Public transportation in China is a sport. The first time I rode a subway in Beijing when I was there this past June, it was a culture shock all over again. I watched as two subways to go by because I was unwilling to squeeze myself into the crowded cars. In the end, I ended up shoving my way onto the subway.
Traveling during rush hours (7:00AM-9:00AM and 5:00PM-7:00PM) is near impossible if you’re not willing to literally push yourself onto a bus or subway. It’s every man (or woman) for yourself. There is some semblance of a queue in most stations, but once you’re on the subway, all semblance of personal space disappears. There was one time I rode a subway across Beijing (for seven stations) with a man breathing on my neck the entire time. If someone bumps into you or shoves into you, don’t be surprised if you don’t hear an apology. It’s not that Chinese people are rude, but it’s just a natural consequence of the transportation culture here.
Despite the obvious downsides, in large cities such as Beijing and Shanghai, public transportation such as the subway is the only way to beat the crawling traffic jams. The subway lines in both Beijing and Shanghai cover the city better than most American subways do. Taking the subway is incredibly convenient and economical. In Beijing, a single subway ride is only 2 RMB. In Shanghai, a subway ride ranges from 4 to 5 RMB depending on your travel distance. And if you’re planning on staying in one city for a while, you can buy a card that works for both buses and subways for a minimum of 20 RMB. Plus, taking public transportation in China always makes for interesting stories—virtually everyone traveling to China has a story to tell.
At least there is one thing that Chinese subways have that American ones don’t: cell phone service underground.中国的公共交通可以说是一种变相的运动。这个夏天，我在北京第一次乘地铁，它简直是一个文化冲击。我望着两列地铁远去，因为我不想把自己像火柴棍一样插进拥挤的车厢。最后，我还是被人推涌着上了地铁。
在繁忙时间 （7:00 AM-9：00AM，5:00 PM-7：00PM）， 如果你想体面地不被人拥挤的上公车或者地铁, 几孚是不可能的事。每一个人（男人或女人）都在拼命地争自己的空间。在有些地铁站看上去大部分人还在排队， 但一旦地铁开过来，所有的人都不讲规则，使劲往前挤。有一次我在北京乘七站地铁，整个过程中，我始终感觉到一个男子在我脖子上呼吸。如果有人碰到你或者推撞到你而且没有听到道歉，你不必感到惊讶或者难受。这并不是中国人粗鲁，它只是这里交通文化的一部分。
尽管乘地铁有明显的缺点, 但在中国交通拥堵的大城市比如北京和上海，只有地铁才能解决很多人的出行问题。北京和上海的地铁线，覆盖范围比大多数美国地铁更广，坐地铁是非常方便和便宜。在北京，2元人民币就可以乘单向地铁 。在上海，根据你的旅行距离，地铁价格4到5元。 如果你在一个城市计划住一段时间，你可以买一张交通卡，这些卡最低价格20元，可以乘坐公共汽车和地铁。另外，在中国乘公交， 每个人都有自己的故事。
至少中国的地铁有美国比不上的优点：在地铁里面可以打手机。