[lazide]

They’re fine when it’s not packed rush hour and you’re sweating your ass off (Tube), or getting shaken down by grifters (Metro) anyway.

Which can be much of the time, but isn’t always for sure.

NYC subway is also nice when the buskers aren’t blaring music at 140db right next to you and daring anyone to confront them.

Still usually better than driving, depending on where you’re going. Sometimes even faster?

Women and children might not agree though.

[nvy]

>Women and children

Dunno about the Tube but women and children routinely take the Paris Metro.

>grifters

This just means you look like a tourist.

[lazide]

They take it, but are they comfortable doing so? Or just have no better alternatives?

Most women I knew in those cities preferred riding with friends or a boyfriend, some even took taxis to avoid the metros at night if they couldn’t. But that was also a crapshoot, because some taxi drivers are even worse and then you definitely won’t have anyone else around.

Most moved out of the cities entirely when they got kids for ‘safety issues’, among other things. Like the logistical nightmare that is navigating the systems with kids and all their stuff. A few stayed and got cars.

Very few systems the public seems to consider generally safe enough to send kids unattended - Zurich, Tokyo, Singapore are the only ones that occur to me.

Tokyo has a serious subway groping issue though, fwiw.

Grifters - truly, such a comforting thing to say that ensures everyone will feel the apparent warm fuzzies you seem to have?

Notably, they left me alone after some eye contact, but seemed to have no issue harassing female parisians indefinitely while the cops ignored them. None of the women seemed surprised. None of them seemed happy about it either. I didn’t see any unsolicited touching though, so that’s good!

C’est la vie?

[nvy]

You're not going to convince me that the pickup truck hellscape in the US is superior.

[lazide]

When did I ever argue that?

I’m just calling bullshit on the public transit is perfect fairytale. Which is common here.

Both have pros and cons, and depending on who you are and what you’re doing, the balance will shift to different places.