The Metro

First, a disclaimer: This is a rant about public transportation.

Now, in the last five years that I have been car-less, I have become a huge fan of public transportation. While it sucks sometimes having to wait on an outdoor platform in the cold for a train (or bus) that is rarely on time or doesn't smell like urine, it's nice when you don't have to worry about parking.

So one of the things that I enjoy the most about Madrid is its fantastic transportation system: An underground train (the Metro) with 12 lines, and each station has neon signs that tell you how long before the next train arrives. Over 200 lines of buses that run in the city streets, and another few that operate from the city to the outlying suburban areas also. In addition to the sheer size of the system, the buses and trains are clean (no pee smell!), and above all, they are always on time. Like, down to the minute. If you are going to catch the 10:00 am bus, you'd better be there by 9:58 at least, because the instant the clock hits 10 am, the bus is rolling out of the station.

Since I've been here a month now, my morning routine has been boiled down to a formula. My departure by 9:20 + 10 minute walk to Nuevos Ministerios + 15 minute ride to Moncloa = Marcy is waiting for the 9:50 bus, but usually waits to take the less-crowded 10 am. But the last few days have proven to really screw with my formula, and take me back to the days of my former best friend, the El.

Last Thursday, my usual 15-minute ride to the Moncloa station where I catch my bus turned into a 25-minute odyssey because the train I take was not functioning. Rather than taking my usual train 5 stops, I was forced to take 4 different trains to get to the same station. As such, I arrived at approximately 10:03, missing the 10 am bus by a few minutes. On Monday, I was allowed back on Line 6, but the train remained stationary sat for about 5 minutes in three different stations. Again, I arrived at Moncloa a few minutes too late to catch the 10 am bus, and consequently, I was about 15 minutes late to work both days.

For me, it's not about having sat on the train doing nothing for 15 minutes or so (although at least on the El they tell you why you're waiting). It's not about making repairs ( I get it, they're necessary). It's about the trust I've built with the Metro, trust which has now been violated.

I'm over you, Line 6. No longer will I tell my friends and roommates about how easy my commute is to work, because in order to avoid you, I now have to take 2 trains, exit the station and walk about 7 minutes, then re-enter another station in order to catch the bus.