Of course I was aware that these subterranean conveyances existed. But I must confess: in the course of a quarter-century in this city, I had never set foot in one. However, in the current climate of belt-tightening, it occurs to me that some of you may be looking for ways to save a few bucks, and therefore might be considering the subway as an alternative to a private car service or yellow taxicab. In that spirit I decided to plunge headlong into this vast and complicated network (more on the complexity in a later post) and report back what I found. So it was that this morning, with my guide, Karen, at my side and armed with a friend’s Glock 24 semi-automatic handgun, I successfully navigated the system and, while there pluses and minuses, I would say that I found the experience to be, overall, a positive one. First thing to know: the trains are not free. You can buy one ride at a time, or purchase a stored value card that gives you multiple rides, or you can buy a monthly pass. That flexibility is a plus. But the interface on the vending machines could be better; I would call that part of the experience adequate at best. The cars are reasonably clean, and on some, including our own, entertainment is provided …
(Art work by Jason.)
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