Setting: Early morning, the red line LUAS, from Heuston station

My bad side: It’s 7 in the morning.  Who smokes that early?  Obviously the guy next to me.  Maybe if we weren’t pressed together like sardines. . .

My good side: It’s only five stops, relax.  Besides, it’s better than the bus.  I always think I’m going to die on the stairs.  And look how streamlined the LUAS is.  How sexy.

My bad side: Uh, my face is in someone’s back.  Who cares what the outside looks like?

My good side: Public transportation is good for the environment!  It saves trees!

My bad side: There are too many trees anyway; all they do is block the sun.  Point is, I’m shoved in a doorway with smelly strangers, and there is a bunch of space up by those seats, but no hand rail. 

My good side: Just move as close to the door as you can and breathe.

My bad side: Breathing facilitates smelling.  Not a good thing on the LUAS.  Who designed it anyway?  Hmmm, let’s keep all the open space for the standing travellers by the doors, where people have to enter and exit. Then let’s put seats two by two to take up as much space as possible and not provide any handrails through the length of the train. Genius!  I miss New York.

My good side: Well New York subways are better, but New York is about ten times bigger than Dublin.

My bad side: I’m not talking about train number or frequency.  I’m just talking about the inside.  It’s not equipped for the number of commuters.  Dublin commuters.

My good side: What do you suggest then?

My bad side: All you have to do is put the seats in one row, along the sides of the train and provide handrails everywhere.  That way standing commuters are distributed evenly throughout the train.  You can fit more people standing than sitting.  Then no one will feel that special LUAS-induced rage.

My good side: And everyone will be happy!

My bad side: Now you’re going too far.

The LUAS vs the subway.  Notice the handrails over the seats in the NYC subway: there’s room for people both standing and sitting.