I’m standing on the trolley platform with my friend from out of town. We’ve watched maybe six different trolleys—none of which were ours—go by in the span of ten minutes.
Eventually I figured out that we could have taken any of the trolleys that passed by, but we will have many more mishaps before figuring out the system—which is largely a reflection on my navigation skills, not the system.
SEPTA is simple to figure out and using Philly transportation is something every Penn student should experience once. Especially because once you use public transport, you are very likely to use it again. Although the first time you go down those grimy station stair is intimidating.
I’m from the suburbs and when I worked in New York City last summer, I was forced to learn how to use the subway, transfer cars and learn the important difference between traveling uptown and downtown. The Philly underground is much easier to navigate than New York’s, but taking the first step is the hardest part.
I would heavily suggest using the buddy-system, even if your buddy has never used the subway/trolley either. Having someone else there when you get on the wrong line or try to pay when there is a free transfer helps to diffuse some of the embarrassment. And the Embark (Philly) app is a must for anyone who is unsure of herself. You can put in any addresses (they do not need to be station addresses), and the app will give you the walking directions from your starting point to the nearest station, as well as the walking directions from the arrival station to your destination.
So finally, the “13” trolley stops in front of us and we get on. We soon realize that we’re unsure how the payment works. Finally, we figure out that we can feed our money into the machine on the trolley.
Caution: the machine does not give back change. I put a five dollar bill in and unwittingly paid my friend’s fee as well as my own, plus an additional dollar I will never see again. The fare is two dollars, but if you use tokens (which you can get at any of the major stations) the cost is $1.55 (which is also the case if you get a monthly SEPTA card). However, it’s important to note that when we took the subway from the 34th street station on Market, we were forced to buy tokens. You cannot use cash. If you plan on using public transport often, you should get the tokens.
Plus, sliding your two dollars slowly into the machine upon entry reeks of noob-ness.
It’s intimidating to be new in any kind of situation and even moreso when you’re trying to figure out how the subway works since it’s not something you can read up on beforehand. When you don’t know what train you’re supposed to take or if it’s going in the right direction, you feel like an idiot. But in all honesty, feeling like an idiot is all in your head. No one at the subway station is so interested in you that they care that you’ve made some sort of travel error.
The system is logically laid out and after a few trips you’ll feel confident. Being able to use public transportation will save you a ton of money in cab fare and makes nearly everywhere in the city easily accessible. I always take the trolley to the 30th street station when I am catching a train, because I’ve been stuck in horrible traffic taking a cab and nearly missed my connection.
Bottom line: taking public transportations is savvy. Be smart about it, though. Don’t travel alone late at night and be alert.