Subway System – So Much More Than A Sandwich

There’s an upside to spending a small fortune on a pair of paperbacks.  I now know the truth. The subway is so much more than a sandwich.

Ok – let’s back up a bit. Being disorganised of late, I recently bought two hefty paperbacks during a brief airport layover. Turns out I’m fond of neither. I don’t like wastefulness so obviously this didn’t sit well with me.

When I arrived at my destination I found myself with a free weekend. What better way to get to know the city than to explore it via its marvelous subway system? After investigating the payment options, I found the best alternative to the $3.00 cost per ride was a three-day  transit pass (involving subways and buses) for $18.00. Perfect.

Well, the first day it poured. Snowy frozen sidewalks became virtual skating rinks and I slithered in and out of shops in the older, more touristy part of town. I only used the subway twice that day – there and back. A $6.00 equivalent.

The second day I got an early start. I was awoken by a loud thump; one of the dreaded paperbacks had fallen off the end of my bed.  The offending work of fiction awoke  something deep within.

“Don’t waste the day. Get out and use the damn transit pass.”

I hatched a plan. I’d ride out to the area of the lovely bed and breakfast of my previous visit and have lunch at a that heavenly bistro. Better yet, the journey would come with the added bonus of a bus ride! Total value for the transportation there and back? $12.00. Add that to my $6.00 of yesterday and I’d have used up the total value of my pass with a third day yet to come.

An idea niggled at me as I studied one of the subway system maps plastered along the interior of the subway car. To get the best value for money I should ride every line. To the end and back.

Just typikel? You bet. Once I decide a challenge is worthy of my attention I tend to be a little bit stubborn about seeing it through …

The whole process of riding every line, there and back,  took me a couple of hours.

Was it worth it? Yes. In so many ways beyond that of just getting value for  money.

The subway system – so much more than a sandwich.

First off, everyone rides the subway system. Babies, parents, students, athletes, grandmothers, musicians…

It provided  fantastic opportunities to people watch.

I was reminded of something I hadn’t thought of for a while. The San Francisco subway passenger I spotted a few years back. He was riding a train going in the opposite direction to mine which meant I only got a brief look. However, that was enough. He sported the most extraordinary headgear. A metal colander – the kind you might use to strain your freshly cooked spaghetti – was affixed to his head, upside down. Sprouting randomly from the holes, rather like the tendrils of Medusa, were several shiny silver forks. He completed the look by fashioning a CD to either side which acted as clever ear mufflers. To ensure maximum exposure he rode in the first car, right by the door and flapped happy hands at all his stunned admirers.

Happily this subway system didn’t disappoint either. My particular favourite was the self-appointed greeter stationed just inside one above ground entrance. Bare chested, he was cheerily calling out a loud “hello!” to all; apparently impervious to the chilly -15 C temperature just outside the doors. Everyone responded to his warmth with at least a fleeting grin.

Each terminus was like the other. A fleet of empty buses awaited to pick up passengers and taxis lined up behind.

After the first half hour I felt like a true veteran but  for one thing. I couldn’t get used to the relaxed manner of my fellow passengers as the subway approached.

Terrified that I was going to inexplicably plunge into the path of the subway, I always took up a waiting position against the farthest back wall.  Apparently I was the only one with such issues. Clumps gathered near the edge. One dad laughed as his four year old played a quick game of balance beam on the yellow line. A well dressed young woman bent down to tie up a wayward shoelace as the cars rushed past, mere inches from her head. No thank you.

Once safely on board, I relaxed. My fellow passengers were for the most part polite and cheery. There was one woman who beamed a complete stranger on the head with a wayward elbow.  However it was pure accident. Speaking in Arabic and wildly gesticulating, she was clearly simply demonstrating the basics of the butterfly technique to a fellow swimmer. None the worse for wear the injured party nodded in response and spent the rest of the ride surreptitiously massaging his left ear.

When I emerged above ground at the end of the adventure, I felt quite refreshed. Perhaps this is in no small measure to the fact that I was treated to a wealth of multiple languages during my subway system rides. Japanese, Mandarin, French, and German filled my ears. I quite felt as if I’d travelled overseas in that short time.

I did experience one potential hiccup. Upon boarding a quite crowded car, I pushed my way to the back and parked myself in a far corner. A young woman stood up and waved me over to her seat. Visions of a notice read during copious childhood bus rides flashed before my eyes: “Please relinquish your seat to the elderly.” She thought I was ancient and in need of a rest?

No. I refuse to believe that. She was merely offering a garnish to the sandwich. The equivalent of an extra tomato slice or an added dill pickle. She was probably near the end of her journey as well.  I thought nothing further of her act and it was by mere chance that I noted she got off a good six stops later…

The big takeaway for me at the end of my subway adventure?  I relished the fact that I got way more than my $18.00 worth. I happily rode it only twice on the third and final day of my pass.

Travelling to another city with a subway system? Travel the subway system. You won’t regret it.

Enough about me and my subway adventures. I’m curious about you. Are you fond of the subway system or would you rather walk miles than step on board? If you’d care to share, I’d love to hear.