Metrolicious

I've been on a lot of underground public transportation systems in my life: The Subway. The Metro. The T. The 捷運。Out of all the ones that I've ridden on in America, Asia, and Europe, I think the DC Metro takes the cake. Here are my reasons why:

You can just FEEL the earth surrounding you...

The D.C. Deeprun Tram...?!!

1) You have to get on a seemingly interminable escalator that takes forever to get to the platform level. It would be a pain if you were late for work, and I'd imagine that it'd be REAL pain if you managed to stumble down all 430248248 steps, but all that emphasizes just how deep the tunnels are... not like NYC where water seepage drips on you whenever it rains outside. I love feeling like an industrious dwarf going down a mine shaft. :) Hi ho, hi ho.

2) There's no silly incongruous "art" mosaics scattered around random train stations. Just solid symmetric concrete blocks that make me feel strangely safe and cozy.

3) The trains aren't sleek and new like Hong Kong's or Taipei's, but they have nice cooshy seats that are sometimes worn but never dirty. Gentle on the butt.

4) No black bubblegum stains, no stagnant water puddles, no trash spilling out of every nook and cranny. Clean. Efficient. America.

5) They tell you how long you have to wait for the train on the platform. Not that it makes the train come any faster, but it does let you know about how minutes late you will be for class, which is good for gauging expectations.

Ready to work. Zug-zug. Dabu!