Safe & Secure

(Dubai) It's 9:30 pm. The side street I'm on, a little off of a main road, has a line of street lights but it is still rather dark. I sit alone in a brightly lit bus shelter in an area where there are a few office blocks and some activity in a nearby parking lot. I am usually the only passenger in the bus shelter this time of night and I sit waiting with my white Macintosh laptop open, as I try to read or type while watching out for the bus.

Financial Center metro station at night.

(Seattle, USA) I'm a tourist there, unfamiliar with just about everything. It's 5:30 pm, the sun has just set, but it's still light out. I stand nervously at the downtown bus stop. It's on a major road but a bit on the edge of the CBD (central business district). Why does the whole area seem so eerily deserted still early in the evening? I'm empty handed, carrying nothing thankfully, but I just wish the bus would hurry up and come. There are a few dodgy looking characters making their way toward me. Someone's high I can tell. Let me somehow just be inconspicuous.

I don't think it would be exaggerating to say that I would never, ever sit at a lonely bus stop in any American city blithely pecking at keys on my laptop. If I dared even to carry a laptop I would do my best to disguise it and appear as nonchalant and local as I possibly could.

A typical interior in many of Dubai's new, uncrowded buses. >>

In Dubai I feel 100% safe and at ease in such a setting, but in most American cities under similar circumstances I would feel absolutely at risk and vulnerable. It is the combination of dusk or nightfall and the absence of pedestrian traffic, save any miscreants, that can turn an otherwise normal functioning city street into a lawless no-man's land.

Americans and the local residents know this. They know that it matters what the time of day is, what the pedestrian traffic is like and what other conditions are there that might make a street unsafe.

Is it a justified rationale that they have or is it paranoia? Nothing happened to me at that Seattle bus stop as daylight faded. Nothing happened to me when I walked the dark streets of a New Orleans, still Katrina ravaged street, looking for a bus stop one night. But something could have or just might have happened--in a wrong place/wrong time kind of way.

I developed the perception growing up in America that the most unsafe thing one could do when in such a setting was to look like you didn't know where you were. To seem at ease and to somewhat blend in was the first rule. The second was to get out of that place as quickly as possible--without haste, that is, lest you violate the first rule.

I think this is the rule of thumb for most Americans. Whether it really is the answer to being safe or whether it is largely a matter of luck, I'm not quite sure. Whatever the case, I feel no need to be on my guard when on the streets of Dubai, whether by day or night.

Keeping it Real... Safe

<< A military style young Emirati security man.

Security inside the Dubai metro is tight. There are two classes of uniformed men (I haven't seen any female security staff)--one in the popular Group 4 style and the other in military style garb. The former tend to include various expat staff and the latter young locals. There is also a contingent of station attendants wearing blazers or jackets of one kind or other.

It would seem the task of the attendants is to assist passengers and inspect their boarding cards, while the Group 4 style security men are there to enforce rules. The military style men don't normally interact with the passengers, so it would seem their role is to guard against terrorism and control the peace should the need arise. They do not, however, appear to carry any weapons except for batons.

I did attempt to engage one of the young officers in conversation. I was able to confirm that he was local, from Sharjah. He appeared to be very young, probably not yet 20, and he could not speak any English. Although I hadn't spoken with any of the other officers on duty, I would speculate that his profile was typical. They all seem to be local and as young as he was, and judging from their glances askance whenever I pass near any of them, I suspect most don't speak English.

Are the uniformed men, without weaponry really enough to guard against terrorism? One must appreciate that here there is no gun culture, except perhaps as part of some traditional dances. Security guards are always unarmed and I don't ever recall seeing a police officer carrying a pistol, although I may just never have noticed.

A Group Four style civilian security man. >>

That said, I have heard that there is a new stipulation in Dubai that security guards must receive some kind of weapons training. Up till now the common practice seems to have been to simply put a uniform on a new man fresh off the boat and thus you get a qualified security man.

That begs the question once again. Are these security men enough to guard against terrorism? Well, they are at least eyes on the ground, and there are a lot of them roaming around the stations and on the trains themselves. There are also the much heralded CCTV cameras. That should be enough to spot the unattended bag or strangely behaving commuter. If they can keep an eye out for things suspicious as well as they manage to keep people from eating, drinking and entering the wrong cabins, then we shouldn't have too many security concerns.

All Alone

My commute to work today is a little earlier than usual, just turning noon. It finds me in the gold class all alone except for the company of a train attendant. This time must be the sweet spot where hardly anyone rides. Alas I am joined by a couple of other riders. Oh no, they've just been escorted to a silver class cabin.

Tidbits 2

Dusk colors the Jafaliya station and Sheikh Zayed Rd. skyline.

Card Abuse & Other Minor Infractions

I saw and experienced it for the first time a few days ago--the use of a handheld device used to inspect nol cards, which one is asked to display upon entering the gold class cabin. The Gulf Arab gentlemen seated in front of me politely protested being treated suspiciously, but I suggested to him that it was a useful procedure as people are known to have abused the system.

That said, in the span of a few minutes our cards were inspected by two different cabin crew attendants. For the most part, however, the procedure appears to be to inspect cards as riders enter at the various stations, rather than waiting until they have already taken their seats.

Another monitoring incident... A young man waiting to board was getting a chiding from one of the security guards. When I asked him what had happened he said it was because he was having a drink. He didn't know that drinking was not allowed on the platform--neither did I. So the restriction does not apply only on the trains but on the platforms as well, and I would now presume you'll be warned if you have an open drink or food anywhere once passing through the wickets.

That does not bode well for the concessions at stations. These include Star Bucks, a fruit juice outlet and Chow King (an oriental fast food shop)--those are the ones I've seen so far at the stations I regularly pass through. The Chow King is located at a street side entrance/exit of the Financial Centre station, so one might well pick up a takeout order on leaving the station. The other outets, however, just outside the entrance wickets, seem not to make much sense. They don't have seating, so one would basically have to walk with one's purchase while exiting the station or else gulp it down before heading toward the boarding platform.

I can't say I remember ever seeing a commuter train where passengers could eat on board the trains themselves, but it was certainly allowed on platforms and elsewhere within the stations. In Japan, where I lived for many years, stations had quick order shops with seating or stand-up bars, and the favorite of many passengers was to have a quick bowl of hot tasty ramen (noodle soup) either before or just after their train ride. It was really one of the unique appeals of the stations. I think I would skip dinner at home every evening if I could get a bowl of hot ramen at the end of my evening commute.

The emphasis in Dubai's new stations is clearly on cleanliness and I wouldn't fault anyone for that. I really appreciate the shiny newness of everything. No doubt, if eating were allowed you would get paper trash and sticky or grimy surfaces here and there. But the least they could do is have stools or small seating areas at the concessions outside of the wicket gates. A 16 dhs cup of coffee from Star Bucks just doesn't make sense if you can't at least sit down and leisurely sip it.

Alternative Transport

A recent Gulf News article reports the following:

Approximately 21 per cent of all road fatalities in the first three months of this year have been caused by accidents involving minibuses...

It continues with a police recommendation that mini-buses no longer be permitted to transport passengers. Is that a ploy to get more riders onto the metro? Maybe, but it seems to be a genuinely good move in terms of safety.

There isn't anything inherently more dangerous with minibuses than with other vehicles--apart from comparisons based on size. Of course, a sub-compact car is more vulnerable than a giant bus. The point is that most accidents result from the actions of drivers rather than the type of vehicle.

In this view, the suggestion that mini-buses be no longer permitted to ferry passengers is perhaps more an indictment on the people who drive these vehicles. Such drivers are often poorly trained and seem to have no particular appreciation of the value of their cargo, as it were. The comfort and safety of human passengers ought to command a bit more respect than the transport of goods.

So, here perhaps we take care of two birds with one stone, by getting the recklessly driven mini-buses off the roads and ushering more commuters onto the metro.

Nol Woes Continued...

This time the angst is not mine but that of others I know. The balance of credit on their cards seem invariably to shrink unexplained. The quick assumption is I've been cheated or that the card or card readers are malfunctioning. As I have learned, however, the real culprit is normally incorrect use of the card or misunderstanding the info given by the card readers.

I don't fault the riders, however, for this confusion. There is a learning curve involved and the RTA has not adequately addressed this. For most people it is going to be trial by fire--the fire being that which seems to burn their cash away. The best rule of thumb is to just be cool and calm about it and assume there is a rational explanation behind every error. At the same time, one can get a print out of his/her card usage history (available at the ticket machines and info counters in metro stations, and perhaps elsewhere).

Taxis

I have to add these to my compendium of transport options. It used to be that in Abu Dhabi, where I lived for 9 years, taxiing was the only practical transport option for those who did not own cars--and part of the reason why that city is plagued today with even worse vehicle traffic and parking woes than Dubai.

A public bus transport system was only introduced in Abu Dhabi in 2008. To be fair there was a precursor of sorts, a fleet of big buses that traveled inner and inter-city routes. But the buses, their routes and boarding spots were largely unmarked. Usage remained confined to the extremely humble of means--i.e. the unemployed few, it would seem--who had no option but to work out the mysterious system. Even laborers on meagre salaries found no use for them and instead relied on an informal system of taxi sharing.

Back to Dubai, taxis have always been part of a mix that included buses as well as informal car shares, but the price, several times that in Abu Dhabi, had made them a sort of last resort option. (I've seen some commentators speak of Dubai's reasonable taxi fares, but I have to wonder from which planet they hail--OK, maybe Tokyo or New York, but why compare Dubai with the most expensive of cities?) With the metro partially opened and lots of new buses, commuters in Dubai finally have real options, but will still need to rely on taxis from time to time.

Metro Info via The National

There are a number of websites around which attempt to fill the sometimes dearth of information about the metro, its facilities, services, etc. I have just come across Abu Dhabi's English daily The National's contribution which seems quite promising.

This seems to be a space worth watching.

My City, My Metro

So goes the ad campaign. It resonates with me. Dubai is my adopted city, and the metro is a great new way to experience it. << The start of my morning commute, past UAE telecom Etisalat's Dubai HQ.

I have just found next to the luggage compartment in the gold cabin a sign indicating baggage size, as follows: maximum luggage size w81 X h58 X d30. This should answer the question of those wondering how much baggage they can carry on the train when transiting to and from the airport.

Best Practices?

My one friend so far at the metro is one of the security men at Rashidiya station. Perhaps it is better to leave him unnamed. I asked him this morning if work was busy, he answered always busy.

What about your day off? I asked. No day off, he answered. Why not, I wondered; his badge read Serco, the company which manages and provides services for the metro. He is a contracted hire, however, with a company called Frist Security or something like that.

It is very typical in the UAE, and probably in a lot of other countries that a large reputable firm wins a big service contract, partially on the basis of their good practices. But then a lot of the work gets contracted out to third companies with dodgy practices.

One of Dubai's central districts, home to Emirates Towers and the DIFC.

The presumed reputable firm does not take the responsibility of insuring that its contracted agents are carrying out proper procedures, nor does the party who awards the original contract. That said, the first and second party will speak of their own best practices while turning a blind eye to what happens further down the line.

So, a security guard works 7 days a week, probably on a 12-hour shift, which is not only bad for that individual but detrimental to the service he was hired to carry out--in this case security.

Bus Shelters

As I've probably pointed out before, taking the bus is an essential part of the metro commute. In large part Dubai's buses are big, shiny-new, comfortable and to my experience thus far--largely empty. So, one can enjoy a comfortable ride, and for me it is good enough to work at my laptop at the same time.

U/C towers at Dubai Marina.	View of Dubai Marina & JLT from Nakheel Harbour & Tower station footbridge.

A lot was made of the city's air-conditioned bus shelters when they were introduced a year or so ago. It would seem that at least half the stops have these, so one needn't wait in the hot sun while waiting for a bus. One problem, however, is that using the shelters could result in missing your bus.

Some are positioned well away from the actual stopping place of the bus and it is often hard to get a clear view of the approaching buses. Drivers aren't likely to stop unless they see someone standing at the stop, so it is often tricky to enjoy the comfort of the a/c shelters while at the same time managing to catch your bus.

Still Under-Construction Stations

There are 19 of these, and regrettably they are no longer making haste at getting them finished, as with the first 10 in the lead up to commencement day. February 2010 was the newly announced completion date for the remaining stations but I think this also may have been pushed back. Fortunately, 09-09-09 was chosen for the original opening date. It was an arbitrary deadline, but one that could not be easily brushed aside.

Emirates Golf Course & the Greens development.	Dubai Marina Mall

Gold Class Privilege

As I type I find the attendants attempting to issue a fine to a passenger for traveling in the gold cabin without the proper ticket. It appears the accosted passenger is feigning ignorance as she is escorted off the train. Looks like she escapes the fine, but not without her pride bruised, I'm sure.

So, they are trying to enforce the rules, but I'm sure it isn't easy for the normally ready to please cabin attendants to play the role of cop.

At the same time as the one woman was being chided a few others seated nearby announced this cabin is in the wrong direction as they made their getaway.

They did have a point, however. The gold cabin sits at the front of the train from Rashidiya to Nakheel Harbour & Towers, but at the back of the train in the reverse direction. Most of the seats in the cabin are likewise facing the reverse direction on the train when traveling in that direction.

Cabin attendants guarding the entrance to the gold class section. >>

I think I have become now a frequent gold class rider because I am a sucker for routine. Oh, and the seats, empty space and other comforts are nice too. In business class on a flight you pay at least three times the normal fare. We pay only double for gold. When I have travelled as a rich foreigner in Vietnam I was forced to pay 3 times the normal fare while utilizing the same transport as a local.

In Sri Lanka they have a wonderful modus operandi where foreign visitors to historical sites pay 20-30 times the local rate. So, double fare in gold class is a real bargain.

I shall be ending my metro commute shortly, having made use of the time on the morning and evening ride to compose this post. After nearly 3 weeks of metro use I would say that it is a rather different experience from that of metro use in other parts of the world.

The end of my evening commute, once again past the the SZR financial hub.

The newness, stylishness and comfort (of the gold class cabin especially) is nothing like one would experience elsewhere. We've got the cabin crew in their gold, black and white uniforms that resemble flight crew. There also hasn't emerged yet any preponderance of bad behaviour. No pushing or rudeness among riders, no rowdy youths or sloppy inebriates. It is all a very civil experience thusfar with a multi-national cast of characters.

Quasi-Holiday

Financial Center station: one of the planned 3000 security personnel pegged to guard Dubai's metro system.

Successful Du payment and login this time... finally (27-Sep, evening). Then, a very long 7 minutes before I could log in and get my target page to load (28-Sep, morning)--see also wifi no goes....

Evening train on Saturday, a quasi-holiday. Not crowded at all in the station nor on the trains. Friday is much more the busier day. I'm in the gold class which has some Emirati shebab (young guys), a couple of families with a lot of children and a mix of other nationalities. It sort of seems there are too many kids running around in this cabin. I think the 5 and under free shouldn't qualify for this cabin.

<< Burj Bubai?

I tried the feeder bus today from Financial Center station to Dubai Mall. The bus comes quickly--good frequency--but the route to the mall is rather circuitous and the drop off point is not at any mall entrance. One has to first guess which way it is to an entrance and then start hiking. My guess was wrong, so it was a long walk into one car entrance after another before finally finding a walk-in entrance to the Mall.

So, I doubt many shoppers will make use of this means of transport, especially if they know what it entails. It is a workaround measure until the Burj Dubai station opens, but even then will there be any better way to get from station to mall? A tram was originally planned but that seems nowhere in sight.

More Bits & Pieces

Precariously hanging barricades below sign. >>

An earlier post included a write-up on car access to Rashidiya station, but I didn't have any photos to illustrate the post. Now I do, and I will be sending one of these to the RTA as it reveals the car entrance to the parking structure involving cars narrowly avoiding a precariously hanging barrier.

I will also be sending in the funny RTA bus sign which reads Burj Bubai instead of Burj Dubai. Not a big deal, I know, but it's a shame to mangle the name of the cities' proudest landmark.

The previous post details first and last train timings, and it is rather a shame that the final train out of some stations is just after 10 p.m. That means there is little chance of relying on the train to enjoy an evening out without having to rush to make the last train, especially if one has to get a connecting bus first. I would have thought that the publicized 11:00 pm end of service would have meant 11:00 pm for last departure.

Last train approaching Rashidiya station

Nol Woes...

<< DXB Internaitonal Airport

Bad wifi connection as I took the train home. The signal was fading in and out, and each time out my login was cut.

It takes a couple of minutes or so to login each time, so that was as good as having no wifi at all. I suspect there was an issue with the wifi on that particular train.

I took a new bus route today--new for me, that is. The X35, I believe, from the Greens into town. X is for express so it was a fast ride in. I met a compatriot of sorts named Zia. Like me he is commuting daily on metro and bus. He said he had studied the network carefully in advance to work out his route, which saves him time, but not money. My commute is just the reverse, saving me money, but not time.

I had a bit of luck with the Nol card today. Being short on credits and presuming I would just incur a negative balance I just got on and off the bus even though the reader indicated insufficient funds. Later, however, I found nothing had been deducted from the card or registered for that segment. It was luck that I was not refused boarding by the driver, as it seems some in similar situations have been. This relates to some serious Nol woes... read more in the last section.

The 4 pm metro was quite crowded. I stood until a couple of stations further down. If I compare the atmosphere today to the opening days of the metro last week, the sense of thrill among riders seems to have subsided.

But if I compare it to the metro commuting experience in other cities where the metro is more established, Dubai-ites seem to be rather silently overjoyed at this new mode of transport. Everyone on board has a generally mild, calm, relaxed disposition. There aren't all the mobile cameras snapping pictures or the giddy racing about from windows to seats to aisles, as on the first couple of days. But one can still sense an inner joy and contentedness.

The Name Game

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What exactly are the names of the 10 metro stations which are open?

1. Rashidiya
2. Dubai International Terminal 3 (too long!)
3. Deira City Centre
4. Al Rigga (with about 3 "rrr"s)
5. Union (short and sweet)
6. Khalid Bin al Waleed (aka Bur Juman)
7. Al Jafiliya (a rather unfamiliar word to non-Arabic speakers)
8. Financial Centre (sounding somewhat pompous)
9. Mall of the Emirates (notorious already for its crowds and train malfunction issues)
10. Nakheel Harbour & Tower (named after two things which don't and may never exist).

Nol Card Woes

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I think I'm getting the hang of using these cards. I've had no more mysterious disappearance of credits, which had been mostly due to my own inexperience and my being unaware with regard to its proper use. The big discovery for me was that metro and bus fares are identical, irrespective of the mode of transport you take.

Metro train running past Dubai Marina in new Dubai.

The problem it seems is that while the RTA has been running campaigns for months and even years promoting the metro, they have basically sprung the Nol card for bus use on the public without any forewarning. It would appear that there are issues of both the public not knowing how to use the cards properly and malfunction of card reading machines. The result is that Nol card purchasers are losing lots of money and getting very angry.

See the public reaction here and be amazed!

There are other issues too. Commuters can't find places to top up their Nol cards or buy new ones. If taking the metro only, things seem to be going much smoother. It is the bus commuters who have been caught completely unawares. I would hope the RTA would rectify this issue quickly and I would suggest they take the approach that Abu Dhabi did when introducing its new public bus system. They allowed riders to ride at no charge for at least half a year. The RTA should do the same, at least until they have taken the time to educate the public, got all the card readers on buses working properly and improved the distribution of cards and top up facilities.

IS ANYONE AT THE RTA LISTENING?

Busing

I wasn't thinking much beyond the metro window when I started this blog, but just as interesting is the view from and on the bus. Taking the bus, seems to be an essential component of taking the metro. In that light the unified bus/metro fare makes sense.

Dubai 2009--the future is now. Train approaching Financial Center station.

I'd have to say I'm a fan of Dubai's double-decker buses. They're not like the famous Red London buses as the ones in Dubai are all brand new and ultra modern. Riding on the top deck you get an unrivaled and basically free tourist-ready view of the city.

Different from the metro, you will find more laborers on the buses, but for the most part the passengers seem to consist of a full variety of the population, excluding Western expats and locals. Actually, there appear to be very few Arabs of any nationality.

Oh well, that leaves us with natives of the sub-continent, as it's called, and Filipinos mostly.

Sitting in the seat across the aisle from me is a handsome Pashtoon wearing the traditional hospital gown colored pajama garb and a Ramadan beaded cap. For the most part, things shiny and new like these buses and the metro, remain that way in Dubai. I think I'm the only person around toting an expensive camera and laptop, but there is no need to be concerned about anything getting snatched.

Station entrance of Financial Center

Bank vault? No, restroom entrance in the station.

Back on the metro I am continuing my commute to Rashidiya. When I boarded, the train was packed.

At the first stop I got off and moved up a few carriages to where there was a bit more space. Then, I disembarked again at Union station and took photos on the two station levels there.

That done, I came back down to the platform and boarded the next Rashidiya bound train, which was quite empty.

I have a seat now, the easier to blog from! The moral of this, if your carriage is too crowded get off and move to another. If the train is still too crowded, then disembark and take the next one.

Sun sets on the city--view from the metro at DXB International.

Commuting Success

Metro traffic still light this morning. One friendly face now on my third day of commuting--security guard Zahir at Rashidiya station. I think I chatted with him on the 10th when everybody excitedly took the early morning ride on the first metro train to depart.

<< The interior of those lustrous double-decker buses.

It's a hazy morning as usual as I pass the airport on my right, with views of SZR towers in the distance on the left. I can't make out the Burj Dubai today due the haze, despite it otherwise being a bright and sunny day.

In my carriage there are only a handful of other riders now at 9:30 a.m. I picked up a new Nol card for a colleague today--wanted to pay by credit card. Unfortunately credit card payment isn't up and running yet, whether for new cards or topping up. The vending machines are operating on a cash only basis, and I was informed that any change provided would only be in coins. So, still some issues to work out there.

For anyone considering starting their commute on the Metro, there is no time better than now. With light usage at present one can enjoy a quiet, comfortable ride. Of course, for many people the issue is connecting with home and work when boarding or exiting the metro.

I am about to find out after I exit the station whether I have finally cracked the connection riddle. If all goes right, I'll exit at the Financial Center station and walk a hundred meters or so to a nearby bus stop, where I'll be able to take the 98E bus to the office.

(Deira City Center, btw, the first underground station and the third stop along the line is the first where I've seen a good number of people to board. There are still lots of empty seats in the carriage, however.)

SZR with Business Bay towers in the background. >>

The fact is, there is a way if there is a will, but I'm sure most people don't have the patience or motivation to find the way. It is cynical to fault the RTA, I feel, when a lot of effort is being made to make things as convenient and usable as possible. No one and no organization is perfect, after all.

(Now at Khalid Bin al Waleed station the carriage has finally filled up with all seats taken.)

On Disembarkation...

---

So, the test today is whether I will finally be successful with the bus.

• Correction from yesterday: My mistake, the bus stop I needed does have the 98E bus indicated--I had checked the wrong stop.
  
• The correct stop is about 500 meters from the station, much closer to the preceding metro stop, which is not yet open. So, it is a bit of a walk, but no loss to me--all in a day's exercise.
  
• Feeder buses are coming by on target it seems, separated by 5 to 10 minutes. That should make metro commuting quite easy once all stations are open.
  
• The 98E has also arrived in a timely manner, with only 15 minutes or so between this one and the preceding bus.

With that I pronounce my efforts to commute via the metro, finally, a success. I'll be at my office in about 10 minutes of boarding the bus, making the entire metro/bus transfer about 65 minutes. An hour in transit is acceptable, and once the station nearest my office opens I should save another 15 or 20 minutes.

<< View of the Greens from top level of double decker.

That said, the metro isn't a timesaver for me. Were I to continue my drive from Ajman rather than parking at Rashidiya station I would need only an additional 20-30 minutes, rather than the hour needed for train and bus. It won't be a timesaver for anyone not living either directly on a Metro line or a feeder bus route.

But it is a money saver, and it allows one to do something while commuting--that is, if a seat is available. My total fair for train and bus each way is 2.3 dirham (about 62 US cents). The cost for me to drive with petrol and regular maintenance far exceeds this.

System Check No.2

---

Now that I've worked out the daily work commute, a second test needed is on how reliable the system is for making appointments. I have set myself the task of getting from my office to another--neither being directly on the metro or the feeder lines. I had to do extensive research with Wojathi. The RTA's online journey planner, as it is called, enables you to plan your journey via public transport in precise detail. In this case for example, I'm told what bus to take at what times, how far to walk (time and distance) between connections, and of course, metro timing. It'a a bus-train-bus trip with a kilometer or more of walking in between. Let's see how it goes.

Results in and test a FAILURE!

The bus part is the problem. While I waited at MOE and watched all the Feeder buses pass by, my normal bus just never showed up. The normally 20-minute trip by car took about 2 hrs and that with finally giving up and taking a taxi.

Glitches...

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Passing through one of the yet to be opened stations. >>

There are bound to be more of these while metro services are still new. This one concerns the wifi connection. I went for the 1-hr, 60-day option, but in just two days it has expired. Did I already use up 1 hour? I'm on the train 15 min to and fro each day, so were I logged in the full time I guess it's plausible. Anyway, I'll sign up again and monitor the time more carefully.

One more thing. While the signal is excellent, upload times appear to be very slow, while incoming data is quite fast.

I thought my card was once again being mischarged for my journeys but a check at the info station showed all was fine. I guess half of the problem with the cards is that passengers can't monitor their usage independently, so I suspect it will lead to a lot of us thinking incorrectly that we were cheated.

Third time the charm?

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<< The blogger himself, enjoying a metro ride.

Back on the metro now for the third journey of the day, 7 pm and traveling from MOE to Rashidiya. Passenger load is light. A few people standing in some carriages, however, there are still open seats. Let's see if the train gets fuller or emptier as we pass through the city center. It's Ramadan anyway, so that helps thin out the traffic a bit.

PM Commute

The pride of Dubai: 165-story Burj Dubai, seen through tinted glass from the top deck of the 98E bus.

It's 6 pm now and I'm on the commute back home, leaving Jafliya station and heading underground to my favorite, Bur Juman station. I won't be getting off there, however. It's back to Rashidiya and then my drive back to Ajman.

I struggled with the bus in the morning but am now getting the hang of it. Wojhati, that online route planner with the Arabic name is becoming more user friendly to me. So, with a feeling of accomplishment I got the bus from work on time and on the right route, got a lot of photos enroute and happily topped up my Nol card when I reached the station.

From office door, a brief walk to the bus stop, a few minutes wait for the bus, a 10 minute ride, then off the bus and into the station terminal in a couple hundred meters--all like clockwork. Finally!

Burj Dubai seen from ground level.

The Financial Center metro station.

Once on the train I crowded in the front car with a few other passengers, all wielding cameras or mobile phones and getting snaps of metro rail, buildings that line either side and approaching stations and trains. It's day 4 or 5 of the metro and the buzz is still in the air. I don't know how long we will all be allowed to take photos at will of station, trains, the cabins and our fellow passengers, but it is fun while it lasts.

Up the escalator of the station foot bridge.

The foot bridge across Sheikh Zayed Rd.

There isn't any evidence of rush hour commuting yet as even at this time it is easy to find a seat, although most are taken. The mix of passengers includes the various nationality types who populate the city. Most are men aged 20-40, probably the largest demographic grouping in the city. But there are some women, couples and the odd family. Most of the men appear to be working class or professionals. I see the occasional dishdasha and abaya as well.

Passengers wait on the platform for their train.

View of the track through the towers of SZR.

Over the intercom is a continuing string of BGM--actually a modern sounding, upbeat little melody that repeats every 9 seconds. Announcements are in Arabic then English. Well, I'm just exiting the underground portion of the route with two stations to go to my stop.

A fellow passenger takes in the views.

From the front car it resembles a rollercoaster.

I'll try to get in a couple more pictures.

Commuting

I'm commuting for the second day running, starting from Rashidiya station at about 9 a.m. There are very few passengers on the train and very few cars parked in the 2700 capacity car park. That suggests that commuters, whether from Sharjah or this side of Dubai, have yet to take up the option to park and ride.

<< a Saturday evening on the metro

For me, it's worth it to take the metro. It is nice to have the easy park facility and it saves me 30km in driving daily. Due to high maintenance costs for running up too much mileage, my car needs the break.

It doesn't, however, save me any time. None of the 10 stations open are near enough to my work place to exit the station and either walk or take a feeder bus. Also the slowest part of my commute--the drive from Ajman through Sharjah--takes most of the time.

It is an hour plus drive, followed by maybe 15-20 minutes with the metro and then the hassle of the bus--not being a feeder bus, wait and travel times are unpredictable.

Yesterday, as mentioned in the previous post, I discovered that the RTA now has a unified fare structure in place so bus journeys cost the same as metro journeys, as determined by distance and zones. So, bus riders may now face a maximum 5.8 dhs fare as opposed to the formerly flat 2 dhs fare. Just yesterday one colleague commented, "Why take the metro when the bus is only 2 dhs?" Well, besides the long waits and circuitous routes of the buses, one now has to pay the same fare.

Blame for recent train delays have been placed on passenger misuse of emergency mechanisms! >>

Granted, there are still only 10 stations and the metro only follows one line through the city, but we're getting there. I'm a metro believer!

It's time to conclude this post as I get near my station. It's very comfortable blogging from a nearly empty metro carriage with a good wireless connection. With only 10 or 15 minutes on the train per ride, I have discovered the best payment option is the 1 hr, 10 dhs credit card plan which is good for up to 60 days.

P.S. More bus woes...

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On exiting the metro station I once again faced the challenge of getting the bus I needed. The basic issue this time was bus stops not correctly indicating which buses stop there. The huge Trade Center R/A has 3 or 4 bus stops along its circumference. As it turns out the crazy 98E bus stops at two of these, but only one is indicated and which one to choose depends on the direction of the bus, which is, of course, not obvious as it is a roundabout.

Basically I'm on day 4 of trying to discover which buses I need to connect efficiently with the metro. The fact is, the buses I need are there, the proper routes exist, but after 4 days of consulting bus maps online, checking postings at bus stops, speaking with RTA reps and speaking with bus drivers, other passengers and colleagues, I still haven't got it worked out.

Tune in again tomorrow. Hopefully the 5th day will be the charm!

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<< Photographic murals inside Bur Juman station. The station is like a museum cast in 5-star hotel opulence, while at the same time remaining chic and modern. The images are historic and the blue iridescent lighting profoundly calming. See previous post.

Bur Juman Station (& Bus Travails)

Khalid Bin al Waleed is the correct name of this station, but that's a bit of a mouthful, and I think most people prefer its nom de guerre, Bur Juman. It is one of four underground stations on the new Red line and to my sense it is quite simply grand.



The pictures here will attest to that. But I must add that it isn't very large. It consists basically of 3 underground levels. The uppermost is the ticket lobby which stands out with its flourescent blue light panels on the ceiling. Below this is the mid-level which, while little more than an escalator lobby of sorts between the ticket and boarding floors, is festooned with historic photographic murals and grandiose jellyfish chandeliers. The lowest level, with the boarding platforms, has similar murals--all floors do--and all floors are bathed in iridescent blue light. Words cannot adequately describe the grandeur, but pictures can. It is all so rich--I absolutely love it.

Before I go on, I must digress, however, with a word of warning on the use of the Nol card with buses.

Beware of Bus Transfers

Let me start off this little aside by giving away my sentiment about the buses--They SUCK--Royally!! How can I limit this to a few sentences?

The buses here have the most convoluted routes and it is nearly impossible to get actionable information so that you can use the buses without having to rely on trial and error. (Maybe the new Feeder buses represent a degree of improvement. My concern and great frustration is with the regular run of buses that many of us are forced to rely on with only 10 metro stations open.)

Without going into tedious detail, I would suffice it to say that I am going through a lot of trials and even more errors in trying to figure out how to get from A to B on the sucking buses.

The buses, themselves, are actually quite magnificent--big, brawny, cool and comfortable--but the drivers, the human interface, are the weak link (if not the missing link). They are useless as sources of information about their own routes and they seem for the most part quite happy to stop or not stop as they please for pick-ups and drop-offs. They basically ignore whatever their official duties are apart form pressing a gas pedal and steering.

Too bad we can't have driverless buses.

Now, the thing to beware...

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When you swipe your Nol card to get on the bus and to presumably get a free journey after disembarking the metro, there are a couple of issues.

One is that when you later swipe the card again to get off the bus, the bus may interpret this not as an ending swipe but a new starting swipe, so you may get double charged.

Even worse, if you fail to swipe your card on exit, which I decided to do in order to avoid getting charged double, you instead get charged the maximum travel charge. Now on buses, this is 2 dhs--no big deal, right? But it doesn't work like this. You don't get charged the maximum bus fare, you get charged the maximum metro fare! So it's 5.8 dhs.

I did this twice unaware of what was happening, so my Nol card ended up with a negative balance and when I went to top it up, it instead sucked up all the money I had just put in and left me with still a negative balance. The moral of the story? The buses SUCK! And I threw that sucking Nol card away and decided to take a loss and start all over again with a new card.

Ok--got that off my chest--now back to the magnificent Bur Juman station. Feast on the images. Viva Khalid Bin al Waleed!!

This just in from the RTA...

Inquiring about these high bus charges, I was told that the buses are now on the same fee structure as the Metro. I don't remember any public announcements of the same, but there you go... a Unified Fare System.

That explains a lot. I had wondered why the 5 Zones indicated for Metro charges seemed somewhat irrelevant as the Metro didn't pass through some of the listed zones. Now, those still carrying the former bus cards with credit still on them will still get charged the flat 2 Dhs fare.

One more thing...

indicating that the RTA are not all bad. I called 3 days ago informing them of a bus shelter with non-functioning a/c. When I visited the shelter today, I found the a/c had been repaired. The many cynical among the public never bother to call to report such faults.
Thanks RTA

Khalid Bin al Waleed Station on the Dubai Metro

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Jellyfish chandeliers at Bur Juman metro station in Dubai.

(Click on images for enlarged views.)

Historic photographic images line the walls of the metro station.

Passengers make their way between the boarding platform and ticket levels.

Metallic blue reflective panels function to bathe the escalator shaft in blue.
Blue iridescent lighting floods the ticket lobby.

The beautiful historic murals feature both in the ticket lobby and on the platforms.
	Khalid Bin al Waleed station is sort of like a living museum. For a space intended as little more than a transit hub it is impossible not to want to linger. Green line passengers, once it opens in 2010, will be able to soothe their minds feast their eyes as well in this elegant blue zone.

Addendum to the Bus Fiasco

I submitted the following message to the RTA,

Bus charged me Dhs 5.8 for not swiping out! It's a bus not the metro, so why this maximum charge? It happened twice, registered a negative balance on my Nol card, then when I topped up my Nol card with 10 dhs it immediately ate it up and left me still with a negative balance. I threw the damn Nol card away and bought a new one. Please fix this. Buses should not be charging metro fares whether one swipes when getting off or not!

Please, if anyone else encounters such bus fiascoes, complain direct to the RTA.