The Famous Melbourne Tram

I remembered being very astonished by the quite frankly dangerous and confusing tram system.

During my first days in Melbourne I often found walking to be the faster method of commuting in the city centre (also known as the central business district or in short CBD). What fascinated me, though, is the fact that trams run in the middle of the street. This way, passengers are forced to step into the bustling traffic when boarding or alighting a tram. However, no one seemed overly troubled by this, in my opinion, unnecessary exposure to risk.

So, I quickly accepted the Australian way and was grateful for public transport. I got used to hailing the tram, making sure not to get run over by a car before happily continuing my journey.

I soon got myself a ‘student Myki card’, the mandatory card for everyone using public transport, which allowed me to travel anywhere my heart desired to go (even if it usually took longer than expected). Tram rides in the CBD are free, which often saved my insolvent student-life. I found that many things, such as the transportation system, firstly seemed strange and confusing to me.

I had to learn to accept that, as a lovely Aussie pointed out to me, it is not wrong, it’s just different.

Source

Photo gallery