The Metro

The Metro, for anyone who lives in Spain already knows, is the underground subway system.  In Madrid, everyone uses the Metro.  In fact I would say a huge portion of the population here don't own a car since the Metro is a cheaper and more rapid form of transportation.  Since Madrid is huge and I happen to live on the opposite side of the city as my school, I use the Metro every day.  In the two and a half months so far living in Madrid I have seen a lot of interesting things on the Metro.

Here is a list, not necessarily in order, of things that people do while riding the Metro:

1.  Listen to their MP3 players

2.  Talk on their cell phone (which amazes me because I think many cell phones in the US would not have reception so far underground)

3.  Read books (incidentally, many people put covers on their book so nobody knows what they are reading)

4.  Beg for money (many homeless people come on and ask for money for food)

5.  Drink beer

6.  Make-out (many teenagers use this as a place for some serious "public displays of attention")

7.  Play instruments or sing (for money)

8.  Play games on their cell phones

9.  Correct school papers/do homework

10.  Roll their own cigarettes (with bags of tobacco and paper to roll the tobacco in)

11.  Put on make-up/do their hair

12.  Eat a snack

13.  Socialize

14.  Sleep

15.  Take touristy pictures of people while riding the Metro

An empty Metro at 6AM on a weekend

I am sure by the end of eight months I will have many more things to add to this list...