Pros and cons

Until I moved to Brussels, I'd never really been reliant on public transport - of course I used it on occasion, but this is the first time I've actually lived in a place with a public transport system worthy of the name. And, all things considered, it's jolly marvellous: frequent service, a comprehensive network, safe (at least, I've never felt threatened). At least eleventy-three percent better than driving - because, the drivers in this city? Terrible. Really, stunningly awful.

Things I love about the STIB:

• The price: €44 a month, as opposed to £99.10 just for zones 1 and 2 in London.
• The LED signs that show exactly where all the trains are at any given time. In theory, at least.
• They play music in the metro stations all day, and after about 9.30 p.m. it's always classical. There's something very soothing about sitting waiting for the train after an evening out, listening to Rhapsody in Blue.
• The morning rush hour lasts about half an hour.
• The bus drivers are generally very good about waiting if they notice you running towards them.
• I'm tremendously entertained by the fact that the quest for bilingual equality even extends to alternating between starting announcements in French, and starting them in Dutch.

Things I hate about the STIB:

• The music in the mornings - I invariably get to work in the morning with one irritatingly catchy 90s hit or another stuck in my head for the rest of the day. This morning it was 'Hit me baby one more time', and yesterday it was something by Kylie and Jason. 'Especially for you', I think.
• Whether or not the escalators are working appears to depend entirely on chance.
• And, when they are working, the whole 'stand on the right, walk on the left' thing is generally ignored.
• The way it basically shuts down over the summer - I realise that it's the holiday season, but I'd still like to get to work on time, please.
• The beggars. Especially the ones going up and down the trains. "Juste un petit geste" + captive audience => guilt-trip => aargh.
• Buses and cobblestones do not play well together. Bone-shaking doesn't even begin to cover it.
• The bus is always late. Except when it's early, which is even more irritating.