MTR vs Paris Métro

On returning to Hong Kong, I experienced the hottest day of the year. On 2 August, temperatures reached 34.6°C; one street-sleeper died, possibly due to overheating. Although Parisians complained of the heat in Paris this year, it was generally cooler than in the tropics; it's the stifling humidity which makes the temperature unbearable here. Having said that, however, the heat is worse in the Paris Métro despite its ventilation. European construction and infrastructure are poorly adapted to the heat, just like ours is poorly adapted to cold weather. As the system is quite old, its catacombs and trains are not air-conditioned, and some stuffiness during hot spells are to be expected, particularly during the rush hour.

In contrast to the Paris Métro (except for Line 14), Hong Kong MTR (Mass Transit Railway) tunnels and trains are brightly lit and are air conditioned; and there are safety barriers which prevent potentially fatal falls from railway platforms. Again, except for line 14, these are not the norm in Paris, although I noticed on my last visit that some had been erected at Pont de Neuilly, on Métro line 1. MTR's gleaming carriages with their stainless-steel seating are probably twice as long as Parisian metro cars, and I guess that the entire train is more that twice the length of its Parisian cousin.

Hong Kong's M-train, with stainless steel seating
(photo courtesy of Wikipedia)

What is also noticeable is the total absence of beggars, buskers. Parisians, however, are familiar with beggars and assorted itinerants who work the trains from carriage to carriage (I am informed that since the accession of Romania to the European Union, the numbers of Romanians on Parisian streets has noticeably risen). A typical spiel starts something like this:

"Bonjour, Messieurs/dames, excusez-moi de vous déranger. Je m'appele ~~~~, j'ai ~ ans, je n'ai pas de travail et j'ai deux enfants a mon charge..."
(translation: Hello Ladies and Gentlemen. I apologise for disturbing you. My name is ~~~~, I am ~ years old, without work and have two children to feed at home...)

After that 'classic' introduction, the beggars will add their very own customised sob-story or witticism, and finish by asking for some pièces de monnaie (coins) or that ubiquitous French dining voucher, the Ticket Restaurant. Akin to the Luncheon Voucher (in fact, they are both owned by Accor), the "Ticket Resto" is universally accepted in restaurants throughout France. Unlike the Luncheon Voucher, whose popularity dwindled in the UK when tax breaks on it were removed, the state has sustained the viability of the system in France by obliging employers' to supply the midday meal, or equivalent value, to their employees. Larger employers usually have a workplace canteen which offers subsidised meals; companies without such facilities give out the TR.

Paris métro train
(photo courtesy of Wikipedia)

However, if one is lucky, instead of being distracted by a straggly beggar, your métro experience will be enhanced by the music of a skilled accordionist, playing a tune with a tango beat.

Busker on the Paris Métro