For anyone that has grown up in the Southern United States, public transportation is a bit of a challenge. Let's face it...we like our cars and we love to drive. There is something about being southern that makes us gravitate to owning land and driving our cars. There is a certain independence...a certain peace that comes with this practice.
No such peace exist on public transportation in Europe.
For starters Europeans that take a lot of public transportation do NOT give a damn about personal space. They will stand right beside you in line...almost leaning over your shoulder. This makes the actual purchasing of tickets a little difficult for someone like me.
I need a little space....hell, I need a lot of space. What I don't need while I am trying to figure out which way to go is some 6'6 Swede leaning over my shoulder almost pushing me through the line. I would tell them to back off, but they are almost always much bigger than me. The Swedes are seemingly peaceful people, but I am not willing to test and get clocked over the head by Sven from Stockholm over the perceived violation of my personal space.
The purchasing of tickets is no small ordeal. While the crime rate in Sweden sits somewhere just below ZERO, they thought it a good idea to have their ticket brokers sit behind 8 inches of plexi-glass. This is fine unless you really need to ask some questions. While the Swedes mostly speak good English there are always some words that are lost in translation...for increased difficulty, just add 8 inches of plastic.
No one seems to question this use of plexi-glass expect me. I opine: Sweden is still a Democratic-Monarchy and they are very much a country "of the people." Does this mean the King and Queen occasionally show up to dole out tickets to the subway? And just to make sure they are safe they employ the bullet proof glass? Is one of Sweden's great natural resources Plexi-glass? I mean maybe you can just walk out into your back yard and dig up sheets of the stuff? Things to ponder....
The next challenge on public transport is navigating the various systems. There are multiple train systems that include subways, local trains and dedicated lines (airport only). There is also an extensive bus system (more on that later). If you want to find your way around Stockholm you just need to learn how to read a train map. For those of you that don't know, a train map in Stockholm looks like your kid took a handful of colored spaghetti and threw it again the wall. Each different colored strain would represent a different line. You have two choices:
1) You can navigate this multi-colored matrix ( you would be better off with a calculator a compass and a couple of dice) or you could
2) Take your chances. I opt for number 2. This could be construed as a waste of time especially if you get on the wrong train. However, I like to think of it as adventure.
My last comment on transportation is the bus system. I can't tell you how many times I have been told that taking a train and two buses is "easy." First of all taking three modes of transportation that all leave at different times is NOT easy. And secondly riding this bus is for losers...and that applies to Sweden and Alabama.
I am happy to report that I have now been in Europe for three consecutive weeks. I have been lost 100 times, but have yet to ride one single bus.
Score one for me.
No such peace exist on public transportation in Europe.
For starters Europeans that take a lot of public transportation do NOT give a damn about personal space. They will stand right beside you in line...almost leaning over your shoulder. This makes the actual purchasing of tickets a little difficult for someone like me.
I need a little space....hell, I need a lot of space. What I don't need while I am trying to figure out which way to go is some 6'6 Swede leaning over my shoulder almost pushing me through the line. I would tell them to back off, but they are almost always much bigger than me. The Swedes are seemingly peaceful people, but I am not willing to test and get clocked over the head by Sven from Stockholm over the perceived violation of my personal space.
The purchasing of tickets is no small ordeal. While the crime rate in Sweden sits somewhere just below ZERO, they thought it a good idea to have their ticket brokers sit behind 8 inches of plexi-glass. This is fine unless you really need to ask some questions. While the Swedes mostly speak good English there are always some words that are lost in translation...for increased difficulty, just add 8 inches of plastic.
No one seems to question this use of plexi-glass expect me. I opine: Sweden is still a Democratic-Monarchy and they are very much a country "of the people." Does this mean the King and Queen occasionally show up to dole out tickets to the subway? And just to make sure they are safe they employ the bullet proof glass? Is one of Sweden's great natural resources Plexi-glass? I mean maybe you can just walk out into your back yard and dig up sheets of the stuff? Things to ponder....
The next challenge on public transport is navigating the various systems. There are multiple train systems that include subways, local trains and dedicated lines (airport only). There is also an extensive bus system (more on that later). If you want to find your way around Stockholm you just need to learn how to read a train map. For those of you that don't know, a train map in Stockholm looks like your kid took a handful of colored spaghetti and threw it again the wall. Each different colored strain would represent a different line. You have two choices:
1) You can navigate this multi-colored matrix ( you would be better off with a calculator a compass and a couple of dice) or you could
2) Take your chances. I opt for number 2. This could be construed as a waste of time especially if you get on the wrong train. However, I like to think of it as adventure.
My last comment on transportation is the bus system. I can't tell you how many times I have been told that taking a train and two buses is "easy." First of all taking three modes of transportation that all leave at different times is NOT easy. And secondly riding this bus is for losers...and that applies to Sweden and Alabama.
I am happy to report that I have now been in Europe for three consecutive weeks. I have been lost 100 times, but have yet to ride one single bus.
Score one for me.
1 comment:
Swedish Spoons! Hope you guys are doing well. How is the snowboarding? Do you take a train or a bus to the mountain. Dwight always dislike RAFA so hitchhiked instead. Hey there's an idea.... you could hitch your way around Europe. Take care.
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