As a Torontonian, when I visit East Asian cities metropolises, I envy the superiority of their metro systems, including:
More comprehensive subway lines
Trains with automated signalling that rarely break down/are late
Platform screen doors that make queuing easier
Signs by the screen doors that tell me when to expect the next train
Fares based on distance travelled
The ability to pay my fare on my phone (or by credit card)
Screens in the trains that tell me what side I will be exiting
Wifi and cell service available in the trains
Despite the envy, I can accept all of these deficiencies because on some level, they relate to infrastructure and building, something that my society has lost the ability to do effectively — while tragic, I have accepted.
What I find much more troubling are the things that don’t cost money and don’t require any infrastructure or building expertise.
A good example of this is numbering entrances/exits in subway stations. This makes navigating unfamiliar subway stations a much more pleasant experience. It costs essentially nothing to implement and is a clear win.
This isn’t some hidden secret; numbering entrances/exits is widely known to anyone who has travelled or has even the tiniest interest in metro systems.
It’s one thing when my society can’t build — this I can accept as it requires money, planning and expertise .
When my society cannot even implement widely known, cost-free low-hanging fruit improvements, it suggests a level of apathy and complacency that really bothers me. This reveals a failure in both the transit agencies for not implementing this and the general public for not being invested enough to raise their voice.
In a similar vein to the inability to label entrance/exits at subway stations, what are other small signs that you are living in a complacent apathetic society?
Have you considered printing off a few sheets of paper, getting some glue, and just adding a few signs yourself? ;-)