Newbie’s Guide to the LA Subway

Everyone knows that you need a car in LA if you want to get anywhere. Unfortunately, that kind of widely held belief that resulted in the legendary LA traffic. If you want to get to your meetings on time in LA, then sooner or later you will have to park your car and get on the LA metro.

So how do you go about it? Here are the steps you need to take.

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Plot Your Journey from Point A to Point B

This means to figure out where you are, figure out where you’re going, and figure out how you’re getting there. You can use the Metro’s own trip planner, but Google Maps also has built-in LA Metro data.

Make your plans, though you may be surprised at how the estimated times of getting from one location to another is somewhat (or in some cases considerably) longer than when you go by car.

If you’re driving to your starting Metro point, make sure that the station you’re going to has parking on-site.

Paying for Your Fare

Paying for your metro ride is done through your TAP card, which you can obtain from the vending machines in the metro station. If you’re not sure about buying them on-site, you can also opt to buy them online so you can have it with you when you get to the metro. This TAP card will have to be activated and loaded up, but it’s acceptable for up to 24 different transit agencies in the area. It’s not just for the LA subway.

Every one-way local trip will cost $1.75 no matter what. It’s doesn’t matter where you get on and off, nor is the time of day relevant. It will always be $1.75 unless you go for Express and Silver Line bus trips. Those will cost you $2.50 per ride.

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Getting on the Subway

So you’ve reached the metro station you need to start with and you have your TAP card with you. Just get on the platform, and mind the warning in yellow regarding how you need to STAY BEHIND YELLOW LINE. Once your ride arrives, get in and find a seat of there’s an available one.

Above you, you have maps that help you keep track of when your stop is coming. So just stand or sit there in comfort, knowing that you won’t have traffic to deal with. You can also just ask other people who may be experienced riders if you have questions regarding the LA metro. Just be polite, okay? In general, if you’re polite then other people will reciprocate with friendly advice so you can learn the ropes quickly enough.

If you’re prone to boredom, then you can always fiddle with your smartphone to pass the time. It’s safer to do this on the subway than when you’re driving, right? Some people also bring books and magazines to pass the time, though in some cases it’s meant to discourage conversations with other people.

Once you reach your stop, get off. That’s basically it!

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