Photo of the Day (02-12-08)

by Martha Edwards on


Quick question: Is this escalator, which leads weary travellers to the deepest Metro station in the Paris transportation network, shot from the bottom looking up or the top looking down? With a bit of consideration, I realize it’s taken from the top looking down, but it’s almost like one of those optical illusions that can go either way.

But that’s only one of the aspects I like about this photo of the Place des Fêtes from Orange Duck–I also love the lines and the urban feel of the shot.

Got travel photos to share? Upload them to Gadling’s Flickr pool and we’ll consider them for our Photo of the Day feature.

I’m on da E train. Where da Hell are You?

by Iva Skoch on

As if the New York subway system isn’t loud enough. Now, the city is planning to get all the 277 stations wired for cell phones and Wi-Fi in the next six years. I know other cities in Europe and Asia with subway cell phone coverage, but New York?

On one hand, this could be good. The NYC subway is not the most reliable piece of public transportation known to man. It is not uncommon for trains to just not show for 30+ minutes. Calling to say you are running late might be convenient.

At the same time, the subway is about the only place in NYC where one is not exposed to people’s private conversations. The subway is also about the only place people don’t work. The 6 train will be a trip — all the Blackberry-thumb-typists trying to catch up on email even before they get to their downtown office. What happens to the time they save by working on the subway, you ask? They go on vacation to places without cell phone coverage…

Best Underground Transit In the World Is…

by Iva Skoch on

…apparently London’s, but this is a list compiled by Virgin, a British company, so go figure. Anyone who has ever spent more than two seconds in London’s tube during rush hour must question their sanity.

Don’t get me wrong, I think London has a great and extensive subway system but during rush hour it is a nightmare – packed and no air-con. Plus, it costs 4GBP (about $8) for a single ride, unless you buy an Oyster Card, their version of a pass which is well-worth it but still very expensive.

Anyway, here is Virgin’s Top 11 Underground Transit Systems in the World:

  1. London
  2. Paris
  3. Moscow
  4. Madrid
  5. Tokyo
  6. Seoul
  7. New York
  8. Montreal
  9. Beijing
  10. Hong-Kong
  11. Sao Paulo, Brazil

Out of all of these, my vote goes to the Paris and Hong-Kong subway systems. New York’s is relatively cheap ($2) and easy to navigate, but geez, it looks, smells and operates like something from a third world country!