Top ten signs you are a mass-transit geek

by Adam Purple | January 3, 2009 at 09:18 am

1120 views | 57 Recommendations | 23 comments

With each New Year, I resolve to spend less time in my car and more time walking, carpooling, riding my bike, or taking mass-transit to work. Here's a piece I wrote for all my fellow mass-transit geeks out there. Happy New Year.

You know you are a mass transit geek if…

  10. You get almost giddy at the idea of a compressed-natural-gas-hyrbrid-electric-powered city bus.

9. The number of transit maps you own exceeds the number of cities you’ve actually visited.

8. When visiting a new city, you make a point to ride its light rail, subway, bus, or ferry system. Even if–especially if–you have no where to go, because, well, duh.

7. You know that intra-city buses are not much better than cars in terms of per-passenger-mile fuel efficiency, but still love them anyway.

6. You used subway tiling in your latest home renovation project. In the living room.

5. You keep a running list of the transit systems you’ve ridden. With pictures.

4. You know what a PCC car is, and where you can still ride one.

3. You’ve had the yes, but the highway system was subsidized, too argument more times than you can count.

2. Your entire knowledge of the Spanish language consists of: No se apoye contra la puerta. [Don't lean against the doors.]

1. You are convinced that Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone, but wholeheartedly believe in the National City Lines conspiracy.

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brunsa2

at 15:13 on January 3rd, 2009

Does designing your own subway system count, too? I'm working on one for the University of Chicago: http://www.flickr.com/photos/helveticafanatic/sets/72157606099675491/

Amy Judd

at 13:21 on January 3rd, 2009

I was definitely a mass transit geek when living in London, however in Vancouver not so much I'm afraid. Partly I blame the lack of a good transit system here, but partly I blame myself... good piece!

Hopenow

at 14:37 on January 3rd, 2009

I agree: mass transit is great and really the best way to know what is happening in your city. You can people watch, check out all the new fashions, or just vegetate and listen to an ipod or read a book.

digitaljoe

at 19:29 on January 3rd, 2009

This photo was taken in late July of 2001, approximately one month before the PCC cars of the Newark City Subway were scheduled to be retired. PCC number 19 is arriving at the new Branch Brook Park station which was end of the line at the time this photograph was taken (the subway has since been extended into the suburbs of Bloomfield and Belleville). By the end of August 2001, the PPCs were replaced with Light Rail Vehicles manufactured by Kinki Sharyo of Japan. The Newark City Subway was also renamed the Newark Light Rail to more accurately reflect the change in rolling stock as well as the fact that only a small segment of the original line travelled underground. Is that geeky enough?
digitaljoe has contributed a photo to this story.

Pythiian1

at 20:37 on January 3rd, 2009

Nice piece.

I must be a mass-transit geek then since I live in a city where the majority of the people depend on mass transit system as their sole means of transport. It may surprise some people to know that many native born New Yorkers don't even know how to drive or own a driver's license. Walk, ride a bike, subway, bus, taxis, water taxis, and ferries are some of the options to travel around the boroughs and the city.

Karenke4

at 10:28 on January 3rd, 2009

Love it.

OttawaSteve

at 14:05 on January 3rd, 2009

Nice.

wwritter

at 14:17 on January 3rd, 2009

I love the subway in New York City.

wwritter has contributed a photo to this story.

Amy Judd

at 15:18 on January 3rd, 2009

That's great! good photos too.

harringtola

at 16:57 on January 3rd, 2009

I got a real chuckle out of this post. However, where I live it would be really hard for me to actually be a "mass transit geek" since we do not even have a taxi in town. Still I enjoyed the piece immensely.

antonioguerrero70

at 17:03 on January 3rd, 2009

Cohabitating with subway creatures.

antonioguerrero70 has contributed a photo to this story.

Adam Purple

at 19:22 on January 3rd, 2009

Designing your own subway system elevates you to the Pantheon of mass-transit geeks. Well done.

Adam Purple

at 19:50 on January 3rd, 2009

Absolutely!

Paschen

at 21:59 on January 3rd, 2009

I like it. :)

shertila

at 00:22 on January 4th, 2009

lying lost beside the banks of a canal in Amsterdam, this one never made it home.

shertila has contributed a photo to this story.

tmismone

at 00:43 on January 4th, 2009

Preserved prototype all electric tram 1041 forerunner of the Z series cars of the former MMTB later MTA,this is at Hawthorn depot which is now a seldom open museum in Melbourne Australia.

zed.fitzhume has contributed a photo to this story.

Kandy Ackland

at 02:13 on January 4th, 2009

Grand Central Station. It's all true. Very grand, central and a station. It's certainly impressive. Especially the food hall and the utterly decadent oyster and champagne restaurant. Very clean, stunning lighting and gorgeous art deco design details.
This, clearly, is the subway wall. It's beautiful now with it's years of wear, so just imagine how shiney it must have been when first built!
I only aquired a driving liscence last year so have experienced a huge range of public transport all over the world. So far, Grand Central Station is at the top of the glam list. Even Dubai airport, with it's palm trees, masses of gold and top of the range 4x4 prize draws, lacks the beauty, craftsmanship and historic interest you're presented with at this superb public transport terminal.

Kandy Ackland has contributed a photo to this story.

azzayindia

at 06:31 on January 4th, 2009

great story

DewCon

at 06:43 on January 4th, 2009

A snowy and cold December night in downtown La Crosse, Wisconsin, as a city bus arrives at a passenger stop where a young girl (left) was waiting with her grandmother. This was a handheld shot at 1600 ISO (resulting in a bit of "noise") using a small point-and-shoot digital camera as I waited to catch a bus home from work.

DewCon has contributed a photo to this story.

Adam Purple

at 06:53 on January 4th, 2009

I've lived in New York as well, although that was over 20 years ago now. I didn't own a car then, and certainly didn't need one. I took pride in learning to navigate the subways, trying to figure out the best way to get from A to B at a given time of day. The subway museum in Brooklyn is also great fun, if you ever get a chance to go.