The Ease of Public Transportation- Blog #6

When I am home in Fair Haven or in Baltimore at school, I walk or drive my car to get anywhere I need. Something that has been completely new to me is taking public transportation every single day. Budapest is a great size city where you can walk wherever you want to depend on your preference. My experience with any kind of public transpiration is typically stressful and hectic as they are super unreliable. In recent years, public transportation near me in the New Jersey/New York area has become not as efficient and more dangerous than it used to be. However, in Budapest, I have had nothing but great experiences with the tram, metro, and bus.

My commute to school daily consists of taking a metro and walking a little bit. Each day I appreciate and notice more of my surroundings as it has become my daily commute. I have only used public transportation for vacations or going on small trips. On the metro's themselves, there are people of all ages. There are children around the age of 8-10 who are unaccompanied and then there are many people over the age of 70. 

You have about 5 seconds before the metro doors shut. People run on and off the metros and many are not driven by people so the doors will not stay open for you if you are in a hurry. The metro does come every five minutes or so however when you are in a rush five minutes does not cut it. The seats inside the metro are fuzzy, colorful, and clean. This aspect of public transportation is very new to me. When it is a commuting hour, it is common to stand less than 5 inches away from a stranger. Every seat will be filled and people grab onto whatever they can so they don't fall. 

The metro station itself when you walk to get on the train is made out of concrete. The ceilings are high and this makes any sound echo. Each station has its own identity in the sense that when you take the ride up the large escalators the walls are a solid color but this varies from station to station. The stations are clean and honestly have a fresh smell to them. There is no trash on the ground and the lighting is welcoming. Once you exit from the escalators many stations have a passageway that has colorful tiles on it.

The majority of the stations have some kind of cafe inside of them before you exit to ground level. Cafes are a large part of the Hungarian culture so where you may see fast food in a train station you would find a cafe in its place. Chimney cakes, muffins, and donuts are just a few examples of the pastries that these types of cafes would carry. In the station themselves you aren't as likely to see people carrying any kind of coffee. Most people only walk around with food, since there is really no such thing as an iced coffee here, I haven't seen many carrying anything else besides some kind of pastry. The tiny cafes that are inside the metro help enhance the atmosphere. Instead of the smell of garbage and other foul smells, the smell of yummy pastries fills the air instead. The cinnamon-sweet smell of the chimney cakes warms the air of the metro stations.

The most surprising thing that I have seen so far in the metro stations is that even though this is the most popular way to get across the city, the stations themselves are very quiet almost in an eerie way. The sound of the train itself is very quiet compared to what I am used to. Nobody is sitting on their phone or really calling while they are walking through the station. Especially after the high peak commuter hours, there are many people on the train but it is almost silent. In contrast to the United States where many people are super loud, the metro stations and the trains themselves are very relaxing and I see why it is such a crucial aspect of the city. 

The stations are welcoming and very unique. They are nothing like what I have seen before. The architecture of the concrete shapes inside is very intricate. The escalators are always running smoothly. Furthermore, on the escalators, nobody will shove you in front of you or push you out of the way. I have noticed how most people will stand patiently on the escalator and almost appreciate the peaceful aspect of riding the escalator. I enjoy the ride as I have a good 15 seconds to slow down and just reflect. 

The city of Budapest is very much a walking city in my opinion. However, public transportation is so efficient and safe. It is accessible to you wherever you are. If you get off at the wrong stop, it takes less than five minutes to get right back on track. In addition to the metro, the tram is one of my favorite ways to see the city. The above-ground tram runs more locally and can only take you a few stops. This being said, with the tram you can take over some of the bridges that cross the Danube and you get the most beautiful view. 

Overall, all the different types of public transportation that I have used here have helped enhance my stay here. They are fun and super easy to use. It helps get me from where I am living to where I go to school. On my days off it is enjoyable to make the metro all over the city just to familiarize myself with using the public transportation. Since it is clean and efficient I can see why this is such an easy way to travel the city.