say so....

[@Maxime_K-G]

A year after watching this video today I saw it while passing by going from Tübbingen to Esslingen. I had to come back to this video to confirm but the unique design is kind of unmistakable. Must be cool for the people who live here that get to use it often!

[@pieczkatomasz]

"Paternoster" lifts used in 1920' were smoothlu transitioning from up & down to side to side movement. One is still in use in Katowice, Poland - worth checking out videos on youtube of the ride :)

[@microdisturbia]

there's also one in germany!

[@rocketgeek96]

Everybody's talking about how quintessentially German it is to be given four hours to assemble this large of a bridge and then doing it in three hours anyway, but I think the more German thing is how this entirely unique, over-engineered, and damn-near inscrutable piece of design *was delivered and set up IN ONLY **_THREE PARTS!!!!!_* Jesus, never underestimate German efficiency, I guess!

[@kamkri3]

The other peoplemover, located in Pfullingen, is shut down due to economic reasons. Its just standing there for now over 12 years. Thats efficient.

[@PakuTheMagnificent]

@@kamkri3 its not really in the way of anything though

[@Schmidtelpunkt]

They did something similar at the main station in Berlin. To create a building over the train tracks, they built it with hinges. Then they just had to close the track down for a limited time and fold it.

[@arqelf9505]

chill... its just a stereotype

[@JamesTheBell1]

How many Germans does it take to cha- Done!

[@cherrybacon9790]

This inventor is a real hero. In times where politicians talk about inclusion of handicapped people and forget about implementations- this guy just spends his time doing it. Das Bundesverdienstkreuz dem Manne!!!

[@certaindeath7776]

Der Typ ist doch nicht ganz sauber... "Dass Autos nicht für Leute stoppen müssen"... ja das ist verkehrspolitik aus der zeit als der typ noch jung war, aber jeder mit verstand weiß, dass das ne Lösung für ein Problem ist, das in sich selbst ein Problem darstellt. Mit dieser Lösung werden dann nur noch mehr Ressourcen verballert... Dass nur 3 davon gebaut wurden sagt eh schon alles... viel geld problemen nachwerfen, wenns viel günstiger wär das problem erst gar nicht zu schaffen.

[@maximilianwebhofer8130]

@@certaindeath7776 ganz deiner Meinung. Vielleicht gibt es andere gute Argumente aber das von ihm gewählte ist wirklich lächerlich!

[@cherrybacon9790]

@@certaindeath7776 Eine interessante Lösung schlecht beworben. Stimmt schon, was Du sagst @CertainDeath777 . Ich sehe die Vorteile des Horizontaltransports jedoch speziell für Schwerbehinderte auch dort, wo andere Lösungen nur schwer zu implementieren sind- bspw. die typischen Rolltreppen in U-Bahnen, die schräg über die Fahrröhren verlaufen. Oder möglicherweise auch zwischen Gebäuden wo einem Schwerbehinderten die Zugänge bisweilen noch durch steile Treppen oder zu steile Rampen verbaut sind, da es aufgrund der engen Bebauung keine sinnvolle andere Lösung gäbe.

[@hmpeter]

@@certaindeath7776 Wenn der Verkehr nicht ständig anhalten, stehen und wieder anfahren muss dann spart das je nach Verkehrsdichte u.U. erhebliche Mengen Kraftstoff, Feinstaub und akustische Umweltbelastung ein. Sein Beweggrund war das aber wohl vermutlich nicht. ^^

[@Kythyria]

Talk is cheap. Handwaving the implementation as "clearly" trivial is particularly inexpensive. A working implementation is where the real value is, but people would rather talk about talk. It's silly.

[@Her_Imperious_Condescension]

Schmid has one of the coolest voices I've ever heard, no joke

[@kesaya3806]

tru

[@db6006]

A much larger scale version of this can be found inside the Gateway Arch in St. Louis, Missouri, USA.

[@dinahmyte3749]

As someone trying to plan a vacation with two older people in wheelchairs: accessibility isn't common. It's not the standard. And we're left going "people in their 60s who COULD be independent can't because things are still lagging behind" and trying to find a solution that doesn't make someone with a disability feel like burden... :/ And the smallest bit of independence can do that...

[@paddybm3245]

Travel to Vienna. every bus, subway, S-Bahn and around 90% of the trams are wheelchair accessible. There is no station without elevators and when have full wheelchair accessibility in the whole rail network of the city.

[@dinahmyte3749]

@@paddybm3245 But I do want to travel to Europe, put my German degree to actual use instead of just remembering vague greetings. (Fun fact, I know where Vienna is... I was relating my German knowledge to a city in Europe where German is spoken. Thank you 👍🏽! 🦆)

[@Rotem_S]

@@dinahmyte3749 did you mean travel to Germany? Because AFAIK, Vienna is in Europe

[@thevitulus]

@@dinahmyte3749 Vienna is in Austria where German is the national langauge.

[@stargate525]

It's issues of space, cost, and differentiation. People are people, and with very few exceptions at the high and low ends of the height scale one thing works for everyone. Accessibility is a whole different thing. Ideal wheelchair design is different from walker design is different from blind is different from paralyzed or weak. Accessibility standards try to meet them all and do passably, but take up SO much more space and cost much more to add that it makes the balance sheet very hard to rectify.

[@tobiasL1991]

This is such a German story, "we got 4 hours and we did it in 3".

[@NicoZole]

In Germany we say "drei Minuten vor der Zeit, ist die deutsche Pünktlichkeit." "three minutes ahead of time, is the German punctuality."

[@schenkov]

In today's Germany it would be: "we had 3 hours but we had a Problem, which took us 24 hours to identify and about 4 month to fix."

[@bartholomewdan]

Tell that to the people who live in Stuttgart. Or Berlin. Or Hamburg.

[@Quasihamster]

@@bartholomewdan Or Köln. 600 years to build one church, and now probably the same time to patch one hole we accidentally made in the ground!

[@Seegalgalguntijak]

Right, we only took 14 years to build an airport.

[@AZMindroma]

I live not too far from there! I visited this 2 times already now thanks to your video, it's always fascinating to go in the cabin and be like "Wow, Tom was standing exactly where I am right now".

[@MsFitz134]

Nothing says German train station like "you can only do this if it doesn't interrupt the train schedule."

[@lizzam]

"has been doing that for about 20 years" "Since 1980?" No, my brain...it doesn't work like that

[@fds7476]

Wooo, Millennials represent!

[@CanuckMonkey13]

I'm with you. It has been 2000 for almost 22 years now...

[@kirmityou]

We're closer to 2050 than we're to 1990, let that sink in...

[@AnnaEmilka]

@@kirmityou please, don't even

[@taunter22nil58]

@@kirmityou no. stahp.

[@piekay7285]

I love how Tom tried his best to translate him into “casual English”. If you understand German this is just hilarious

[@yuotueb]

It's a really good translation! Maybe not of his tone/quirkiness, but the meaning is perfect.

[@aBlackMage]

From the description, it seems like the cameraman and producer for this video are both German, so it makes sense that they'd be able to provide a good translation!

[@Mister0Eel]

I understand a little German, but nowhere near enough to make out what's so funny. Mind helping me a bit?

[@conchaiii4167]

@@Mister0Eel It's kinda old german. Like, not from 200 or 1000 years ago, but just how you'd expect a 80 year old to speak today, which does sound a little funny.

[@AGenericFool]

@@conchaiii4167 Trotzdem ne geile Sau, im positiven Sinne.

[@leohoward7282]

Ultimately the point Herr Schmid made about it empowering disabled people is very compelling for me I can see many millions of stations in Britain where it would be Ideal. The other thing is you would build two not just one possibly four to offer maximum redundancy.

[@TravelwithAustin]

He's so proud of the invention, I love it.

[@PeterParker-df6ce]

That guy has got the GREATEST blues voice I've ever heard.

[@guntherdemuth6404]

If you like it, you need to listen to Hans Hartz, the german Joe Cocker.

[@visitor48]

It's so cool that we are able to hear from the inventor himself! Often the sorts of interesting devices you feature were created 100 years ago or more, and the inventor is deceased. Really interesting to get this information from the primary source.

[@vigilantcosmicpenguin8721]

Yep, it's an invention that's just old enough.

[@h8stupidppl]

Employee: So you are saying that your elevator essential moves people? Boss: Exactly! Employee: How are you gonna call it? Boss: People-mover!

[@romanosaraviadis]

This is actually a bit nostalgic.. When I was 14 or 15 years old in my small home town in Greece, as I was again waiting for the elevator to go to yet another evening school lesson, I actually had an epiphany, that a network of moving elevators would actually be a decent way to move around town, it being easy for everyone from outside their home! I shed the idea after a while, despite it leaving a very science-fiction-ish image in my mind, until probably now, that I fell upon this video.. It's actually a very nice idea.. Good for them.. 🙂🙂

[@Jonas-vx1mr]

I do regularly drive past the Peoplemover on my commute to Stuttgart and I never imagined what a special and unique machine it is. Thanks Tom for coming here and showing me my "Ländle" in a way I have never seen it before!

[@Seegalgalguntijak]

If I were you,I'd stop there when I had the time time and let myself be moved.

[@FB-jd4rx]

Mr. Schmid seems like someone you could talk with for hours without a boring second. Genius!

[@IgnacyG1998]

I don't think I could, I can't really speak German.

[@therogueadmiral]

@@IgnacyG1998 an unfortunate failing many of us share.

[@palco22]

People of experience are a sure bet interesting ! ..........and you certainly found one. Hat's off to Mr. Schmid ! .........and as always, great video !

[@natevirtual]

I really wish this idea had blown back then and now seen everywhere in the world.

[@gingealex99999]

This was a quality episode, loved listening to how proud Emil was talking about his invention and the feedback he’s had from wheelchair users

[@f-ckmyr0fil655]

Nor do I have a chance to get to the phone 🦑🚨🩹🚨🦑🚨

[@jimmybuffet4970]

I feel like if even that one person regained his mobility because of it, it was all worth it - because it literally changed someone's life. How cool is that?

[@yaboyjay7202]

I love the contrast of Tom's perfect enunciation, considering every word and phrase and then it cuts to Mr Schmid, who talks in thick Swabian dialect about "baschteln, so nebeher" (dialect way of saying to tinker around in his spare time) 😄

[@snjert8406]

Right? I loved it hahaha

[@Marahute0]

That's why I didn't understand what was said. I'm moderately proficient in German but thought it was an accent I didn't quite manage, turns out it's a dialect problem!

[@kartoffelstranger9187]

Funny how that Swabian dialect is so similar to swiss german^^ Felt so familiar

[@f-ckmyr0fil655]

Hi I am looking to buy it from your system and the phone or email to the phone and email it ☺️☺️👈🏻☺️👈🏻

[@hannessteffenhagen61]

@@Marahute0 I'm a native speaker, but even I needed a couple of sentences to adjust. Not a dialect I'm used to.

[@verybighomer]

Herr Schmid and his company are a typical example of that region with a long tradition in mechanical engineering (not just cars). The Schmid peoplemover is a fine product featuring robust mechanics. It should be used in many more places especially where accessibility is an issue.

[@shanejohnson4546]

What a shame companies don't want to take this on... I think it is amazing. Not to mention, make it 3 feet wider with stairs and negate the whole "backup" issue

[@QuilloManar]

“A highly specialised engineer in this one niche thing” is exactly what Germans are good at being. If there’s one thing that you can trust that Germany will supply, it’s an engineer.

[@AmlanjyotiSaikia]

Und bier.

[@lolollolol5654]

and to become one is very hard, trust me i am speaking from experience haha, german architecture and engineering student here

[@wustenflamme4660]

Und bratwu-

[@57thorns]

But this solution is more French than German, absolutely brilliant, but complicated and expensive. I am saying this as a long time Citroën lover, thinking mostly about the gas hydraulic suspension.

[@chrisgale5634]

@@57thorns great fan of my Citroën, nicely designed cars.

[@negergreger666]

That one is annoyed with having to stop the car “for a single pedestrian” really has to be the most German reason for building a horizontal/vertical elevator.

[@geraldhenrickson7472]

I have walked around in many countries. I get the impression that drivers everywhere hate to stop for pedestrians.

[@feanenatreides]

Here in downstate NY it seems like some drivers speed up instead: "you wanna cross MY road, you carless jerk?!"

[@jasondashney]

@@feanenatreides OMG I'm there! That's so much better. Where I live pedestrians won't so much as take a single step a bit faster or slower to allow a vehicle through. Sometimes they'll dawdle across the road and look right at you and then stay at that glacial pace as if they are not stopping a whole line of traffic.

[@negergreger666]

@@geraldhenrickson7472 absolutely, but people most everywhere typically don’t start building an elevator bridge as a result…

[@mbr5742]

That thing caused a couple of german railroad employees to have a stroke when it was build. It was done not only in time but ahead of time and the german rail is never esrly and rarrely on time ...

[@tsch3629]

Haha, i lived nearby the Peoplesmover and never realised it could be special or fascinating.

[@patrick1532]

"The railway gave us 4 hours to set it up here, but that wasn't a problem for us" what an absolute badass lmao

[@juliemittel3931]

as a native german speaker, those subtitles really helped. thanks to the editor for putting them in!

[@bernds6587]

I had no problem, even though it isn't my native dialect. This guy needs to speak in an audio book 😅

[@franktuckwell196]

What an amazing gentleman, to have thought far enough out of the box to come up with such an extraordinary piece of equipment. I offer my lowly praise to such high thinking.

[@honeysmoments]

Live in a very close town to Altbach. I never thought of that elevator/Peoplemover as a special thing. Now i do and can appreciate it. Thanks!

[@chopperhead2012]

If Herr Schmid sounded literally any different, I would've been MONUMENTALLY disappointed.

[@sm3675]

?

[@conrailquality1999]

@@sm3675 it's a joke i think

[@seanegli7118]

@@sm3675 it’s because of the stereotype of Germans always sounding angry

[@conrailquality1999]

@WorldUnited oh non

[@MegaVikingen]

"They only gave us 4 hours to install it, but we finished installing the elevator in 3 hours." What a fine example of German efficiency.

[@monxx15]

The machine is also very much an example of German over-engineering if you think about it

[@dragon32210]

Too bad the same can't be said of Berlin Brandenburg airport

[@Moooiee]

That is over. German efficiency doesn't exist anymore.

[@arqelf9505]

chill... its just a stereotype

[@xXKariXxOS]

@@dragon32210 The difference between a government planned project and a private project :D

[@PatrikBiro]

Great invention but alongside this there would still be a need for wide stairs and underpasses. Where I live in Hungary in a mid sized train station often more than 50 people are getting off or boarding at he same time, one peoplemover couldnt accommodate all this people. But for old or disabled people its a great addition.

[@PatrikBiro]

Also what about bigger stations where there are a lot of platforms? you would need to build a peoplemover to each one which couldnt be cheap. At that point Id imagine it would be easier to go underground with one lift and go up to your platform with another.

[@SmappleMcWingers]

I just found Tom Scott videos, so I have a new favorite person. Then, I saw this German inventor. Now, I have a New new favorite person.