what do you hate about the subway?

[machelp1010]

what do you hate about the subway?

what are some rules about subway etiquette?

[leekohler]

Which subway? Manhattan? Chicago?

Manhattan's is pretty nice these days. They fixed a lot of it up. They're working on ours right now, so it's kind of a mess. I also wish we had a t least one conductor on the train to keep the riff-raff in order. I got on the train one morning and saw the back of an empty seat. I rushed to go get it, only to see a steaming pile of poo (I'm not kidding) on the seat. I then realized why it was the only seat available on the train. :(

[creator2456]

...I rushed to go get it, only to see a steaming pile of poo (I'm not kidding) on the seat. I then realized why it was the onbly seat available on the train. :(

Had that happen to me as well. The Chicago subway is a mess since we are trying to update it to impress the IOC for 2016.

A couple simple rules:

Let people out of the car before trying to smash your way in
Give up your seat to the elderly and pregnant women
Don't take up extra seats with bags etc.

[jodelli]

I don't hate it.

That being said, if everybody paid a little attention to what was going on around them things would move more smoothly.

[mkrishnan]

Aside from Brown Line construction mayhem, I've had good experiences with Chicago's subway (and elevated trains) so far. There are occasionally gnawed buffalo wings bones on the floor on the train and stuff like that (no poop for me so far), and I did see one sketchy possibly mugging type of thing happen, but otherwise, I feel safe, they're reasonably reliable, they're cheap, and they're better than driving.

Otherwise just minor problems like missing route placards inside a lot of the cars (that show what all the stops are and their order, and where transfers can be made), and also some of the trains don't have functioning audio announcements.

In terms of etiquette, it's usually pretty good in my experience on Chicago trains. People treat each other pretty nicely.

[leekohler]

Aside from Brown Line construction mayhem, I've had good experiences with Chicago's subway (and elevated trains) so far. There are occasionally gnawed buffalo wings bones on the floor on the train and stuff like that (no poop for me so far), and I did see one sketchy possibly mugging type of thing happen, but otherwise, I feel safe, they're reasonably reliable, they're cheap, and they're better than driving.

Otherwise just minor problems like missing route placards inside a lot of the cars (that show what all the stops are and their order, and where transfers can be made), and also some of the trains don't have functioning audio announcements.

In terms of etiquette, it's usually pretty good in my experience on Chicago trains. People treat each other pretty nicely.

You won't need the placards pretty soon. You'll know all the stops well enough. :)

And of course public trans if FAR better than attempting to drive in the city.

[mkrishnan]

You won't need the placards pretty soon. You'll know all the stops well enough. :)

LOL, yeah. The Brown line does still confuse me a little bit, but I mostly know where I'm going now. :)

[rdowns]

Was the steaming pile of poo on the seat on the brown line?

[yg17]

Sometimes they don't put enough meat on my sandwich and they can get pretty pricey compared to other sub shops :D



Sorry, but that's the extent of subways in St. Louis. Although I've been on the New York subways, and let's just say I was glad to get back home to my car, which unlike some of the trains I was on, does not smell like a bum used it as a bathroom ;)

[leekohler]

Was the steaming pile of poo on the seat on the brown line?

Of course not- that would be too perfect. :) It was on the Red Line during rush hour.

Sometimes they don't put enough meat on my sandwich and they can get pretty pricey compared to other sub shops :D



Sorry, but that's the extent of subways in St. Louis. Although I've been on the New York subways, and let's just say I was glad to get back home to my car, which unlike some of the trains I was on, does not smell like a bum used it as a bathroom ;)

Oh come on. There's nothing like a little adventure in the morning to give you a good story to talk about at the office. And yes- I did talk about it right away. I'm in advertising, we're extremely unprofessional. :)

[it5five]

what are some rules about subway etiquette?

Not quite subway etiquette, but my suggested public transportation etiquette:

-Don't have loud conversations with people on the bus/train so that everyone else is forced to listen.
-Don't have loud conversations on your cell phone.
-Don't have the most annoying ringtone possible set to go off when you receive a text, and then proceed to text the entire time.

[11800506]

Because the Washington DC Metro has such strict rules (such as no eating/drinking allowed on the trains and in the stations) which are enforced (almost too strongly since a 12 year old girl was arrested in 2000 for eating a french fry on it) it is actually quite a nice system to use. The only complaints I have are that some of the trains are starting to show their age (but that's being fixed) and the fares are a bit too expensive, but otherwise it's a nice system. The usual subway etiquette applies such as letting others out before entering, etc.

[agreenster]

what do you hate about the subway?

what are some rules about subway etiquette?

1. They're dirty.

2. Always tip the breakdancers.

[leekohler]

-Don't have loud conversations on your cell phone.


Especially when it's about your mother's recent mastectomy.

[mkrishnan]

2. Always tip the breakdancers lapdancers.

We don't have breakdancers at our subway. :(

[QuantumLo0p]

They won't allow me to carry a fiddy cal on board.
:eek:

[leekohler]

They won't allow me to carry a fiddy cal on board.
:eek:

A what?

[Saikou]

A what?

http://images.google.com/images?um=1&hl=en&q=50+caliber+&btnG=Search+Images

[Martin C]

The New York City Subway System is pretty well maintained. Trains generally arrive frequently. The breakdancers and mariachi bands are pretty cool too. The thing that I hate most about the system is the overcrowded rush hour subway.

[nick9191]

Its disgusting
Its pathetically overpriced
It stinks of urine
Its 40c in summer (no air con on the london underground)
Its full of buskers
Its full of tramps (see above)
Its a terrorists wet dream
It goes at 5mph full speed

If you have to use public transport in London, go by bus.

[iToaster]

As a future conductor for the New York City Subway, I must say that I hate nothing about it... but maybe that's because I love it :cool:.

PS, any questions?

[Iscariot]

Their sandwiches are often soggy, their vegetable selection is lacklustre and I find their uniforms uninspired.

[leekohler]

Their sandwiches are often soggy, their vegetable selection is lacklustre and I find their uniforms uninspired.

Hey now! I used to work in a Subway in college. I thought it was pretty good. ;)

[mkrishnan]

Hey now! I used to work in a Subway in college. I thought it was pretty good. ;)

I used to quite dislike Subway but I've grown fond of them again in the past year or so. They addressed all the things I didn't like -- more of their restaurants use covers on the vegetable trays to keep them fresh, they now have better bread, better sauces, and many of them have a veggie-burger type of option. So I go there not too infrequently.

Also in Hobart, when I'm there, pickins' are slim, so it's pretty much Subway Tuna for lunch every Tuesday....

[dmr727]

As a future conductor for the New York City Subway, I must say that I hate nothing about it... but maybe that's because I love it

Interesting. So how does one become a subway conductor?

[PlaceofDis]

i can't complain about much about the chicago EL/Subway. things run pretty smooth other than the work that they're doing now. sure it could use some major upgrades in places, but it works and its cheap and reliable

[machelp1010]

new york or london. been on other subways that were really small and not very crowded.

[adk]

The DC metro is the nicest subway system I've ever been on. It's clean and the stations are oh so spacious.


The New York subway is great, but it falls into second place behind DC because the stations are often cramped.

The subway system in Tokyo is by far the cleanest, most efficient system I've been on, but it's a PITA because there are three separate companies operating subway lines in the city.

Atlanta, on the other hand, is my least favorite subway system. Every train I've been on in Atlanta has smelled like urine.

[iToaster]

Interesting. So how does one become a subway conductor?

It's pretty simple really. Every couple years you can apply for a test. Registration for this year's test was in September, the actual test is on Dec. 6th. The test is pretty much reading comprehension with a few map interpretations thrown in. After that, the tests are graded and one is assigned a list number. Waiting time ranges from 1.5 years to 4 years, then they have another test. When one is hired they get put through a 2 month training course to learn everything they need to know. If you want to know more, see the attached PDF.

[iJohnHenry]

PS, any questions?

Yes, is the suicide rate inordinately high for this occupation? ;)

[SactoGuy18]

I've ridden the Tokyo subways and while they are generally very clean, don't ride them during rush hours--you are literally packed in like a can of sardines, especially if you're near any areas where there are large numbers of employers or have a lot of train transfers (Shinjuku Station, Shibuya Station, and Ikebukuro Station are notorious for this). I remember back in 1989 after doing some shopping around Ikebukuro Station I walked back to the station during afternoon rush hour, saw the MASSIVE crowd there, and beat a hasty retreat to eat at a nearby tempura restaurant before getting back on the subway train at a less crowded time. :)

[Harmush]

the fat smelly ugly man that sits next too you first thing in the morning and makes u feel very ill, with your very bad hangover!!

[yg17]

Because the Washington DC Metro has such strict rules (such as no eating/drinking allowed on the trains and in the stations) which are enforced (almost too strongly since a 12 year old girl was arrested in 2000 for eating a french fry on it) it is actually quite a nice system to use. The only complaints I have are that some of the trains are starting to show their age (but that's being fixed) and the fares are a bit too expensive, but otherwise it's a nice system. The usual subway etiquette applies such as letting others out before entering, etc.


I've been on DC's Metro a few times and I agree, it is by far the nicest and cleanest public transit system I've seen yet.

[iToaster]

Yes, is the suicide rate inordinately high for this occupation? ;)

I'll leave that one up to the passengers to answer. :p

[Iscariot]

Hey now! I used to work in a Subway in college. I thought it was pretty good. ;)

I worked at one in High School.

You guys don't have the benefit of having Mr. Sub. A far superior alternative. We should go to one.

[OutThere]

I ride the Rennes, France metro (smallest city in the world to have a subway line) to and from university every day...it's new (opened 2002 I think), clean and very efficient. The designers clearly took cues from the problems with other metros around the world in designing this one: the stops are cleaned thoroughly every night, there are no conductors but cameras all over so its safe, the tracks are sealed completely so there's no graffiti, it has rubber truck tires and steel train wheels for a super smooth and fast ride, there are no gates to get in, just proximity-card swipe boxes/ticket punchers so it's on the honor system, but there are enough 'controls' and big fines that nobody takes chances.

The only thing I hate is annoying 13 year old girls riding the metro really early in the morning with their cell phones playing loud and terrible music for everyone to hear. :mad:

[timerollson]

-The guy who always wants to have a conversation. Hey, buddy. I have my earbuds in. I'm clearly not interested in what you have to say.
-The newspaper reader without the newspaper. It's a pet peeve of mine if someone is leaning over to read my newspaper. Get your own, creepster.

[leekohler]

I worked at one in High School.

You guys don't have the benefit of having Mr. Sub. A far superior alternative. We should go to one.

Actually, we do. There are several here in the city. I don't care for them too much.

[kyto]

I ride the Rennes, France metro (smallest city in the world to have a subway line) to and from university every day...it's new (opened 2002 I think), clean and very efficient. The designers clearly took cues from the problems with other metros around the world in designing this one: the stops are cleaned thoroughly every night, there are no conductors but cameras all over so its safe, the tracks are sealed completely so there's no graffiti, it has rubber truck tires and steel train wheels for a super smooth and fast ride, there are no gates to get in, just proximity-card swipe boxes/ticket punchers so it's on the honor system, but there are enough 'controls' and big fines that nobody takes chances.

The only thing I hate is annoying 13 year old girls riding the metro really early in the morning with their cell phones playing loud and terrible music for everyone to hear. :mad:

That place sounds like it is from the future. Except the last part, which is aggravating.

[iJohnHenry]

The one in Toronto is just ok, but I've been on the ones in London, Washington and Paris.

All very nice. :D

I particularly like London's. Reminds me of the air-raid shelters during WWII. :)

[Mammoth]

Hmm.. what do I hate about the subway? Oh.. maybe the fact that WE DON'T HAVE ONE. Calgary has the most pathetic excuse for public transit in the world. We have a whopping 2 LRT lines that run downtown and go out to places I don't live, and the trains themselves are soo slow. The buses are even worse. Every day it takes me a full hour to get to school, which I live about 15 minutes away from. The buses that run downtown are obscenely crowded, they're packed right to the doors. They come every 15 minutes rush hour or not and the only articulated buses run on one specific route. For some reason you can't buy a year pass, which screws you over at the end of every month if you've forgotten to buy a new pass for the month.

I've been to London, New York, Toronto, Milan, Rome, Venice, Cinque Terre, Gothenburg, San Francisco, Arlington, and guess what? Every single one of those cities makes Calgary's transit a total joke. (Not that it isn't already)

I guess that's what you get when you combine a city that can't deal with growth and a bunch of losers buying SUVs to drive by themselves into town. :mad:

[FrankieTDouglas]

Most of my experience with a subway has been in Paris. I actually completely enjoy that form of public transportation. The only drawback is when you are literally compressed with everyone else during 17:00 and such.

[iJohnHenry]

Oh oh, solo passenger vehicles.

Let's not go there. http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g158/MouseMeat/Smilies/rantonoff.gif

[Mavimao]

I've travelled on a lot of Local Rail mass transportation systems around the world, and so far my favorite is Paris' Métro. Good pricing, fast, punctual, gets you about anywhere in the city. The one drawback for me is that it's not very clean (the clean award goes to DC).

The worst is the Tube in London. Weird tiered pricing, crowded and confusing.

New York isn't bad. It just sucks if you live out in Brooklyn or Queens; I don't find there are many lines that run through them. Plus, there's no regular train between Brooklyn and Queens...GAH! Why do I have to go in Manhattan and then back on Long Island?!

Chicago could be improved. I just find it really slow sometimes.

[sangosimo]

the only things I despise are people that don't shower and people that talk on speaker phone or are excessively loud.

[synth3tik]

I'll tell you what I hate about the subway. I hate that here we only have 1 stupid ground level train. Not underground or suspended. What is the point of a train that stops at some stop lights, that has to (should) slow down going through intersections. The state finally got a second line approved, but construction will not begin until 2010 with the line going online in 2014. The existing line should have been extended and at least 3 other lines should have been built in this time.

I also hate that they increased fares but not service.

[InvalidUserID]

Nothing really. The trains themselves are fine and I've never had any issues other than small annoyances (really bad B.O, music too loud, etc).

What I hate are the stations as they can get really hot and humid. After taking the subway to a few Yankee games and getting stuck in the oven that was the station after the game, I swore I'd never take the train to the game again.

Oddly, I've had more problem on the Bay Area's "BART" train.

[Plymouthbreezer]

I don't mind Boston's public transit at all... The MBTA does a decent job at most things.

However, I guess my list of peeves would be:

• Litter filled stations on a few of the more popular lines.
• Streetcars are super crowded during rush-hour.
• Homeless people who ride continuously and bother customers are allowed on.
• Extremely hot/humid stations on the older underground stops.

Otherwise, it's a fine system; fast and efficient.

[thechidz]

hot in summer/cold in winter. overcrowded rush hour. dirty. construction when it is most inconvenient. NEVER comes when you are out in the lower east side on a late weekend night and you need to get to the upper west side:rolleyes:

[Stepper]

My only problem with the tube here in london is the heat.

In the summer the tubes are more less a bunch of underground sauna's, but instead of putting in some kind of AC they put loads of little signs up saying "The tubes can get very hot durning the summer, we advise you to always have a bottle of water with you" or some BS like that.

Meh, oh well...I rarely take the tube now days unless im going shopping or something anyway, but if I did take the tube on a regular basis I would have to write up a complaint ot something lol ;)

[allmIne]

They've just recently banned alcohol on the London underground, but to be honest, anytime I've used it I've never had a problem. And that includes Friday and Saturday night.

So my only criticism is it's too busy, and there's not a lot I can do about that :p

andy.

[Kashchei]

My biggest complaint about MARTA is how limited it is. There are basically two lines, E-W & N-S; only the North line branches, and only once. Buses fill in for the rail service, but I'd rather have more rail lines. In spite of its limitations, MARTA costs more ($1.75) than the subway systems I've used in other major cities.

[SactoGuy18]

The only thing I hate is annoying 13 year old girls riding the metro really early in the morning with their cell phones playing loud and terrible music for everyone to hear. :mad:

Here in Sacramento, CA, there is a rule on riding Sacramento Regional Transit buses and light rail (trolley) vehicles: no use of devices that can be easily heard by others (in short, no stereo boomboxes or portable stereos with the music volume turned up so loud that others can hear it nearby even through the headphones). Small wonder why when I see people riding light rail listening to portable media players they mostly use third-party headphones nowadays to minimize the noise leakage through the headphone. I can imagine when Apple start sales of its new dual-driver in-ear headphone for the 4G nano and "6.5G" classic it will be a hot-selling item....

[sangosimo]

My biggest complaint about MARTA is how limited it is. There are basically two lines, E-W & N-S; only the North line branches, and only once. Buses fill in for the rail service, but I'd rather have more rail lines. In spite of its limitations, MARTA costs more ($1.75) than the subway systems I've used in other major cities.

fellow atlanta commuter woot. despite martas limitations it is still cheaper then gas and it is super easy to get out of atlanta an avoid traffic. I wish altanta is probably the most disorganized city in the US.

[MagicWok]

What do I hate about the (London) Underground?

- No aircon.
- When 30+ screaming school children pile on board kicking my feet without a care whilst they pack in, their ultra-high frequency voice box's making a mockary of my Bose QC3's noise cancelling features. :(

In reference:
http://www.backingblair.co.uk/london_underground/

[joepunk]

Other than the fact that there will never be one for Seattle.

I hate nothing about the nonexistent Seattle subway.

[puckhead193]

Sometimes they don't put enough meat on my sandwich and they can get pretty pricey compared to other sub shops :D


I could go for a 6 inch chicken teriyaki right about now... :p

[RITZFit]

last time I went to NY and got on the subway around rush hour (that was fun :rolleyes: ), it seemed like I had magically been crammed in w/ everyone w/ the worst freaking BO!! I mean damn! so yeah, that was the longest 10 min of my life...

[OutThere]

That place sounds like it is from the future. Except the last part, which is aggravating.

It feels like it sometimes. It's great, though sometimes I miss my first subway...the dirty, rattling, clanking, sparking NYC subway with it's unique smell, mysterious blasts of hot air and sinister dark tunnels. It takes skill to ride and there's always someone interesting to observe. :D

Here's the Rennes metro...really something out of the future, though what's funny is that some of the signs are in the ancient Breton Celtic language:

[Loge]

With London, I really dislike the "piling on" mentality. Everyone tries to get on the next train even if there's another one about a minute behind. I much prefer the overground trains at least some of them have air con.

Here's the Rennes metro...really something out of the future, though what's funny is that some of the signs are in the ancient Breton Celtic language:

Is that rush hour?

[OutThere]

Is that rush hour?

Haha not quite...mornings, lunch and evenings it's a bit like a sardine factory. ;)

[geese]

The London Underground is a good sometimes. Half of the Jubilee line has beautiful, with modern stations (just get on att Canary Wharf) , the Victoria line is fast and is getting new trains soon. The District line is getting trains with AIR CONDITIONING, and the Waterloo and City line really is the cheapest roller-coaster ride in England.

But you dont hear much of the Underground's unloved cousin, the DLR. OK, the trains are ugly, and its stations are basic and mostly 99% overground, but you get a great view from the driverless trains, its faster then you'd expect, runs a bit later then the Underground, and is very reliably and punctual.