Tag: subway

Reflections: Subway and Transportation

SDSpivey

I purchased a 5-day pass for Saint Petersburg, but really most of what I was going to see was near enough to walk. For simplicity, it is better to have the card, otherwise you will have to buy a ticket every time you go in.

The subway stations were originally designed to be emergency shelters, especially against bomb attacks, especially nukes.

The escalators have lamps on poles, every 8-10 feet. Each has a numbered decal, starting at 1 at the bottom. I presume that the numbers are there to have set places to measure radioactivity, to determine rising or falling levels.

I did notice that the handrails move just slightly faster. Over 150+ feet, this would be a lot and could throw you off balance.

At the bottom of each, an old woman watches monitors, to make sure no one is breaking the rules. I saw several that were on the verge of passing out, it has to be a super dull routine. Also, there is graffiti in some, so they are not really doing their jobs.

The signs are generally clear, and all include Latin transliterations.

Some platforms have modern clear doors, to prevent falling into the tracks. Others have solid metal doors (bomb resistance?). Most are just open, not falling is totally your responsibility.

If you discover you’re going the wrong way or passed your stop, just get off, walk across the platform, and get on the train going the other direction.

The trains themselves are comfortable, for public transport. But I could see a regular user getting hearing damage from the noise of the wheels on the tracks.

Trains come about every 2 minutes apart.

One train had a display showing the next station upcoming, and the temperature, time, and speed. We got up to 78km/h (48mph). They seem to spend about 75% of the time accelerating, then decelerating only as they enter the next station. They might not make it into Formula 1, but they do have some G forces.

Saint Petersburg only has 5 lines, so far, so knowing how to get from here to there is easy.

Moscow has 15, right now, including 3 rings and a monorail. Plus there are regular rail stations attached to the metro stations, so you could go almost anywhere in Russia or nearby countries without needing a car or plane.

My room is on Line #3, but I noticed one day, I was at the #6/#7 station, but neither of them connected to #3. That means I had to do at least two transfers. That’s a pain.

The stations are reasonably clean, despite not seeing any trash cans. Graffiti was very minor, markers on escalators, mostly.

All the stations have temp barricades everywhere to funnel you in one direction. But some are in the way of access, like one had the first 3 openings to the track closed off. You might miss your train because you had to go further.

Some stations have many entrances/exits, allowing you to tunnel under many roads and avoid rain or snow.

It seems that every block has a bus stop. I like this as most have area maps with a “5 minute walk” circle around your location. They have some highlights to see, statues, restaurants, shops, etc.

I see now I should not have used the AeroExpress train. It would have been faster and cheaper to take bus from airport to metro station. So much for “express.”

Day two

SDSpivey

I awaken the next morning, ready to take the city on. Looking at my saved places, it seems none open until 10 or 11.

I decide if I am going to try the metro today, I might as well go to the farthest place, then I can work my way back.

Lakhta Tower is a spire skyscraper on the edge of the Sea of Finland, and it is at the last station, Begovaya, on the green line.

I enter the metro, scan my card, and proceed. I was worried that the card I bought, still needed to be “charged up”.

It was rush hour, so quite busy. I’m in no rush, so I walk along the walls to keep out of other’s way.

The London Underground has a station with a very long escalator, one I fell on. Nevsky Prospekt had an even longer one, we must be 400 ft below the surface.

I find the correct platform and get on the next train. The stops are quite far apart, I think mostly due to traveling under an island.

Lakhta Tower

As I exit, I see a building with large lettering, “Atlantic City.” Uh oh, I ended up in New Jersey.

It is surprising how many western company names there are, all seem to be in Latin characters. KFC, Coke, McDonalds, Bulgari, John Frieda, Spar, etc.

I pull out the map, but Google is saying I’m at Rybatskoye, which is at the other end of the line. Weird that a random GPS fix would have been that specifically wrong. I definitely knew I wasn’t there, but I could imagine someone freaking out that they’d gone the wrong way.

The tower is a 22 minute walk away.

I see a section of road with a very skimpy fence across it, with razor wire. There is another fence about 30 yards beyond. There is nothing to stop anyone from just walking around the fence, nor an evidence they are doing any work on that section. I do not think it would stop anyone determined to drive through it.

I do notice they love their razor wire. It is everywhere, just about every fence, across the rooftops between buildings, around road support pillars…

I’m hoping to go to the top and check out the view, maybe there is an observation deck. I don’t get to find out, there is a fence around the building. They are still working on it.

Strike #2. Not doing too good on my chosen locations.

A park lay on the way back to the station, so I browsed through. Many people out with dogs. I saw a kid on a swing, at 9:30. Why wasn’t he in school?

Each subway station has its own theme or design. I had the idea of stopping and seeing each. I only did a few before I realize that I’ll waste too much time doing that.

I exit the metro, and spot a Spar grocery. I need shampoo, so I browse. I picked up the smallest bottle they had, I hope I can get it through airport security to Moscow. I’d hate to have to buy another, even if it is cheap.

I also grabbed a bottle of grapefruit juice, payed, and exited.

As I open the bottle, nope, it is grapefruit soda. I drink it anyway.

The irony is, my hair is too short to bother with washing too often, but I can use it as body wash. As I left for Georgia, my hair started poking up in one area. I had thought about cutting it before, but it should be good for a few more weeks. Now, it is too short to comb, but long enough to look messy if I don’t.