slo's TUESDAY 1/14 poll - Riding On A Subway

[design_mom]

I've only ridden them when I've traveled (the trips weren't all for "vacation" though.) My city doesn't have a subway nor a light-rail system. I've ridden them often enough to check every age category I qualify for, but not frequently in any category.

I have ridden the subway (underground) in several cities including NYC, Boston, Atlanta, Washington DC, and Moscow, Russia (pretty stations there). I've ridden light-rail trains in several other cities (that do not go underground) including Chicago and St. Louis.

 

[mjkacmom]

I’ve ridden in nyc, Chicago, Philadelphia and DC, plus light rail here in NJ.

 

[AppleDumpling]

You haven't missed anything.

Maybe that’s true, but in some places they are an efficient and convenient way to get around, and a better alternative than driving in congested traffic with limited parking.

 

[mamamary]

Born and lived in NYC until my late 20s. Took the subway everywhere. I needed it my 4 years in high school and also every day while I still lived there to get to work. Growing up there was a time we didn’t have a car so we really needed the subway.

 

[NYCgrrl]

IND, IRT and BMT are abbreviations of my life. Looking for a new residence? Better know your subway map.

Off the top of my head…been on the Underground in London, Metro in Paris, U and S Bahn in Berlin, Dresden, Stuttgart, Munich and Frankfurt. Also the BM in Barcelona.
Love them all and for different reasons.

DC Metro is incredibly deep on some lines. Boston has trolleys too any doesn’t run 24/7 which probably accounts for their level of clean.


Never been to Chicago which I regret on quite a few levels. Wanted to compare their El trains with that of NYC.

 

[Moliphino]

I have ridden MARTA in Atlanta a number of times through the years. I'm not a fan but sometimes if you want to go to a Braves game, or the Fox Theater, or just about anywhere downtown, parking is an issue so it's easier. I've been on the rail in Chicago but it wasn't underground like a subway so I'm not sure if that counts.

I forgot about MARTA entirely. I took it to the airport and back throughout college, and on occasion when we made a trip out to the Perimeter Mall.

 

[DisneyHardin]

My best friend from High School moved to DC after college for a few years. I went and visited her a couple times and rode the subway then. That's my only experience.

 

[BlueStarryHat]

When was this? late 60's/early 70's we had to pay for tokens. Septa strike, we still had to get to school. About 1.5 miles. During teachers strike seniors were sent to one high school, even further away, still had to pay.

'81-'85. It was a magnet school, so kids came from all over the city and the suburbs. We lined up outside the school store every week to get our tokens.

 

[fla4fun]

I have only done it on vacation, one trip to Washington, DC, and two trips to London, UK.

We have lousy public transportation where I live. I can’t even take a bus anywhere, let alone a subway.

 

[CynBeth]

Over the years have sometimes taken the subway in Baltimore and DC.

 

[MIGrandma]

I have never ridden on one and have no desire to do so.

 

[RedAngie]

New York
Philadelphia/Camden NJ
Boston
Chicago
DC
Los Angeles
San Francisco/Oakland
Atlanta

Toronto
Montreal

London
Paris

Hong Kong
Singapore

Plus busses, trolleys, and other public transit in many cities.

 

[goofyernmost]

I have ridden subways in London, Rome, Paris, Boston and Montreal. Spoiler alert: the nicest, cleanest and pleasant has been in Montreal. That is the one that I have ridden the most over the years. From 1967 (Expo 67) to around 2008.

People that ride them all the time and rely on them for transportation are big city people. The majority of the population of the world do not live in a big city so it shouldn't surprise anyone that so many never have. I was born in northern NY state and lived most of my life living in northern Vermont. Trust me there are no subways in either of those places. Vermont never even had escalators until the mid 1960's. Push button phones got their in the seventies.

The subways in Rome were packed all the time and someone attempted to pick my pocket on one on my way to St. Peter's Basilica strangely. Fortunately, they were good a picking but lousy and holding on to it. Another passenger alerted me to it after the fact so all I had to do was lean over and pick it up. Nothing missing. For all I know it might have even been the person that told me about it.

 

[CGB]

Yes! I've used subways on vacations, but we also use the train/metro in our area. We live fairly close to a station, so if we go into the city for a professional sports games, concert, or convention, we take the metro. We've taken it for probably 20 years. We also take it to the airport when we're flying. There's only a small portion of the track that's underground (under the actual city). It's actually cheaper than paying for parking and easier than driving into the city.

 

[MillauFr]

Actually, now that I think back, we also rode the subway in St Petersburg, Russia back when we did a Baltic Cruise. I remember the escalator down was so long you couldn’t see the bottom for quite a bit of time. It was probably the most beautiful underground station I’d ever seen.

The subway stations in Russia are more akin to museums. They are works of art.

 

[MillauFr]

We ride the subway often. They opened a station a few blocks from our house in 2021.

 

[Lumpy1106]

I highly recommend;
The T in Boston
The subway in NYC - special mention to the LIRR to get to the city from JFK
Light rail in Washington DC
All of those are the best way to get around and see the city in each of those places

With caution;
The Metro and BART in San Francisco - used to be great, now a little iffy. A car is SUCH a huge liability in SF though.

Do not recommend;
Any of the train and subway lines in Los Angeles. Those can be really sketchy, and getting around by car is just 1000 times easier and quicker

 

[tvguy]

I was in Moscow for a few days in 1976 when I was 19 and rode the subway. Not by myself. When it was the Soviet Union tourists were not allowed to wander the city without an escort.
I am a native Californian, so if I can't walk, bike or drive my car somewhere I don't go.

 

[Diznygrl]

DC Metro back in the early 2000s when I was vacationing there. Even though it's probably considered one of the 'better' subways, I did not enjoy it, LOL.

I'm a California girl, I don't do public transportation.

 

[E&Cmom]

In Vancouver we have the sky train ( goes both above and below) I am not a fan of driving especially in the city so if I going alone or with my kids we take the Skytrain.

I grew up outside of Montreal. I also took the Metro while in University and early in my career .

On vacation I recall being on subways in Boston and Toronto. Ironically I never made it on the subway in NYC as we mostly walked and one day did the hop on hop off. Will be going to Tokyo and Seoul in June and plan to use their transit .