NYC Vs. DC Subway Rat Race

It all started with a NY Times reporter-blogger's ride on the DC Metro. The Times' Jennifer 8. Lee spied a poster in a Metro subway car, showing a rat along with the copy (emphasis is ours): "Unlike some subway systems (which will remain nameless), you don’t see rats the size of house cats roaming the Metro. Why not? Because we are so strict about eating and drinking in the system. So help us keep the critters away. Please don’t eat or drink on the Metro.”

Lee bristled that the Metro would taunt NYC about our unofficial mascot, (even though a Metro spokesman denied the ad was referring to NYC) noting, "It’s a little out of form for another city to needle another about our rats," and proceeded to take down D.C., ending with, "City Room will say, sure, Washington’s system may be rat-free, but its subway map also has all the sophistication of Fisher Price."

Oh, snap! Our Beltway sibling DCist took umbrage, as did its readers. Possibly the most withering comment (and there are many!) is from DCist commenter monkeyrotica:

Who the f**k wants a sophisticated subway map? WTF does that even mean? I'm thinking something in an a nice font like Trajan with pictures of sea serpents around Rockaway with a scroll in their mouth that says, "Here There Be Monsters."

Welcome to Dumbassville (aka Park Slope). Population: you.

Ouch, but love the idea of scroll-bearing sea serpents near Rockaway. Anyway, it's a reminder of the simmering feuds between urban centers - and between NYC subway map designs (Kick Map versus the current design).

And some thoughts on how NYC's subway system stacks up against the world (three words: Twenty-four hours).

Contact the author of this article or email tips@gothamist.com with further questions, comments or tips.

By Jen Chung in News on February 27, 2008 5:32 PM

Comments [rss]

fran in exile

Beyond DC, I grew up in Philly and assumed that SEPTA was at the bottom of the heap . . . until I moved to Boston. Not only does the T not run 24 hours, there aren't even any busses to replace it.

EVERYTHING stops at about 1:15, 45 minutes before ALL bars and clubs close. Brilliant for a college town. EVERYONE drives drunk and brags about it.

Oh yeah, the green line runs with the frequency of rat sightings in the DC metro. 20 minutes on the downtown trunk isn't rare. Ugh, I've given up trying to use it. I bike when it's not snowing (8 storms so far this winter). I'm counting the days until I can flee.

monkeyrotica

Actually, the Tokyo subway system has both NYC and DC beat. The attendants bow after they've shoved your ass in the car, and for the most part, the frottageurs are extremely polite when they dry hump your leg.

Canuckgrrl

I'm a Canadian who spent three years in NYC (82-85) and 4.5 in DC (well, Falls Church VA from 92-97) and I'll take NYC hands-down.

When I took classes at Parsons midtown campus, I caught my 7 train from Times Square and never freaked on the ratz, but as has been mentioned previously, the roaches in DC have their own licence tags.

Don't mind BART though, but those silly cards with minor change on them make me hurl, eh? :-)

Can't hardly wait to get back to visit NYC and DC in April/May.

Canuckgrrl

I'm a Canadian who spent three years in NYC (82-85) and 4.5 in DC (well, Falls Church VA from 92-97) and I'll take NYC hands-down.

When I took classes at Parsons midtown campus, I caught my 7 train from Times Square and never freaked on the ratz, but as has been mentioned previously, the roaches in DC have their own licence tags.

Don't mind BART though, but those silly cards with minor change on them make me hurl, eh? :-)

Can't hardly wait to get back to visit NYC and DC in April/May.

BeyondDC

NYC subway > DC Metro > Chicago El > Boston T > SEPTA > the rest of America.

merijack

Im a DC native, but I find the poster and its snide sentiment offensive.. In addition to having a flat fare (not a small thing when you consider how dang muchMetro costs) and access to most neighborhoods, my goodness, it's New York...

Still, to my mind, the capital of the world...

Oh-the staid, provincial ways of this town can sink the spirit like a cinder block placed around

the neck...

IMGoph

finally, not only does their map appear to be designed by a four year old, it's actually totally deceptive. for example, the terminus of each end of the red line are within walking distance of each other. so you can't really fault the map for being stupid...

hi there new yorkers, i'm one of the trolls from down in DC, and i just had to point something out to your poster miss mess here. she (i'm assuming it's a woman) is accusing something in DC of stupidity, but she needs to get herself checked.

the two ends of the red line are closer than they appear on our well-designed map (ask a cartographer, 9 out of 10 will agree!), but they sure as shit aren't within walking distance, unless you define walking distance as over 7 miles (that's as the crow flies, surely longer if you don't walk straight through people's living rooms).

sorry to call you out, miss mess, but don't make assertions about stuff when you clearly don't have a damn clue what you're talking about. that is all, go back to doing whatever it is you do.

wendoza

East River, are you telling me that you want to wait in line behind 20 or more tourists everyday just trying to EXIT the subway station?! They already have a hard enough time just purchasing and implementing the cards, do we really have to make them swipe the damn thing AGAIN?!?!

I'll take my flat fare any day versus the option of having one more incompetent tourist impede my way home.

laurak

Not sure why, but the DC Metro makes me car sick. Could be because of the bad braking skills of the conductors.

Bob

miss mess - uh, no.

8.6 mi – about 19 mins

View Larger Map

aydiosmio

The great thing about the current NYC subway map (part of its design in fact) is that it relates the location of subway stops geographically. If I know I am at point X, I have a good idea which direction and how long it will take me to get to point Y. On other maps you have to know exactly where your stations are to know how to navigate them in reality.

Can't really beat 24 hour door-to-door service.

ungawaa

No FLAVOR on the METRO

No FUNNY DRUNKS

NO SOAP BOX HUSTLIN

NO TALENT

NO STYLE MAVENS

NO INTEREST PERIOD.

BLAND, CLEAN, BUT GOING NOWHERE FAST.

NY STAND UP, Be GROWN 24 HRS vs. at Pentagon City tryna work it out.

TKaisen

I'm thinking something in an a nice font like Trajan with pictures of sea serpents around Rockaway with a scroll in their mouth that says, "Here There Be Monsters."

Everything else aside.... that's funny right there.

MisterTissue

Chicago's transit, as a sidenote, is the only other city with 24 hour trains (Red and Blue lines).

It's a pretty okay system, but nothing compared to NY's.

MisterTissue

I will gladly trade rats for 24 hour subways, 24 hour restaurants, the center of culture and art, and everything else that is great about NY.

DC does have a pretty subway, but I don't think it makes up for the amount of assholes on the hill, the disgusting segregation, nor the astronomical murder rate. That town sucks. Except the Smithsonian. Can we move that to NY?

JMH

I should clarify. I love the NYC subway system. The 24-hour service alone leads me to pick it over any other without a second thought.

That being said, I do not see why people need to leave their garbage everywhere.

iank

"Here there be monsters"

I sense an art project coming on!

w0wzers

NYC hands down, just by sheer volume. And how many movies has the Metro played a part in? The nyc subway is famous baby. Also I hate the G train, I have to take it all my life, and the 4 car thing kills me. I've been late so many times becuase of that train and it's 4 freaking cars, and the worst part is they don't even sit in the station for any longer. It's like if you aren't where the train stops when it comes in you're screwed. Sure the conductor might wait for you if you haul ass. Now i'm just venting.

iank

"Here there be monsters"

I sense an art project coming on!

msk

Yeah, about that DC eating on the subway policy -- it's also fairly racist in the way it is informed. Basically, if you're white, don't even think about drinking a soda on the train, but if you're not, do what you want.

And the flat fare is pretty key, esp. compared to the Tube and other European transit systems -- they also require you to show your metrocard in order to get out of the station as well as enter, which is a pain.

And a Southern roach (aka waterbug) could eat a NY rat for breakfast...