Washington DC Metro

Washington DC Metro

Washington DC Metro
Federal Triangle, Washington DC Metro, Washington DC

The Washington DC underground metro stations remind me of what, as a little kid, I’d envisioned a space station would look like. Mostly their huge, rounded, cavernous interior and the eerie glow of the lights that seem not quite bright enough and give a green/gray glow.

While riding the Washington metro I cannot help but to contrast it to the New York subway system. The Washington metro is just so.. civilized. There are so many enforced rules. No eating, smoking or drinking. Audio & video devices must be used with headphones. No running (there are signs posted all over the stations). I assume that, although they are not listed, Washington enforces rules against public performances in the stations and whipping it out and taking a leak on the subway platform, both things that happen all the time on the New York subway. Additionally, there are blinking lights along the platform when the train is coming and on the trains instructions are giving in a recorded voice that you can always understand.

These are all good things, right? They improve the quality of life of the Washington metro subway rider, right? So why did they make me miss New York’s subway system so much?

7 thoughts on “Washington DC Metro

  1. I think it’s civilized to be allowed to eat and drink on the subway. Sometimes there just isn’t time not to…

  2. The DC Metro is nice and operates efficiently, but it’s nice in a bland/dull/sterile sort of way. It needs disco balls and laser lights to enliven it. I do like the blinking floor lights and the announcements that say what side the doors will open, though.

  3. I am disabled, I live in Latvia in the city of Riga. I love metro. Is there any possibility to get training and job for disabled people like me?

    Best wishes,

    Marcis Tipans

  4. I live in Paris, I lived in New York and I lived in Washington DC.
    Honestly I very much enjoyed being able to ride the Washington DC metro in clean cars, without being bothered by bad musicians and panhandlers. Affter decades of riding the very dirty Paris Metro and the very scary (back in 1979) New York subway it was a welcome change..
    The food and drink prohibition in the DC Metro has a good reason: food attracts rats.
    Annoucements about which side the doors will open are very useful for blind people, since the doors don’t always open on the same side.
    All in all I found that I could unwind a bit in the DC Metro after a hard day’s work, something I definitely cannot do in the Paris Metro where the trip home is just some added stress..
    ..And I’m sorry but I do not like the smell of urine when I ride the Metro..

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