Dubai's metro vs. NY's subway, the Underground, and Paris' Metro

Okay, so the last time you were in Dubai was probably never. But don't let that stop you from marveling at the sleek, new, $7-billion-and-some-change Metro rail system in the ultra-wealthy United Arab Emirates that just whisked its first passengers past a steady river of Land Cruisers to the world's largest artificial islands -- the Palm Islands resort.

As the Dubai Metro opened in the sheikdom to royal fanfare, we decided to compare it with systems we all know and love to hate (and hate to love): New York's subway, London's Underground, and Paris' Metro.

Let's start with the atmosphere: Dubai's Metro provides a clean, bright and business-like aura -- very un-grungy and very un-New York, In New York, the subway requires a seeming constant flow of life-saving heroes. It's unclear whether taggers will strike Dubai, as they do in the West or if dark corners in Dubai's stations will provide an array of lurkers just like the West. For now, we're going to say that we'd prefer arriving in one of Dubai's modern stations (unless the taggers get seriously artistic with their graffiti, triggering our appreciation for street art). In Dubai, there also appears to be no gap to mind, another plus (though that, and the lack of a cool logo, could hamper Dubai's t-shirt sales).

The system map: Systems in New York, London, and Paris all have their blind spots, leaving passengers in a bind, but are good overall. The West's spider-like systems get you practically anywhere you want to be. While Dubai has plans to build more lines, right now it offers only a handful of stations along a boring straight red line. The comprehensive systems are obviously the time-worn ones in the West, giving the West the advantage in this category. However, there are those man-made islands along the route in Dubai that seem worth checking out.

The big unknowns: Trains in Dubai will reportedly be driverless, prompting some ethical considerations, such as: Who is to blame if there is a crash? (dscriber touched upon that issue in a recent article.) Another issue worthy of debate is that Dubai Metro offers "gold" service -- special first-class cars at twice the price -- opening up a complex dialogue about culture, money, style, politics, and even religion, that we just don't have the time to explore right now.

--

Pictured: Conceptions of Dubai's Metro