How many times have you been waiting for a bus or a train when you hear that alarming beep in your phone?  You take out your phone only to find the battery is drained and only a sliver of red remains. Foolishly, you dig for your charger and look around for an outlet that doesn't exist. Well, search no more. Next time you're in this pickle, you just might find what you're looking for.

The “energy-boosting” properties with bus shelters. Yes! The folks behind VitaminWater have installed a 5-volt battery-powered USB port within a display ad in select bus shelters in NYC, Chicago, Los Angeles and Boston that lets you charge your USB-compatible phones, iPods and gaming devices.

The ad hubs in question utilize the “You’re Up” theme in VitaminWater's advertising message.

The ad campaign is brainchild of Miami-based advertising agency, Crispin Porter + Bogusky, famous for their Truth anti-tobacco campaign. The agency has been named agency of the year for the second year in a row by Communication Arts.

Offering a charge to consumers isn’t new. Samsung has been running charging stations in airports for years. But bus stations are new territory — although they’ve been used in experiments before.

Wish there was an ad agency which could come up with a way to recharge our spiritual batteries after enduring long, cross-town bus rides with loud talkers, sloppy eaters and crying babies.

Well that would be asking for too much!..