<\/p>\n

I have a friend who bumped into a couple at a bar. They were drinking pints and discussing points over, what appeared to be, a map. And, it was: A map of the Buenos Aires underground-Subte<\/em> lines. When asked whether they needed help getting somewhere, they simply replied,\u00a0 no, thanks<\/em>. Apparently, every city this couple travel to they take a full day to experience the underground transit lines.<\/p>\n

Nothing could be more strange, yet appropriate. The different levels of a city reflect different sides of its culture. Above ground is the skin, the aesthetic of a city, where colonial architecture, green parks, and streets scattered with caf\u00e9s promote the extroverted cultural vibe. However, the blood of the city, its pulse and life, occurs below the surface. The underground-train is how the commoners commute and\u00a0how the locals get around. The lurkers of the underworld hustle and bustle\u00a0below leaving the above ground for foreigners and tourists.<\/p>\n

A recent article in the Financial Times<\/a> explores the lifeblood of Paris, the underground train called the M\u00e9tro. Contrast to London\u00b4s Tube, the M\u00e9tro is a \u00a8more grown-up\u00a8 transit-system that the French take pride in. The stations are cleaner, extravagantly themed, comprehensive and reliable. And, why not? The very essence of a city is the movement of its people.<\/p>\n

My biggest pet-peeve in a city is a transit fail. Although accidents do happen and delays cannot be predicted, I find myself frustrated by chronically tardy, thus\u00a0unreliable, metropolitan transportation. \u00a0A city only thrives and grows when its people are doing things. Due to population density, primary and secondary industries are impossible in a city which make tertiary services, an industry that requires mobility, the only option. I know that a city is going to be boring when its transit is crap.<\/p>\n

Perhaps the M\u00e9tro is the very reason that Paris persists as the number one tourist destination in the world: the people can move throughout the city with ease. Even Julian Pepinster, a devout M\u00e9tro-rider followed in the article, takes the underground \u00a8just to relax\u00a8. Wouldn\u00b4t that be nice?<\/p>\n

By Brit Weaver<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

About the Author<\/strong>
\n<\/p>\n

Toronto born and based, Brit is an avid leisure cyclist, coffee drinker and under-a-tree park-ist. She often finds herself meandering foreign cities looking for street eats to nibble, trees to climb, a patch of grass to sit on, or a small bookstore to sift through. You can find her musing life on her personal blog,\u00a0TheBubblesAreDead.wordpress.com<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I have a friend who bumped into a couple at a bar. They were drinking pints and discussing points over, what appeared to be, a map. And, it was: A map of the Buenos Aires underground-Subte lines. When asked whether they needed help getting somewhere, they simply replied,\u00a0 no, thanks. Apparently, every city this couple […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":6512,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1,2562,2573],"tags":[2305,81,1466],"yoast_head":"\n