Valentine’s Day is less than a week away.  So, “love” has kind of been on my mind.  I started looking at couples around town, and how happy they are together, and started to get that warm, fuzzy feeling.  And then I started thinking of the most random thing… beer.  More specifically, I started to wonder whether couples are getting decent time out at the bar.

As much as bars and clubs are places for singles to find someone to spend their lives (or at least that night) with, they’re just fun places to spend your social time.  And I don’t want to lump all everyone into one group - but I think it’s safe to assume there are plenty of signficant others out there who just aren’t too pleased with their partners going out for a night of beers with their friends without them.

Well, apparently a beer company in Austria has found a solution.  It’s called the Teletransporter.  No, it’s not as futuristic as it sounds.  But it is a really smart idea.

Picture this: You’re out at a noisy bar or club with friends when your phone rings.  You look at the call display and see it’s your man or woman calling.  But the thing is, you didn’t tell him or her where you went.  You basically have two options: a) answer the phone and get an earful or b) don’t answer… and deal with getting in trouble later on.

But this Teletransporter gives you a third option: c) step into the teletransporter actually “be” somewhere else.

The Teletransporter is a soundproof booth in which you can pick from hundreds of ambiant sounds to really bring to life the little white lie you’re about to tell your significant other.

You could have sounds to support your claim that you’re stuck in traffic, helping a friend in a pinch when they needed a last minute babysitter, or even by your friend’s side when they landed in the hospital.

I’ve got to hand it Andes, which is the beer company that started installing these booths around bars in Austria - it’s genius.  On the other hand, it does make it easier for the unfaithful to cheat.  Well, I suppose if you can’t be good… be careful.