Less known than the Moscow metro, and yet just as inseparable from Moscow life, commuter trains or “elektrichkas” ensure the shuttles between cities in the sprawling suburbs and nine stations of Moscow intramuros, carrying the flow of more or less pressed workers in all relative comfort, babushkas making their commissions or adolescents en route to downtown foil.
The bolide !
Pay or not to pay ?
As old as the institution, fraud is the little game of commuter workers. It must be said that subscriptions for the longer trips (It is not uncommon that people do go more than two hours by train to get to work) are expensive compared with local salaries. Remote stations of the city centre have no turnstiles, but when there is, only undaunted : just to climb the barriers or walk along the tracks to bypass the passenger building ! Dodge controllers is the national sport : as they move towards the front of the train, a crowd waiting for a station to run backwards. Those who cannot or do not want to run pay a fine of 60 rubles (1,2€)…
The five lines of the RER only have to well stand !
The Court of the miracles
Journeys are long but at least they are not monotonous. In addition to alms-seekers, There is a plethora of musicians : Veterans of Afghanistan, solo saxophonist, violinist playing the four seasons (!), various groups with makeshift sound system, Mini-Orchestre… But above all, the elektrichkas are populated by vendors selling things most various.
Small inventory to Prévert what can be bought in the Moscow suburban train :
- beer
- holsters for passport and documents (the paperwork is life)
- duct tape super powerful and waterproof (demonstration in support)
- kitchen knives
- a laser level
- kitchen utensils
- suction cups for hanging utensils above-named
- a steward who made several forms of peelings (demonstration in support)
- books for children
- of the repellent insect repellent
- agendas
- socks
- holsters for costume
- calendars
- flashlights, frontal, applicative and multicoloured
- pens
- ice (the only thing officially sold)
- the series of coins special series Sochi 2014
- various tools for DIYers
- beer…
