I refer to myself as a directionally challenged individual. I have never been good at finding my way around, especially on public transportation. However, one of the biggest differences that i have noticed between London and Pittsburgh is in the public transportation, especially the Tube. The Tube is an underground rail system that can take you to nearly every neighborhood in the city and it runs extremely frequently. The Tube is a necessity to nearly every londoners life, people of all ages and backgrounds rely on the Tube as their main mode of transportation and I see why. Pittsburghs public transportation system is no where near comparable. It is mainly buses with a small rail line that only reaches limited areas. A lot of the city of Pittsburgh depends on cars.

The contrast between the Pittsburgh transportation system and the London transportation system tells a lot about the differing priorities of the U.S. and the U.K. I London, they invested a massive amount of money into public transit, and it is extremely reflective as the reliance on cars is heavily reduced. In Pittsburgh, the priority has historically had less emphasis on mass transit infrastructure.

Seeing the Tube in London and being able to find my way around extremely easily, just like the young kid taking it alone to school, highlights how multicultural values and policy decisions shape the everyday life of the residents within a city.