Navigating Mass Rapid Transits in Overwhelming Cities

Navigating public transportation can be a challenge when it comes to a new city. Especially when we’re not regular public transport users. Singapore used to be the training ground, with only two SMRT lines and integrated buses. Now, the neighboring country has six lines with over 140 stations. My personal favorite stop, Dhoby Ghaut has become so overwhelmingly large and confusing. The busiest station back in the day, City Hall, now shared the crowd with many other interchanges.

Since then, me and Dudu have experienced public transport, subways in particular, around the world. From London’s Underground to New York's infamous MTA Transit. Wandering around Seoul’s Metro, going up and down Bangkok’s BTS and getting lost in Paris’ Métropolitain. Not to mention KL’s Rapid Transit, Metro de Madrid and the Prague Metro. Recently, we added Los Angeles MTA to our list. Our goal is to try the well-known Tokyo Metro.

Every Subway has its own complicated map, plus language barrier if we’re traveling in non-English Speaking countries. Some of them we travelled back to a decade ago when Google Maps wasn't as advanced, and metro cards aren't as easy to get. So we do have to rely on maps and one-time tickets.

Collecting our “Transit” stories, these are things we learnt the hard way. Some of them are so basic and we were warned that when we nostalgically recall them, it becomes an inside joke.

Check the nearest exit.

This is true for the Seoul Subway. We were trying to go to Mouse Rabbit, a cafe owned by Super Junior Yesung. The station was Konkuk University. Konkuk has 5 exits and all leading to different sides of the area. We were told to go out from exit 3, cross the road and take a short walk there. We ended up at exit 1 and wandering around the district before finally arriving at the cafe. The subway stations are indeed confusing, so make sure you have extra time to figure out which exit is the right one. Time the trip accordingly and make sure you know the station’s name in local language or writings.

Gwanghwamun Exit 9, 2018

Check the nearest exit with the least stairs.

Welcome to London’s Underground and New York's MTA Transit, where stairs are the most common way to reach the stations. Not surprising, since New York’s MTA Transit was built in 1904 and London’s Underground (or Tube) has been there since 1863. London has been renovating their stations and offering more stairs-free access. New York on the other hand, is trying their best to revamp the important ones. New York Penn Station, for example, is a hub with suburban cities' rail, and was a modern station with escalators and elevators.

On our recent trip, we stayed near Times Square and our nearest subway entrance is a narrow stairs-only alleyway. To reach the escalator, we have to walk another 5 minutes through the packed sidewalk to 42 St-Port Authority Bus Terminal. Choose wisely when you have luggage to carry.

Find out about payments in advance.

New York's MTA Transit has several card options that you can pick. Most of the machines don't accept cash payments, so be ready with cashless ones. In Singapore, many machines accept contactless payment methods like Apple Pay and Google Pay. A lot of locals are using their phones to tap in and out. If you want to use EZ Link cards, make sure you buy one when the ticketing office is open.

BTS Card, 2019

Plan your budget accordingly, especially when you’re not planning to return in the near future.

Most of the values stored in a subway card are non-refundable. So if you top up more than you need, it’s likely that you’ll lose the money. Singapore EZ Link cards values can be transferred to a new one if yours is expired. Kuala Lumpur Rapid Transit and BRT still issue the single journey token. Bangkok BTS system also has a single journey card. Alternatively, you can see if the subway offers a 1-day pass or 3-day pass that gives you unlimited rides with a fixed price paid upfront.

Prague Metro 2010

Enjoy the ride!

• One of my favorite things to do is standing on the first or last car of Singapore’s Thomson–East Coast Line to see the train moves. It feels like a theme park ride. However, other subways have their own stories to tell and here are my favorites.
• Paris Métro is so pretty with the art and decorations. The subway system started in 1900 and is one of the busiest subways in Europe. Thus, despite the pretty decor, we have to be careful with pickpockets.

Of all decorations in Paris Metro, Andrew decided to take picture with movie posters.

• Los Angeles MTA is crazy. We’ll see homeless people sleeping in the cars. The rides are long, and it runs on the road with cars. So, they might get stuck in traffic, too.
• Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur have two different MRTs, like we do here in Indonesia. There’s MRT and there’s something else. Bangkok has BTS, Kuala Lumpur has LRT and Monorail.
• One thing you have to try on the Seoul Subway is taking a route that crosses the Han River.
• While riding London’s Tube, get ready for a blackout. The locals will act like nothing happened, while the tourists usually scream in panic. It was really nothing when it happened to us, and the light came back after a few minutes.