Both NYC and Paris depend heavily on the underground train systems. I could not get along without either system. Strangely, I had rarely been on the Métro in Paris before my trip here in May, partially because most of the tourist attractions are centrally located, or (like the Eiffel tower) far enough to warrant a taxi. When I came here in August to go to the Alliance Française, I used the Métro every day to get to school. The systems while both having their own quirks, both function amazingly well.
Given the shape of Manhattan, the Subway paths are fairly simple. They go north and south with some trains (like the N and R or the Shuttle) going diagonally or east/west. In NYC you use your Metro pass card to get in and then you can transfer between buses and subways as you need for that ride. Given the history of the MTA and that each line used to be privately owned, the lines rarely cross and transfers are limited. New to NYC (and only on select lines right now) is the ability to see when the next train is coming.
The Paris Métro is more complex, given that the city is more round in shape. There are many more lines (16) and you can transfer easily between most of the lines. Many Parisians have a monthly pass called the Navigo, but if you don't use the Métro as much or just want to pay as you go, there are tickets you can buy. If these were in NYC, these 1" by 3" tickets would be all over the city like ticker tape after a parade, but in Paris, they are disposed of efficiently, somehow. I give the Parisians a lot of credit for this.
In NYC, when a train comes in there is a bit of push to get on, given that the next train may be a while. In Paris, it is rare that a train is more than 4 minutes away (and 4 minutes is considered a long time). So, there is no push. If you miss it, quite often another comes within 2 minutes. What is strange to me is that even when the trains come that frequently, they are still comfortably full (some people standing, most sitting). On the older Métro cars, you need to manually open the doors which I find kind of fun. There is a level you pull up on and the latch is released. I love being near the door to do this.
In NYC, when a train is ready to depart, there is the dance that inevitably occurs. That is, the doors try to close, people hold the door, or they close on people. The doors open, they close. Open and close. Finally, all the doors close (after the conductor asks us to use all the doors) and the train departs. [Quick aside: how does one person use all the doors? I have only ever used one at a time.] In Paris, before the doors close there is a buzzer sound, which alerts everyone the doors are closing. Everyone seems to understand this signal and the doors close without the brouhaha.
In NYC the seating is sofa style, with seating along the walls (with some seats jutting out on the N, R, A and C lines). In Paris, there are groupings of 4 with 2 benches facing each other. This means you are knee to knee with strangers if you choose these seats.There are foldout seats near the doors called the Strapontin. They are the easiest seats to use, and you don't have anyone across from you. The trouble with these is that when the train is crowded, you are asked to stand in these places instead of sitting... and people do. You know as well as I do that in NYC, anyone in these seats would have a fuck you attitude and would not budge no matter how crowded the car.
One thing that NYC has, though, is NYC people and the way we interact. For example, I was once on a train and I overheard a clump of tourists wanting to go to Yankee Stadium. The trouble was, I knew they were on the wrong train. Not being a huge fan, I didn't know what the right train was or how to get them on it. I announced this to the entire car and what followed was a lively discussion of what the train should be and how best to get on it.
This would never happen in Paris. Ever.
Given the shape of Manhattan, the Subway paths are fairly simple. They go north and south with some trains (like the N and R or the Shuttle) going diagonally or east/west. In NYC you use your Metro pass card to get in and then you can transfer between buses and subways as you need for that ride. Given the history of the MTA and that each line used to be privately owned, the lines rarely cross and transfers are limited. New to NYC (and only on select lines right now) is the ability to see when the next train is coming.
The Paris Métro is more complex, given that the city is more round in shape. There are many more lines (16) and you can transfer easily between most of the lines. Many Parisians have a monthly pass called the Navigo, but if you don't use the Métro as much or just want to pay as you go, there are tickets you can buy. If these were in NYC, these 1" by 3" tickets would be all over the city like ticker tape after a parade, but in Paris, they are disposed of efficiently, somehow. I give the Parisians a lot of credit for this.
In NYC, when a train comes in there is a bit of push to get on, given that the next train may be a while. In Paris, it is rare that a train is more than 4 minutes away (and 4 minutes is considered a long time). So, there is no push. If you miss it, quite often another comes within 2 minutes. What is strange to me is that even when the trains come that frequently, they are still comfortably full (some people standing, most sitting). On the older Métro cars, you need to manually open the doors which I find kind of fun. There is a level you pull up on and the latch is released. I love being near the door to do this.
In NYC, when a train is ready to depart, there is the dance that inevitably occurs. That is, the doors try to close, people hold the door, or they close on people. The doors open, they close. Open and close. Finally, all the doors close (after the conductor asks us to use all the doors) and the train departs. [Quick aside: how does one person use all the doors? I have only ever used one at a time.] In Paris, before the doors close there is a buzzer sound, which alerts everyone the doors are closing. Everyone seems to understand this signal and the doors close without the brouhaha.
In NYC the seating is sofa style, with seating along the walls (with some seats jutting out on the N, R, A and C lines). In Paris, there are groupings of 4 with 2 benches facing each other. This means you are knee to knee with strangers if you choose these seats.There are foldout seats near the doors called the Strapontin. They are the easiest seats to use, and you don't have anyone across from you. The trouble with these is that when the train is crowded, you are asked to stand in these places instead of sitting... and people do. You know as well as I do that in NYC, anyone in these seats would have a fuck you attitude and would not budge no matter how crowded the car.
One thing that NYC has, though, is NYC people and the way we interact. For example, I was once on a train and I overheard a clump of tourists wanting to go to Yankee Stadium. The trouble was, I knew they were on the wrong train. Not being a huge fan, I didn't know what the right train was or how to get them on it. I announced this to the entire car and what followed was a lively discussion of what the train should be and how best to get on it.
This would never happen in Paris. Ever.
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