Before everyone gets a bit too carried away about how rubbish other
systems are compared to the tube you might like to be interested in
my experiences of the metro in Kiev, Ukraine which I had the pleasure
to use for a while this month.

A one month card which covers the whole system costs 25 Gryvna which is roughly
2 pounds 80 pence. This is for a service where the trains run every 2 mins
30 seconds the whole day. The stations are clean, the trains are quick and
have video screens in most of the carraiges. The gates are swipe card/ enter token
on entry, one way turnstile on exit (as in other countries - much more sensible
than the bloody stupid london system where you have to use your ticket on exit too,
causing delays which are totally unnecessary) and there are actually staff on
the platforms who look professional and didn't disappear at the first sign
of someone wanting to ask them a question.

The only downside IMO is that they're pretty bad at station signs and
directions. But at less than 3 quid a month I can live with that. Plus for
the prices of other metros around europe I could live with the smell of
**** on the stairs too if it meant I didn't get ripped off for well over
a grand a year to use a **** poor 3rd rate system that would embarrass
a banana republic in its ineptness.

B2003