By squeakyrobot
Two things in Petersburg are absolutely unpredictable: the weather and the traffic. While I’ve learned to carry an umbrella and a scarf with me at all times, I haven’t been able to make sense of the traffic patterns simply because there is no sense to be found. Which is why the following St. Petersburg transportation guide must be digested with a rock of salt rather than just a grain.
Buses arrive frequently at times and are sporadic at times. There is literally no telling when it may arrive (as it depends on traffic, which is unpredictable in the city center) and you may be forced to wait for half an hour in sideways-ice-rain. Once you do hop on board, there will be a “conductor” of sorts, who usually takes the form of a little old lady in a neon orange vest who collects money and bus fare from every single passenger. Most of my bus ride thoughts consist of how they can possibly do their job remotely well during rush hour, a horrific time when you’re reduced to a sardine in a moving metal box. But 99% of the time, you’ll end up paying regardless of how hidden or cramped you are. I enjoy this method of payment: it’s reliable, efficient, and best of all, simple. Payments via machine would mean more unpredictability and thousands would be out of jobs. It's the simplicity and straightforwardness I appreciate most. With buses extending to places where the metro is lacking, they are great option of transportation, although this doesn’t say much given that you have little choice in the matter.
The Metro is more of a mind set than an underground tube that brings you places and takes you away from them. When one Russian asks where another lives, they’ll say, “by the Dostoevskaya metro” or “Primorskaya”. Because while it would be the American way to answer generally, “west”, “north”, “by the 7/11”, St. Petersburg is so large it only makes sense to use the metro map as a navigation tool. The metro itself is interesting. Like the buses, commuting times vary because, once again, only so many sardines can fit in the can. You should allot at least ten minutes for the escalators alone; they are seriously long and slow. Petersburg has the deepest metro in the world, the deepest stop being Admiralteyskaya at 105 meters below the earth’s surface. Russians consider the metro the very best way to move around. It’s more reliable than the bus and much more easy to navigate. Not a bad deal considering fare is only four more rubles than the bus (74 cents for the bus, 87 cents for the metro), a nice flat rate system that never changes even if you want to go one stop or get across the city.
The most unique method of transportation is much more complex and much more Russian. These are minibuses called marshrutka. They are similar to buses in that they have a predetermined route in which they drive all day. The difference is that you tell the driver where you want to get off, and he stops for your specific destination anywhere on that line. It seems simple, but there’s more to it. You must be comfortable with your Russian to use a marshrutka without incident. Sometimes you hand the driver the money, other times you pass it up through the crowd. You have to yell out, “Stop here!” or any colorful variation loud enough so the driver won’t ignore you and completely miss your stop. Russians don’t have much patience for Americans who come to their country and screw up the system. As such, my CIEE program provided tiny slips of paper entitled: “A Marshrutka How-To Guide”. I’m thinking of publishing this document online.
Some Russian etiquette when using transportation: it is polite to remove your backpack when on the bus or metro. It’s also advisable if you want to keep your belongings. If you’re young, you should give up your seat of elders. If you don’t, they’ll stare you down until you do. The bus fare is only 23 rubles, so if you hand the conductor a 1000 ruble bill, you’ll make her hard job even harder and she’ll hate you. But honestly, the way you conduct yourself is like in any Western country. Just try to ignore the guy guzzling vodka out of his flask next to you.