Top Ten Tips for Riding the Metro - The Best Kept Subway Secrets for a Safe and Enjoyable Trip
70I have a love-hate relationship with public transportation like the DC Metro. On one hand, I love walking to the metro station, hopping on a train and going virtually anywhere I want throughout the city. There is no need to worry about driving, dodging pedestrians in the road, or the ever-present challenge of finding limited (and expensive) parking.
On the other hand, thousands of other people use the metro as well and it can get uncomfortably crowded. The trains also don't arrive exactly when I want them to, so there is always some waiting to be expected.
There are several things you can do to make the metro trip a lot more enjoyable. Read on for the top ten tips while riding the subway.
Tip #1
Look carefully at where the stairs or escalator drop you off. Odds are it is somewhere near the middle of the boarding platform. Why on earth does that matter? People are inherently LAZY! Take advantage of that fact and walk to one end of the platform or the other and board either the first or last car in the train.
Those cars are always the least densely packed with people! It is much easier to find a seat and you stand a much better chance of NOT being crammed into the car with a thousand strangers.
Tip #2
Do you think anyone on the train has germs? You bet! During the height of flu season, wear an air filter mask. Sure, you might not look sexy, but if you can stave off a winter cold, it will be well worth it.
Think about how crowded the cars usually are. Now think about how many people rode in that car in the past few days. How often do you think the plastic seats and hand rails get sterilized? Not too often! In fact, it is pretty disgusting if you REALLY think about it!
There are people on the DC metro who wear these masks throughout the year - not a bad idea!
Tip #3
Hand sanitizer! Hand sanitizer! Hand sanitizer! Got the hint?
No matter how clean you think the metro is, you always have to wonder who touched the seat and handrails before you. Where did they stick their hands before contaminating the car? It is gross!
I always carry personal-sized hand sanitizers with me and use them liberally as soon as I get off the metro. Before walking to the exit, my hands get a thorough scrub-down!
An alternative is to wear gloves. During the winter months, it is easy to wear them without standing out in the crowd, but the summer makes it a bit of a challenge. Definitely wear gloves during the winter when people are usually the sickest.
Tip #4
Plan ahead! If you commute every day, you know where the majority of people get on and get off the train. If you are riding the metro for the first time or are riding a new route, start planning a few stops before your destination.
If the car is extremely crowded, you will want to get close to the exit door well before you arrive at your destination. I have missed my exit several times because I couldn't push through the mass of people to get off the train before the doors closed. If it looks crowded, then start working your way towards the exit a stop or two early. You won't regret being well positioned for departure!
Tip #6
Look and remember where the emergency services are located. You never know when you may need it for yourself or someone else.
Most metro stops are manned by employees and they have direct communications with emergency personnel. There are also emergency phones located throughout the station. Look for them - even if you DON'T need it now - you may need it someday.
When you step down to the platform, look for uniformed officers. Most subway systems have periodic police checks and random patrols. I always look to see where they are when I get to a stop. I also make it a point to walk close to them when entering or leaving . Odds are any bad-guys will steer clear of the police - and, by default, ME!
Tip #5
Download the app for your subway system. Sure, there are maps posted in the Subway and in the cars of the train, but I can't stand having to crane my neck around people blocking the view to see how many stops I need to go.
The Washington DC Metro app includes a map so peering around people becomes unnecessary. If you have cell phone coverage, you also get tweets, schedules and delayed service notifications.
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Tip #7
Bring something to do. It can get boring just sitting in the metro waiting for your stop. Take advantage of that time and find something productive to do. I call it "stolen time" because it feels like extra time that I am stealing out of the day!
What should you do? Here's a few ideas:
- Listen to a book-on-tape. I don't know why we call it "on-tape" anymore because everything is digital. My favorite supplier is Audible.
- Watch a TV show or a movie. Most of us have a phone or iPad that will play them. It's a great way to kill the time and when you get home you can spend it with family instead of counting down the minutes until your show starts.
- Learn a foreign language. Yes! I am serious. It's amazing what 30-40 minutes per day will do for your language skills. Try Rosetta Stone for one of the highest rated language skills companies. They have apps and software for your mobile device, so take advantage of it.
- Knit, crochet or cross stitch. This is extremely popular. It's fun, easy and quickly stores away in your travel bag. In no time you'll have your project completed just by going to and from work! You can't beat that!
- Let's go retro and read a hard-copy newspaper or magazine.
- Get some work done and bring a laptop. If you are going to do this, I recommend a very light computer like the MacBook Air. It is amazing how much heavier a computer feels after toting it around a while.
- Play games. The iPad is a great platform for playing video games to help you unwind from the frenetic day. It doesn't matter if you are in the mood for a peaceful game of Solitaire or a rambunctious first-person shooter, you will surely find something to fit your mood.
Tip #9
Adjust the times of your departures and arrivals. I have found that if I can get on the metro before 7am, the cars are pretty empty, but if I don't get on until after 7am, the cars are slammed full with people. It is worth it to me to arrive a few minutes early to avoid the crush of the crowd.
I do the same thing in the afternoon. If I can't get on before 4pm, I usually try to work a little overtime and wait until after 5pm before hitting the station. A lot of people get off work during that time, and I would just as soon wait out the rush.
Try different times for your stops and see if there is a marked difference. A few minutes of your day may be worth finding a seat and having some elbow room!
Tip #8
Get a fare card. DC has the SmarTrip, the Chicago L has the Chicago Card Plus, the Boston T has the Charlie Card, and New York has EasyPay MetroCard. In fact, most subway systems will have something equivalent. You can add money to these card online and simply swipe it at the metering stations. It will automatically deduct your fare.
Using this saves you a lot of time! You never have to wait in line to buy a paper pass.
Make sure you research the benefits of registering this card as well. For Washington DC, one of the perks is that you can protect your balance if the card is lost or stolen. That is a great (and FREE!) benefit. Additionally, many companies and the government will subsidize the use of the public transit system and will automatically load your account each month. That's a great perk too!
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Tip #10
Are you ready for contingencies? The metro can be periodically delayed and odds are it will happen on the days that are the least convenient. I had an important meeting first thing in the morning and left fifteen minutes early to prepare. Wouldn't you know it, but that was the day the track cracked in between two stops. The trains had to take turns using one track and I was delayed more than an hour.
I should have got off at an earlier stop and taken a cab or the bus. There are several transportation options, and being prepared to use them is super-smart. Always carry the bus schedule and program the phone numbers for the popular cab companies in your smart phone. What other options are available to you if there is an unreasonable delay? Look around and ask your friends what they do. A bit of pre-planning will save a lot of stress one day.
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Thanks for the kind words LHwritings! I couldn't imagine how bad the traffic in the area would be if there was no metro. Imagine how congested the streets would become?
Having a subway stop in the neighborhood is a huge benefit and it costs significantly more to live in a place nearby one. There is a premium placed on that convenience!
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I couldn't imagine how bad the traffic in the area would be if there was no metro. Imagine how congested the streets would become?
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Yes, and this is basically the kind of argument I've been making for, oh, the past 30 years or so. What a lot of more or less sensible people don't realize is that there's an army of rather zany (I'm being polite) opponents that absolutely hate mass transit — including some academics — and these guys are taken seriously, both by the media and by influential politicians (especially some in the GOP). Some of them actually advocate abandoning big subway systems such as the NYC subway (I'm not exaggerating) and converting LA's Metro into a system running buses underground instead of electric trains (not kidding).
There in the Washington area, as you're probably aware, some of these same kinds of opponents tried to stop the Metro extension to Dulles, even arguing it should just be built for buses.
It's quite a crazy circus — maybe I should pull together a Hub article on it.
These are wonderful tips! I use the Metro to go everywhere when I'm in DC. Driving anywhere around there in a car is insane! Voted up and useful!
Thank you Esmeowl12! I find that taking the metro is the best way to enjoy the city on the weekends too. My family picks a different metro stop and we head off to explore those neighborhoods on the weekends. Its a great way to get to know the city and have a lot of fun too!
LHwritings Level 5 Commenter 4 months ago
Super article! Actually, these are great tips for just about any metro (subway) system, especially in North America — just tweak them for your own city.
One of my roles in life is to explain to the public, including decisionmakers, why public transport (and rail transit especially) is such a good idea. This also includes responding to critics and opponents that would like to shut down the Metro, and stop any new rail transit projects from going forward. I'm a technical consultant to the Light Rail Now Project:
http://www.lightrailnow.org/facts/fa_lrt_wdc.htm
I've followed the Washington Metro (a heavy rail system) from its inception. It's not only been a huge benefit for those who use it, but it's also more than paid for itself in increased property values and tax revenues as well as savings over what would be more expensive bus operations.