The Metro ABC's
The Breakfast Cereal of Paris's Abandoned Metro Stations. Croix Rouge, Arsenal and Champ De Mars. All solo line affairs, situated too near other more profitable stations to justify staffing when shortages took workers away during WW2. Shut ever since.
There are no secret prototype trains layed up at them, no dogs, no dildo poles covered in IR sensors... You could fit four London tube trains into the single twin track tunnel, which itself is lined with nice chunky safety alcoves, packing only two live rails and cast in the gentle glow of fluro lights 24 hours a day. The stations are almost as they were, platforms intact, tiled, plastered in graffiti for certain, but in pretty good shape nevertheless.
Seeing them 'Accès interdit style' is a doddle. And so nice and relaxing (well, till track workers show up at least), it really make you wonder why you bother shitting your pants, sneaking around their grimy, cramped, stripped equivalents in London.
Exploring rapid transit systems, subways, metros, underground, should be hard, should be scary, but not all the time. Sometimes its nice when a place is just chill, not shrouded in a malaise of fear and 'hardcore'.
Myself and Yaz arrived in Paris a tad earlier than everyone else for a dirty weekend of Metro Pwnage with the Pro League. With time to kill, we set out to take a look at these three.
Croix Rouge.
This one, we tunnel ran, this being the only way to it, topside access sealed off years ago. The run wasnt long, and it was off the platform of a reasonably quiet station. Plus its Paris, Jules et Jim Citizen really dont give a flying encule.
.
Champ De Mars.
Getting into this one involves buttering up a homeless woman... or as we found out, its better just to show up when she's out on her errands.
Arsenal.
We happened to arrive here after service. Things looked a bit out of place upstairs... Had us wondering if we'd encounter workers. Didnt find any, so with the kind of confidence that only comes with tourism, we hung around a while, taking pics. Eventually workers did show up, so we left, apologising and repeating 'Non Francais' over and over like a mantra.
There are no secret prototype trains layed up at them, no dogs, no dildo poles covered in IR sensors... You could fit four London tube trains into the single twin track tunnel, which itself is lined with nice chunky safety alcoves, packing only two live rails and cast in the gentle glow of fluro lights 24 hours a day. The stations are almost as they were, platforms intact, tiled, plastered in graffiti for certain, but in pretty good shape nevertheless.
Seeing them 'Accès interdit style' is a doddle. And so nice and relaxing (well, till track workers show up at least), it really make you wonder why you bother shitting your pants, sneaking around their grimy, cramped, stripped equivalents in London.
Exploring rapid transit systems, subways, metros, underground, should be hard, should be scary, but not all the time. Sometimes its nice when a place is just chill, not shrouded in a malaise of fear and 'hardcore'.
Myself and Yaz arrived in Paris a tad earlier than everyone else for a dirty weekend of Metro Pwnage with the Pro League. With time to kill, we set out to take a look at these three.
Croix Rouge.
This one, we tunnel ran, this being the only way to it, topside access sealed off years ago. The run wasnt long, and it was off the platform of a reasonably quiet station. Plus its Paris, Jules et Jim Citizen really dont give a flying encule.
.
Champ De Mars.
Getting into this one involves buttering up a homeless woman... or as we found out, its better just to show up when she's out on her errands.
Arsenal.
We happened to arrive here after service. Things looked a bit out of place upstairs... Had us wondering if we'd encounter workers. Didnt find any, so with the kind of confidence that only comes with tourism, we hung around a while, taking pics. Eventually workers did show up, so we left, apologising and repeating 'Non Francais' over and over like a mantra.
