The Parisian Metro

The metro in Paris is pretty dern good. It is definitely not perfect, and it stops running way too early on weekends (metro stops at 1:30 and French celebrations don't get underway until 12:00...), but transfers are usually quick and even at rush hour one can often get a seat.

However, my 7:30 morning commute is an exception. In order to make my transfer and avoid waiting for a later train, I have to board the 12 line at the very farthest end of the track and then run like the wind to catch the 10 at the Sevres-Babylone stop. I am not the only one to do this; at this time of day there are a ton of high school and college students pouring into the Latin Quarter. This means that the last car on the 12 is suspiciously full on a mostly empty train only to clear out in seconds at our transfer point. If you ever want to see groggy and over-caffeinated students running with backpacks and books and heavy coats flapping around, just pull up a chair at Sevres-Babylone and enjoy the show.

What a way to start off the first Monday of the New Year.