h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

the capacity of the metro is 20% higher in the summer than the winter. Reason. The big coats that everyone wears.

Why is there a lady in a booth at the bottom of the escalator? She is there to try and make you lose balance by making the handrail move faster than the steps.

When you enter the London Underground you can see that there is a barrier that prevents your entry. To open the barrier, you present your ticket. In Moscow, the "barrier" looks as if it is open. But if you try to pass without presenting your ticket, you are punished because the barrier snaps shut and bruises your legs. To me this is a symbol of the difference between Russian and western approaches to the law. In England, we have the notion of crime prevention, that is, we try to help our citizens not break the law. In Russia, the notion is law enforcement and meting out punishment on the guilty. In Russia it is so easy to break laws without knowing that you are doing it.

Regarding the Arbatskaya junction - there is no street access to the Borovitskaya station.

>>To me this is a symbol of the difference between Russian and western approaches to the law.

Interesting. It could also be a symbol of assumption of innocence - the doors are open by default and only closed when you don't have the right ticket.

I think it's very funny though. Giving you a good slap in the knees the first time you use it is an effective lesson! The vagaries of the barriers on the Tube are a complete mystery to me.

There is too access. It's from (under) the long wall of the Lennin Library, on the huge road that sweeps past the Kremlin/Alex Sad.

Personally, for me the open gates symbolise one of the more seductive things about Russsia. The fact that you don't get treated like a child. If someone is daft enough to think he can travel on the Metro without a ticket, he deserves to get your legs pinched.

Me I get infuriated on the London underground by having to look for my ticket again at the end of my journey. Not to mention, the wating around for trains, the annoyance at having to take a different routee than I had planned cos there's always something closed for repairs, and as for the cost

Do I love the Metro, or what?

"his legs pinched." Drat.

The St Petersburg metro uses coin-shaped tokens and the barriers are closed by default.

One time I was trying to get through them and my token wasn't working properly. It was an extremely busy time of day and the crowds of people around me started indicating for me to crawl underneath the barrier.

Eventually I did so, struggling with my bulky rucksack, only to get a round of applause as I finally emerged on the other side.

None of the station staff batted an eyelid.