# Discussion thread for the "Polls only" thread (Part 2) **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [February 16, 2024, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-2/997636 "2024-02-16T02:56:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 152
**Author:** ![Zyada](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zyada/32/3028_2.png) [@Zyada](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zyada)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2024, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-2/997636/3022 "2024-08-18T21:59:48Z")
In San Francisco, I will rode on busses and, of course, the cable cars, but nothing faster than that. I’ve also ridden the subway in London and Mexico City ---
**Author:** ![WildaBeast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wildabeast/32/6_2.png) [@WildaBeast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WildaBeast)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2024, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-2/997636/3023 "2024-08-18T22:26:57Z")
> [@Zyada](#): > > I’ve also ridden the subway in London and Mexico City I thought about doing a companion poll of the world’s 10 busiest transit systems, but looking at the list on Wikipedia literally half of them are in China, so I doubt it would have gotten many responses. In fact of the top 10, the only two outside of Asia are the Moscow Metro and New York Subway. I was a little surprised that the New York Subway is actually busier than the London Underground. In terms of annual ridership the NYC Subway ranks #10, the London Underground is #19, based on Wikipedia’s [list of metro systems](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_metro_systems#List). ---
**Author:** ![suranyi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@suranyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/suranyi)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2024, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-2/997636/3024 "2024-08-18T22:56:47Z")
My parents, before they stopped traveling, used to pay to take my extended family on cruises. That was always a lot of fun. ---
**Author:** ![suranyi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@suranyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/suranyi)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2024, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-2/997636/3025 "2024-08-18T22:59:29Z")
I’ve been on all the transit systems mentioned in the poll except Miami. In addition, I’ve been on the transit systems in 26 cities outside the US — if I count correctly. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2024, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-2/997636/3026 "2024-08-18T23:05:45Z")
I’ve riden the Montreal Metro. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2024, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-2/997636/3027 "2024-08-18T23:17:30Z")
I’ve ridden on Chicago’s L many many times (it was my primary commuting method for about 12 years), and on Washington’s Metro a handful of times. Other than underground subway-style trams at a few airports, the only other subway system I’ve ever been on was Toronto’s. ---
**Author:** ![Zyada](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zyada/32/3028_2.png) [@Zyada](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zyada)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2024, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-2/997636/3028 "2024-08-18T23:28:29Z")
> [@kenobi\_65](#): > > subway-style trams at a few airports, Speaking of… Fort Worth downtown id on a bluff. The big Fort Worth department store into the 70s was Leonard’s. To get plenty of parking, they built a parking lot at the base of the bluff, and constructed a subway to connect the parking lot to Leonard’s basement. I probably rode on that subway hundreds of times. Especially after Tandy bought the buildings - I worked for them for 4 years and that was part of my commute ---
**Author:** ![thorny\_locust](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thorny_locust/32/431_2.png) [@thorny\_locust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thorny_locust)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2024, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-2/997636/3029 "2024-08-19T00:53:33Z")
I might also use a number of spellings which aren’t on that list, for some of the various sounds that cats make. There’s “Mrrrrt”, for instance; and “Me-YOWL!”; and rather a batch of other possibilities. And “mew” and “meow” aren’t the same sound. “Mew” is the one syllable version. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2024, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-2/997636/3030 "2024-08-19T02:09:13Z")
> [@thorny\_locust](#): > > I’m afraid of subways; though not so much so that I can’t make myself take one if necessary. I love subways. Easy to find the entrances, easy to read the map, easy to know what stop you are in and when you need to get off. So much easier than buses, especially if i didn’t speak the language. In addition to the US subways i listed in this poll, I’ve been on the subway in most cities I’ve visited that have subways. Certainly Toronto, Montreal, London, Paris, Florence, Frankfurt, Munich, Berlin, Tokyo, Kyoto. Probably a lot of other European cities that i rode on long ago. Some light rail thing that maybe didn’t go underground in Jerusalem. Heck, this summer i helped some other tourists use the tram in Florence because its interface was like many subway interfaces I’ve used, they were attending there there looking baffled. ---
**Author:** ![thorny\_locust](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thorny_locust/32/431_2.png) [@thorny\_locust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thorny_locust)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2024, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-2/997636/3031 "2024-08-19T02:37:58Z")
> [@puzzlegal](#): > > I love subways. Easy to find the entrances, easy to read the map, easy to know what stop you are in and when you need to get off. It isn’t any of that. It’s heading at a high speed into the dark racketing back and forth sideways with no sense of control, a knowledge of high voltage being involved, and a distinct uncertainty that the doors would open and let you out if things went wrong; or that if they did let you out they’d do so anywhere with a safe place to walk and an obvious way out. And the noise. ---
**Author:** ![thorny\_locust](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thorny_locust/32/431_2.png) [@thorny\_locust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thorny_locust)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2024, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-2/997636/3032 "2024-08-19T03:02:04Z")
I rarely use mass transit because where I live there effectively isn’t any. Yes, there needs to be more of it! ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2024, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-2/997636/3033 "2024-08-19T03:08:31Z")
I live in suburban Chicago, and have spent most of my career working in downtown Chicago. My normal method of commuting to work is on Metra: the region’s commuter rail system, which runs on “normal” train tracks, with locomotives pulling or pushing passenger cars, like in the photo below. I also occasionally ride on the CTA’s “L” trains (subway trains). I don’t think I’ve ridden on a mass-transit bus more than a handful of times since I moved to the Chicago area in '89. [![](https://www.rtands.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Metra-Photograph220-755x402.jpg) ](https://www.rtands.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Metra-Photograph220-755x402.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![Mollie\_Magill](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mollie_magill/32/20882_2.png) [@Mollie\_Magill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mollie_Magill)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2024, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-2/997636/3034 "2024-08-19T03:20:24Z")
When we lived in Charlotte, we used the light rail all the time. There really isn’t any mass transit in Nashville. ---
**Author:** ![snowthx](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowthx/32/10660_2.png) [@snowthx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snowthx)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2024, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-2/997636/3035 "2024-08-19T03:46:05Z")
Sacramento, CA has Regional Transit. I use the light rail occasionally but never the buses. The light rail is expensive ($2.50/ride) and unpleasant. I heard its one of the most expensive in the country, which explains the high number of fare-dodgers I see every time I ride. The inter-city train to the Bay Area (Amtrak Capitol Corridor) is great, as is their buses. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Drake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Dr.Drake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Drake)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2024, 4:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-2/997636/3036 "2024-08-19T04:29:33Z")
$2.50 / ride is expensive? What year are you posting from? ---
**Author:** ![suranyi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@suranyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/suranyi)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2024, 4:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-2/997636/3037 "2024-08-19T04:55:28Z")
I just used mass transit yesterday — BART — to get to a concert in Oakland. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2024, 7:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-2/997636/3038 "2024-08-19T07:26:03Z")
Is mass transit limited to trains and buses? Or does it include any air travel? ---
**Author:** ![Die\_Capacitrix](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/die_capacitrix/32/9_2.png) [@Die\_Capacitrix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Die_Capacitrix)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2024, 10:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-2/997636/3039 "2024-08-19T10:49:49Z")
I am on mass transit at this moment. I have a yearly subscription and use it about 10-15 trips a week, including commuting to and from work. ---
**Author:** ![Wheelz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wheelz/32/5718_2.png) [@Wheelz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wheelz)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2024, 11:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-2/997636/3040 "2024-08-19T11:17:07Z")
During my 10 years living in San Francisco, I used SF Muni, both buses and trains, an average of probably once a week (some weeks more, some not at all). BART was maybe once a month. I’ve also ridden transit systems in Chicago (another former home town) New York, Boston, Philadelphia, Atlanta, and Paris. There may be one or two others I’ve forgotten. It’s a great way to get around when visiting a city. Sadly, the Las Vegas area’s public transit is woefully inadequate. ---
**Author:** ![Spiderman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spiderman/32/230_2.png) [@Spiderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiderman)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2024, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-2/997636/3041 "2024-08-19T14:57:37Z")
When I worked in the city I commuted by train. However, the system was built in days of olde & it’s a great hub & spoke system if one end is in the city; going suburb to suburb sucks. Even taking the train in for a night sucks as after 7 or 8 they only run once an hour & then totally stop by 11 or 12. Go to a play or concert that gets out a minute or two too late & you’re stuck hanging around for 58 mins. If you want to wait in the station, retail is closed so most of the people hanging out are homeless; in the city that means many of them have substance or mental issues. Go to a ball game or a rock concert at the stadium(s) & you might need to leave before it’s over in order to get the subway up to the train on time; better hope there’s no overtime/extra innings/encore. The buses are a menace to cyclists & pedestrians, both in the suburbs & when trying to turn on city streets [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-2/997636.md?page=151) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-2/997636.md?page=153)