When I announced to my evening class that I was planning to take the Metro home, my classmates were concerned. My professor offered to drive me home. 

I felt confused. Living off campus, I use the Metro at least twice a day. I feel very comfortable doing so. I genuinely enjoy having the option to use the Metro. The MetroLink system is uncomplicated. With only two lines, trains arrive frequently over the course of the whole day: every 20 minutes from 5 a.m. to 1 a.m. 

The MetroLink is also reliable. During the winter storm weekend, when we were advised against driving, what was running without delays? The Metro! If the Metro or the buses have slight delays, you can see it all live on the Transit App. The app allows you to see live location of buses/the Metro, distance to the next station and navigate to your destination. If you share your location with the app while in a bus or the Metro, it will use that location to estimate departure times for other riders. 

In my experience, taking the Metro close to campus feels no more dangerous than public transportation in any big city. 

But, how do the statistics of crime look? According to the latest semiannual police report on Metro safety, there are seven incidents per 100,000 passengers boarding, tendency falling. 69% of these incidents are violations of passenger conduct: less serious crimes like fare evasion. So the chances of a violent or property crime incident is about five in 100,000 boardings, which is 0.005%. 

The metro is also actively working on improving its safety through the Secure Platform Plan, which includes installing turnstiles, fences, and more surveillance cameras. 

On top of that, security officers are often posted at stations east of Skinker and in the Metro cars. 

So, why is the Metro perceived as so dangerous when, for the most part, it isn’t? 

I think a Reddit user summed it up perfectly: “It’s just public transportation, therefore, you will see the public, which scares some people.”

Public transportation can confront you with the uncomfortable realities of other people’s lives, such as homelessness. But exposure to these realities is not a bad thing. These real lives exist in St. Louis and everywhere, no matter whether you see them or not, and being exposed to reality is important to foster awareness and compassion.

If you are unfamiliar with public transportation, the Metro can seem intimidating. But it doesn’t have to be that way. As long as you follow some basic recommendations for public transportation or honestly, for generally being in public, you’ll be fine. 

(1) Be attentive of your surroundings; don’t fall asleep or get too engrossed in your phone.
(2) I would recommend sitting in the first car with the driver, because there are usually more people, and the rules of passenger conduct (no loud music, no smoking, etc.) are more likely to be followed.

(3) Don’t bother other riders and mind your own business, and everyone else will (most likely) do the same.

(4) Get the Transit App to see real-time departures and information about closed stations, so you avoid having to sit around too long. 

(5) Inform yourself about the area you are going to, because not every Metro station is equally safe or surveilled. While Forsyth or Clayton station might feel safe, others might not. 

(6) If you are still hesitant, bring some friends and explore the metro system together. 

The best thing is that taking the Metro is free for WashU students! You can easily request the Metro U-Pass in the Parking Portal and pick it up at Student Services in Mallinckrodt within a couple of days.

Your next Metro adventure could bring you to the Arch, the Aquarium, the Ice Hockey Stadium, the Amtrak Station, Forest Park, Medical Campus, a house party, Lambert Airport, or just shopping at the Galleria or Brentwood Pointe.