I remember my first train ride. It was in London in 2001 and I was so confused. I guess you can say I was overwhelmed. What I didn’t expect was how much I had enjoyed every minute of the ride. A week later my sisters and I flew to Paris from London and rode the train during our entire visit. We were also brave enough to ride the train from the city to the airport not knowing a word of French. We just followed the airplane signs and hope they would get us there, and it was Metro love ever after for me.
G grew up in Toronto where subway transportation is part of every day life. When he first visited LA in the early 2000s he was surprised to learn our subway system was not so rider friendly. Everyone was very dependent on their cars for transportation.
Fast forward a decade later, I can proudly say our subway system has improved significantly. Given the increasing amount of traffic congestion, the city decided to build a subway system to alleviate this issue. Most lines are now operational and although they are not as sophisticated as other metropolitan areas, the subway system does help a lot of commuters going to and from work without spending a lot of time on their wheels.
Since the twins love trains so much thanks to Thomas the Train that was introduced to their baby world, we thought it would be fun and exciting for them to experience their first train ride. This experience will help them to start becoming wise to the ways of public transportation before they use it. Because when they grow older they may take public transportation on their own — possibly even to get to school. We also use this opportunity to emphasize the benefits a train ride can have on our environment.
That’s what we did a couple weeks ago. We drove 15 minutes to our nearest train station and showed the twins the process, from the ticket purchase to the exciting ride. They had so much fun from big wheels to train tracks to automatic doors to chimes. It was no doubt an epic moment for us to witness the joy on their faces as we rode the train from one end to another.
Without a doubt, the subway system will improve and be part of the twins’ every day life. Their first trip to London using the subway system will not be as overwhelming as their mama’s because the Metro became their everyday life just like their dada’s.
Disclosure: Thank you Kimberly-Clark for sponsoring this post. As always, all opinions are my own.
P.S. Don’t forget to visit Pick Up the Values for more #CelebrateFamilyValues program tips & ideas. Also, visit their Facebook page or their Twitter account to get access to time and money saving tips and tricks and access to valuable coupons from Huggies diapers and wipes, Scott paper towels, Kleenex brand facial tissue, Cottonelle toilet paper, Poise pads, U by Kotex tampons and pads and more.
