# And THAT'S how you do public transportation. **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [January 5, 2014, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-thats-how-you-do-public-transportation/677952 "2014-01-05T16:51:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![QuickSilver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quicksilver/32/7832_2.png) [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2014, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-thats-how-you-do-public-transportation/677952/1 "2014-01-05T16:51:29Z")
I’d be much more compelled to take public transit if it looked anything like it does [in Stockholm](http://www.viralnova.com/subway-art/). [Moscow’s metro](http://www.beeflowers.com/moscowmetro/index.htm) is not too shabby either. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2014, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-thats-how-you-do-public-transportation/677952/2 "2014-01-05T16:59:17Z")
> [@QuickSilver](#): > > I’d be much more compelled to take public transit if it looked anything like it does [in Stockholm](http://www.viralnova.com/subway-art/). Does Gozer the Gozerian take your ticket? ---
**Author:** ![QuickSilver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quicksilver/32/7832_2.png) [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2014, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-thats-how-you-do-public-transportation/677952/3 "2014-01-05T17:47:28Z")
😃 ---
**Author:** ![Machine\_Elf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2014, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-thats-how-you-do-public-transportation/677952/4 "2014-01-05T17:56:46Z")
Maybe someday they’ll do a station in [Giger’s “Alien” theme.](https://www.google.com/search?hl=en&site=imghp&tbm=isch&source=hp&biw=1278&bih=1452&q=aliens&oq=aliens&gs_l=img.3..0l10.1456.4597.0.4787.8.7.1.0.0.0.186.808.2j5.7.0....0...1ac.1.32.img..1.7.729.pFh3ipyRTmc#hl=en&q=giger+alien&tbm=isch) ---
**Author:** ![OttoDaFe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ottodafe/32/356_2.png) [@OttoDaFe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OttoDaFe)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2014, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-thats-how-you-do-public-transportation/677952/5 "2014-01-05T19:15:13Z")
In much of the US it’s like pulling teeth to get funding for public transportation at all (since it’s seen as another ploy by teh gummint to take money away from hard-working folk and give it to the undeserving). The additional costs to make stations clean and attractive — or even clean and safe — would raise the howling to stratospheric levels. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2014, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-thats-how-you-do-public-transportation/677952/6 "2014-01-05T19:26:41Z")
The design of the stations is nice and all, but I’ve been impressed with cities where the stations were pretty plain but the system just worked. I’d long for the Boston subway to be clean, boring, and reliable. I can think of two cool example of subway station decor, though. Kendall Square (Boston) used to have musical instruments (of a sort) hanging between the tracks that you could play by moving levers on the station wall. And Rathenauplatz (Nuremberg) had mosaics on the wall that didn’t look like anything when viewed straight-on, but at an angle they became [this](http://www.cityverkehr.de/bhf/images/ra_3.JPG). ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2014, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-thats-how-you-do-public-transportation/677952/7 "2014-01-05T19:37:30Z")
I have a big problem with the Stockholm designs: I don’t want to be constantly reminded that I’m underground, and especially that elements of the design may come crashing down upon me. But possibly that’s the intent: making people move faster, to get the hell out of there. ---
**Author:** ![QuickSilver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quicksilver/32/7832_2.png) [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2014, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-thats-how-you-do-public-transportation/677952/8 "2014-01-05T20:14:12Z")
> [@OttoDaFe](#): > > In much of the US it’s like pulling teeth to get funding for public transportation at all (since it’s seen as another ploy by teh gummint to take money away from hard-working folk and give it to the undeserving). The additional costs to make stations clean and attractive — or even clean and safe — would raise the howling to stratospheric levels. Well, Americans don’t deserve the transportation systems they have. No - wait. Perhaps they do. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2014, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-thats-how-you-do-public-transportation/677952/9 "2014-01-05T20:37:10Z")
> [@panache45](#): > > I have a big problem with the Stockholm designs: I don’t want to be constantly reminded that I’m underground, and especially that elements of the design may come crashing down upon me. But possibly that’s the intent: making people move faster, to get the hell out of there. Even worse, after a while, you start to understand the designer’s point of view. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2014, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-thats-how-you-do-public-transportation/677952/10 "2014-01-05T20:54:10Z")
> [@QuickSilver](#): > > I’d be much more compelled to take public transit if it looked anything like it does [in Stockholm](http://www.viralnova.com/subway-art/). I was in Stockholm in 1982. I was very impressed by their stations. (From the link, they appear similar to how they did in '82; but even better.) ---
**Author:** ![Yookeroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yookeroo/32/323_2.png) [@Yookeroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yookeroo)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2014, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-thats-how-you-do-public-transportation/677952/11 "2014-01-05T21:35:30Z")
L.A. has some nicely done Metro stations: [![](http://www.trbimg.com/img-50ca58c1/turbine/lat-lank01-la0007428990-20121127/630) ](http://www.trbimg.com/img-50ca58c1/turbine/lat-lank01-la0007428990-20121127/630) [http://kingrosearchives.com/gallery/Americana/CHA\_24431.jpg](http://kingrosearchives.com/gallery/Americana/CHA_24431.jpg) [![](http://1x57.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/hollywood-highland-metro-station-photo-interior-art-underground-girl.jpg) ](http://1x57.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/hollywood-highland-metro-station-photo-interior-art-underground-girl.jpg) [![](https://www.washingtonpost.com/rf/image_606w/2010-2019/WashingtonPost/2013/05/06/Travel/Images/TRsubway0505BH0051367829427.JPG) ](https://www.washingtonpost.com/rf/image_606w/2010-2019/WashingtonPost/2013/05/06/Travel/Images/TRsubway0505BH0051367829427.JPG) [![](https://www.washingtonpost.com/rf/image_606w/2010-2019/WashingtonPost/2013/05/06/Travel/Images/TRsubway0505BH0281367829433.JPG) ](https://www.washingtonpost.com/rf/image_606w/2010-2019/WashingtonPost/2013/05/06/Travel/Images/TRsubway0505BH0281367829433.JPG) [![](https://www.washingtonpost.com/rf/image_606w/2010-2019/WashingtonPost/2013/05/06/Travel/Images/TRsubway0505BH0091367829428.JPG) ](https://www.washingtonpost.com/rf/image_606w/2010-2019/WashingtonPost/2013/05/06/Travel/Images/TRsubway0505BH0091367829428.JPG) They even do art tours of some of the stations. ---
**Author:** ![James\_Toothpaste](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e56c9b/32.png) [@James\_Toothpaste](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/James_Toothpaste)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2014, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-thats-how-you-do-public-transportation/677952/12 "2014-01-05T22:07:49Z")
I want to be there! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2014, 6:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-thats-how-you-do-public-transportation/677952/13 "2014-01-06T06:07:13Z")
> [@Yookeroo](#): > > L.A. has some nicely done Metro stations: > [http://www.trbimg.com/img-50ca58c1/turbine/lat-lank01-la0007428990-20121127/630](http://www.trbimg.com/img-50ca58c1/turbine/lat-lank01-la0007428990-20121127/630) > [http://kingrosearchives.com/gallery/Americana/CHA\_24431.jpg](http://kingrosearchives.com/gallery/Americana/CHA_24431.jpg) > [http://1x57.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/hollywood-highland-metro-station-photo-interior-art-underground-girl.jpg](http://1x57.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/hollywood-highland-metro-station-photo-interior-art-underground-girl.jpg) > [http://www.washingtonpost.com/rf/image\_606w/2010-2019/WashingtonPost/2013/05/06/Travel/Images/TRsubway0505BH0051367829427.JPG](http://www.washingtonpost.com/rf/image_606w/2010-2019/WashingtonPost/2013/05/06/Travel/Images/TRsubway0505BH0051367829427.JPG) > [http://www.washingtonpost.com/rf/image\_606w/2010-2019/WashingtonPost/2013/05/06/Travel/Images/TRsubway0505BH0281367829433.JPG](http://www.washingtonpost.com/rf/image_606w/2010-2019/WashingtonPost/2013/05/06/Travel/Images/TRsubway0505BH0281367829433.JPG) > [http://www.washingtonpost.com/rf/image\_606w/2010-2019/WashingtonPost/2013/05/06/Travel/Images/TRsubway0505BH0091367829428.JPG](http://www.washingtonpost.com/rf/image_606w/2010-2019/WashingtonPost/2013/05/06/Travel/Images/TRsubway0505BH0091367829428.JPG) > > They even do art tours of some of the stations. Actually I came in to say just that…and also that I wish the system went to more places. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2014, 6:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-thats-how-you-do-public-transportation/677952/14 "2014-01-06T06:09:13Z")
Didn’t I see a fancy looking Underground Station on _Agents of SHIELD_ recently? Or some show like that. ---
**Author:** ![ralph124c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2014, 9:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-thats-how-you-do-public-transportation/677952/15 "2014-01-06T09:39:15Z")
Come to Boston…you can ride a filthy old system, with 120 year old stations that smell like a backed up toilet. That, and drunks/winos shaking cups full of change in your face, and endless breakdowns. And while you are waiting for your 60 year old streetcar to arrive, you can amuse yourself by watching the rats in the railbed eat that garbage and food scraps thrown in by the ridership. man, that Stockholm system is so clean! Of course, if the Boston ridership were magically transferred to Stockholm, their system would be filthy in week! Ah, Arlington St, station of a hot summer day…the smell of fermenting urine! ---
**Author:** ![Hari\_Seldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hari_seldon/32/5173_2.png) [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2014, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-thats-how-you-do-public-transportation/677952/16 "2014-01-06T17:50:59Z")
Although I could not find a site that listed them like the Stockholm site, this site: [https://www.google.ca/search?q=montreal+metro+art&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=7-vKUt6iDMfd2AWBtYGYBg&sqi=2&ved=0CDYQsAQ&biw=1267&bih=590](https://www.google.ca/search?q=montreal+metro+art&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=7-vKUt6iDMfd2AWBtYGYBg&sqi=2&ved=0CDYQsAQ&biw=1267&bih=590) shows images from the Montreal Metro, each station having its own theme and all designed by different artists. And they run a cleaning machine through each station every night when the trains stop. New York may not have spectacular stations like that, but the trains run all night. ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Tildrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2014, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-thats-how-you-do-public-transportation/677952/17 "2014-01-06T18:25:48Z")
> [@ralph124c](#): > > man, that Stockholm system is so clean! For all we know from the pictures, it might still smell like Swedish pee. ---
**Author:** ![Sattua](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sattua/32/11906_2.png) [@Sattua](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sattua)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2014, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-thats-how-you-do-public-transportation/677952/18 "2014-01-06T19:38:28Z")
Moscow’s subway system is indeed beautiful. One drawback is that the stations are widely scattered. It seemed like we were usually walking a mile or two to get to the nearest station, when I was there. ---
**Author:** ![scr4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@scr4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scr4)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2014, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-thats-how-you-do-public-transportation/677952/19 "2014-01-06T23:05:14Z")
> [@ralph124c](#): > > Come to Boston…you can ride a filthy old system, with 120 year old stations that smell like a backed up toilet. If you think that’s bad, try Alabama. There isn’t a single subway line in the entire state. Not even a commuter rail line. We do have buses, but the ones in my city only run on weekdays, and only till 6pm. ---
**Author:** ![Don\_t\_Panic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/don_t_panic/32/398_2.png) [@Don\_t\_Panic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Don_t_Panic)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2014, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-thats-how-you-do-public-transportation/677952/20 "2014-01-07T00:29:25Z")
The Athens Metro is gorgeous, and it has a [2000 year old aqueduct](http://www.hydriaproject.net/en/greece-athens-the-peisistratid-aqueduct/importance10) in it. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-thats-how-you-do-public-transportation/677952.md?page=2)