THE METRO:
Definition, of sorts: In the U.S., we call it "the subway. " No other place I know calls it "the subway." When an American first starts living abroad, said American calls it "the subway" (unless they've done their nomenclature homework). After a while, the American realizes no one else calls it that, and no one else has any idea what the American's talking about. In turn, the American subsequently adopts the present country's term for the underground train. At least that's been my experience.
Similarly, a Minnesotan who's moved to almost any other state slowly makes the transition from calling that bubbly, sugary stuff "pop," to calling it "soda." And that is a sad, eye-opening transition for anyone with beloved Minnesotan roots, including myself.
Okay, pluses and minuses of the Metro in D.F:
PROS:
1. Dirt Cheap! 2 pesos per ride (that's approximately 15-cents)! I've read comments by some snooty expats and snooty rich citizens of D.F. claiming to be totally above the metro, and that it's for the "lower class." Puke. They're the suckers stuck in horrendous traffic and paying loads for gas, parking, and their vehicle.
2. Relatively clean (the cars range from about 15-40 years old, so they're not super attractive, but they are thoroughly and vigorously cleaned every 72 hours).
3. Fast and efficient (except when they break down which, compared to my time in London, is seldom).
4, Extensive as can be.
5. During peak hours, the front cars of the train are designated as Women/Children only. When I ride to the university for Spanish class, I thank my lucky stars for these cars (usually, that is. See con #1).
Women-only trains are a good thing, because:
a. No leering men and no danger of being groped (yes, it does happen here, apparently).
b. I am taller than most women here, thus when it's standing room only, I have the best access to the ceiling fans (see con #2). Bonus!
However, I have to say that I see women-only cars as sort of a band-aid for solving the problem of physical harassment. It would be better to work on adjusting male behavior and norms rather than simply moving the "issue" (the bodies of women, it seems, are viewed as the issue) to a different location. This kind of cultural transformation, teaching respect of women in an extremely patriarchal, and often sexist society, seems to takes years though. In the meantime, I think women-only cars are a suitable solution. Besides, this designation might make salient and conscious the issue of harassment to the harasser.
In addition, as far as gender roles go, it is disheartening to ONLY ever see women doing one thing in the solo damas cars: putting on make-up. No reading books, no discussing the day's news with the person next to them. No, it's all about primping on these trains. Countless times, I have witnessed the art of applying mascara on a bumpy, moving train. Also, the act of curling one's eyelashes with a spoon is common on the train, which is something I had never before witnessed. I guess one runs the risk of losing one's eyelashes whilst beautifying one's eyelashes with an eyelash curler on a bumpy train. Ouch!
CONS OF THE METRO:
1. More crowded than you can imagine, especially at peak hours. People push their way in and crush against your ribs, making it hard to breathe what little oxygen is available. "Packed like a can of sardines" is apropos.
2. Hotter than blazes, all the time. Lots of bodies, lots of body-heat. Sometimes I leave feeling greasy, sweaty, and am concerned that I'm smelly. Never pleasant.
3. Trains run only until midnight. That makes going out with friends at night tricky and often leads to us leaving the fun earlier than we would have wanted. Cabs are more expensive at night, so that doesn't help the cause of merry-making.
4. You will, no doubt, be inundated with people selling things. Metro ride time is not quiet, alone time. Want a candy bar? How about a small flashlight? What about a yo-yo? Someone's probably going to be yelling "Cinco pesos le vale!" in your ear selling these items. The pirated music CD sellers are the most noticeable (and extremely surprising on first ride). They carry a backpack with speakers and blast snippets of tunes of the CD they're selling. You'll encounter at least three of them per ride, depending on the length you're on the train. It's very annoying to have that blasting in your ear, those days you're in a bad mood. Ahem.
So, although I ended with the cons, I have to say that the Metro is fabulous. The rides are quick, so the annoyances are fleeting. Yay for the Metro! I promise the rest of my transportation posts will not be as verbose.
Fascinating! I have always found it interesting to notice the differences between trains in different major cities. They really do all have their own characters. I know what you mean about the smell and sweat...I had one particularly horrible trip on the London Tube during rush hour where I was pressed up between some sweaty men and walked away stinking like their B.O. I had to shower 3 times before I couldn't smell their stink on me. Ugh.
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