S U B W A Y

Today’s theme is public transportation. I have had several interesting experiences with the Shanghai public transportation system. First, let’s touch on my daily routine. I am an avid subway user for two reasons: 1) I find it easy and extremely convenient, and 2) because I have to.

From my apartment, I walk a whopping two blocks to the entrance of the Shanghai Stadium stop on Line 4…the purple line. Mornings are crowded in most subway stations, but Line 4 is usually pretty mellow by comparison, so I can’t complain. Each train’s arrival is announced through a PA system audible throughout the entire subway station. A countdown for the next 3 trains is also displayed on flatscreen monitors. This information proves to be quite useful for people who carefully time their departures…and even more useful for anyone who is running late. The audible announcements often cause people to run down large flights of stairs to catch the arriving train. But most people maintain a brisk walking pace…I assume the general mindset is that everyone just wants to get where they’re going. They aren’t rushed, but they don’t want to doddle.

Finding a seat on the train in the morning is close to impossible. Most people find a good place to stand in the space by the doors. I try to lean against the corner between the door and the seats…that’s my 2^nd favorite riding spot. My first favorite is, of course, sitting down. People are usually respectful and courteous. They give up their seat for elderly people, pregnant women, and anyone who is handicapped. Sometimes people push to get on or off, but I would push too if the other option was to miss my stop!

After 10 stops on Line 4 (lasting about 25 minutes) I get off at Century Avenue. (it’s just a coincidence that two of my three stops have English names.) From there, I hike the stairs to the lobby of the station and make my way over to Line 2 – the green line. (Most people cram their way onto the escalators…but since my exercise regiment here is minimal, I opt to take the stairs in a desperate attempt to burn a few calories.)

Line 2 is a completely different experience. It is one of the main subway lines that goes into the city, so you can imagine the masses I encounter at rush hour times. Whatever you’re picturing is probably accurate. I make my way through hoards of people, down another set of stairs to the loading dock for Line 2. I was amazed the first day I took this train at the (seemingly) voluntary organization of these crowds. People will make two lines per doorway on the dock…(is it even called a dock? I’m going to call it a dock.) and they will wait in line, standing single-file, for everyone to exit the train, then they will file in and literally cram themselves into the car. I try to be one of the last people on the train because I only ride Line 2 for two stops. Since I’m the inconvenient height of 5’2”…I often find myself eating people’s hair as I stand in this crammed space.

Upon my arrival at Lujiazui, I exit the station and join the flowing river of people pouring out into Pudong, the heart of downtown Shanghai. I walk another two blocks to my fancy shmancy office building & that’s it!

[now reverse that order and cut the number of commuters in half, and that’s my ride home]

I’ve learned a few things in my 2 weeks of subway-riding experience:

1. The occupancy of the cars follow somewhat of a bell-curve pattern. Naturally, there are more people who ride in the cars in the middle, closest to the escalator and stairway. If you walk to either end of the train, the cars tend to be less crowded which makes for a notably more comfortable ride. (at peak rush hour times there is not a huge difference, but it’s still somewhat true.)

2. I have taken a few taxis since I’ve been here, and with the amount of traffic on the roads (at all times of the day) you can easily double your commuting time…even if you include walking to and from the station. Not to mention it costs about 4 RMB each time you use the subway, and taxis start at 12 RMB. By taxi, you will easily end up owing 30 or 40 RMB…especially during peak traffic hours. [US $1 = 6.8 RMB]

2. 3. The floors at the station are shiny and always clean. They are also dangerously slick when they’re wet. Did I mention that it is the rainy season right now? Well, it is. And the floors are always wet. So tread cautiously…I’ve already fallen on my butt. Twice.

That’s all folks!

Next time: Grocery Shopping!