Demolition of the Paris Metro

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The Paris Metro and the service it provides are deeply intertwined into the fabric of the city. As the 4.5 million passengers who

ride it every day will probably attest it's the quickest way around whether it's for work, for play or both. The metro's distinctive art-

nouveau style is unmistakable and the plant like green wrought iron entrances topped with the orange orbs and Metropolitan

signage designed by Hector Guimard which sprout up all over the city lead one down to the gleaming white tiled platforms to be

whisked away all over the city. On my first trip to Paris I arrived into Gare du Nord and entered the dense maze that is the metro.

Despite the crowds, the noise and the distinct odour of piss, I was in love. The kind of love which inspires one to ris k life, limb and

deportation to get up close and personal.

The HistoryOn 20 April 1896 the project to construct an underground transportation system for the city of Paris began. Four short years later

the Compagnie du chemin de fer mtropolitain de Paris (CMP) opened their first line, running east-west from Porte MaillotPorte

de Vincennes. Not long after that the CMP was joined by the Socit du chemin de fer lectrique souterrain Nord-Sud de Paris

(Nord-Sud) and between the two companies almost all of the 10 lines initially planned for Paris were built by 1920. Initia lly these

lines served only the city of Paris ( the snobby residents even went to far as to ensure the metro ran right hand side, to guarantee

non-interoperability with the left hand side system in the suburbs) but in the 30's - 50's the s uburbs were finally connected. Today

Paris' metro is still growing and changing through constant renovations, line extensions and currently the conversion of more lines

to use the driverless robotrains like those of line 14.

Back in October 2007 sometime after midnight and before the first trains rolled into regular service, qx and I took our first timid

steps onto the tracks of the Paris metro. With more nervousnes s and care than I'd like to admit we gingerly stepped down between

the metal rails jus t off the end of a platform wondering what madness had possessed us to do so. We'd never done Metro like this

before and this scary new world was full of elements we didn't understand at all. Looking at every rail critically working out which

carried the power, asking ourselves so many questions: how far could the electricity arc, would that even happen, could the

cameras on the platform see us, did security wait in the tunnels after hours, were there any trains after service, if so how fast did

they go, did anyone live in the tunnels, would we encounter writers? We'd heard lots of stories about RATP security forgoing the

usual legal punishments and simply beating up those found in the tunnels and kicking them out onto the street. We weren't packing

paint but would that matter?

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Demolition of the Paris Metro

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We took a few careful paces into the tunnel then hastily retreated back to the safety of our discreet entrance and back up the

ladders up to street level. Our initial forays were short and clearly we had no fucking idea what we were doing but that taste was

like a dirty needle in the arm of pure adventure crack. I t was enough to get us hooked and we craved it constantly like two dirty

fiends.

Over the next few years we were enslaved to this addiction like only those who grew up in a city deprived of metro could be. Week

in week our we hit the tunnels, s couring our maps and coming up in the early hours smeared from head to toe in that thick black

dust which never fully washes from your clothes. I would wake the morning after with that distinctive smell still hovering in my

nostrils, for imbued was it i nto the fabric of all my clothes, my sheets and my hair. The thick slabs of s cunge under our fingernails

was like a badge of honour, the black tinge in the folds between thumb and index finger which never faded a symbol of dedication.

The symptoms pervaded our appearance, our speech and our dreams. To us the s ystem was an open slate ripe with possibilities. I t

drew us in and we could only oblige by beginning to dismantle it piece by piece.

The gh ost stationsBefore developing a deeper appreciation of the s ystem we were drawn initially to the abandoned stations. Some of these seemtotally abandoned and haven't been reappropriated for other uses , some have become RATP storage and others, even more rare,

were never even open to the public. With time we would conquer them all.

Arsenal, Champ de MarsThe stations Arsenal and Champ de Mars are the easies t to vis it as they can be reached from the topside so they're as good a place

to begin as any. While situated at opposite sides of the city these two stations share a s imilar story. They were closed on the same

day, 2nd September 1939, when the metro employees were recruited to join the war effort. After the conclusion of the war they

were never reopened for general service as they're simply so close to other stations. The paris metro i s one of the most dense in

the world with an average distance between stations of ~500m.




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Following these the next craving one might satiate comes in the form of those abandoned stations which require one to partake inthe third rail steeplechase commonly referred to as tunnel running. Obviously one could choose to walk instead of run but unless

you're doing this well after service the luxury of a leisurely stroll is not on offer. Whilst the alcoves spread evenly along the tunnel

are reasonable concealment they're not foolproof and you're not invisible to the drivers so do yourself a favour and minimise their

use. S o pack your running shoes and get ready to duck under signal boxes, leap over the points and generally deal with all the

problems that come with running over an unforgiv ing mes s of wooden sleepers, metal points, rocky ballast and tangled cables.




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Good form is to, as the train passes by, launch oneself from the alcove down the half meter wide gap between the third rail and the

tunnel wall. This isn't the olympics so nobody expects gazelle like speed and grace, the uneven rocky metro ballast will see to that.

Ideally the front runner watches ahead for trains, the last watches behind and if you've a third they can count how long you've been

running for. It's a lso prudent to watch for electrical boxes and the like protruding from the walls which require one to duck and

weave while still avoid the third rai l beside your knee. Knocking oneself unconscious, falling on the juicer and being pulped will

crimp your day. Faites attention! With each alcove assess the situation, consider how far it is to the next (if you're lucky enough to

see the damn thing) and decide whether to stop and wait or cast those fucking dice again and keep running.

Croix-RougeCroix-Rouge (red cross) s tation was the original terminus for line 10 which operated for only 16 years before it, like the two

aforementioned stations, closed in 1939 for the war. S imilarly it was never opened again for public use. L ike Ars enal, Champ de

Mars and Saint Martin, Croix-Rouge can be seen from the windows of the passing train as it lies on regular service track. Using this

as a guide we judged the distance we'd need to run to get the station and thinking it wasn't too far I invited my gf along for a look.

She cautiously accepted which to her mis fortune was totally validated when we discovered the distance was far greater than

estimated. I doubt I'll ever be totally forgiven.




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Saint Martin Of Paris ' abandoned stations Saint Martin is the largest and the most well known. It's the only abandoned station to be dual layer

and to have two different lines running through i t - 8 and 9. In addition to its s ize Saint Martin is well known for the 1940's

advertisements it contains.

source: pridian.net

"Both these photos are of advertisements circa 1948, which have never been seen by the public. Note that there is no graffiti, in

Paris that means one of two things: they are in a very public place and surrounded in security cameras... or they are very hard to

access. In this case, they are very hard to get to...

After the war the metro advertising business was in bad shape, so during the stations brief reopening it was decided that the

station would be used as a showcase for what companies could buy in the way of public advertising in the cities metro. However,

the station closed soon after and the ads were never used for their intended purpose.

Both these ads are for real products, and I believe "Maizena" (a brand of corn flour) is s till in production. These are examples of

semi permanent type ads for which a company would pay an annual fee. They are made of hand painted ceramic tiles, which

explains why they appear in such good condition after 50 years."- courtesy of Pridian.net




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The stations never usedFollowing the entry level stations above one might begin to seek more exclusive fruits and rightfully so. Both the stations Haxo and

Molitor are a different breed altogether to those mentioned above because they were never finished, never connected to the

surface and never open to the public. Adding these to the haul takes a different approach as both Haxo and Molitor lie on sections

of track not used by the general service. As such there's no option to peer out the window of a passing train to even catch a

glimpse of what's in store i f you're lucky enough to reach them. Further both lie on sections of track commonly used for storing

trains. Haxo and Molitor are guaranteed to be an adventure.

HaxoThe abandoned station at Haxo is barely a station at all, in fact only one platform was built and only part of the platform is adorned

with those gleaming white tiles which Paris known for. The station is however, plastered end to end in graffiti. The highlight of

visiting Haxo by foot is the journey as reaching it from either end can be a risky undertaking. The Voie Navette to the south is

home to layed up trains, workers and s ecurity guards with dogs; and to the north is an awkwardly positioned station which has

recently claimed the metro bust virg inity of three friends.




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MolitorLastly there is Molitor, hardest of the abandoned stations and my favourite. We'd never heard of anyone exploring Molitor and a

Google image search turns up some RATP tour photos and little else. According to Magic Paris by Jean-Christophe Patat "The

legend even says that you can climb down the lycee's (high s chool's) main s tair to the station". This legend is indeed a legend, as

having dodged the cameras and the alarms and actually seen Molitor with our own eyes there no alternative to the hard way. If you

want this one, you need to work for it. Molitor has an i sland platform with an arched roof of gleaming white tiles. Unfortunately

there's no signage but this is offset by the trains. Lots of trains. Leading south away from the station is the Voie Murat which was

packed with probably another dozen - along with more cameras, more alarms and more adventure.




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Raccord Tun nelsIn addition to the s tations listed above the system is full of raccords, or linking tunnels, which span between lines to enable easy

movement of the rolling stock. In our travels though they seemed to be mainly used for work trains traversing the system and for

storing trains after service. The raccords are extremely convenient, as like the trains, one can lay up there for a while and wait for

the system to close, or s imply avoid the busiest s tations by working from line to line. As an added bonus they're excellent chill out

spots for listening to trains moving through the major tunnels, passing every few minutes in peak hour then at increasing intervals

as the service winds down. It's worth noting not to get too comfortable though, lest a lumbering work train interrupt your nap.

When those lumbering diesel beasts roll past at 5km/h, covered in workers, you'll be sweating.




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Almost all of the raccord tunnels are small, single track affairs with dimmer lighting and less graffiti than the main lines. The

movement of air pushed and pulled by the trains deposits little piles of litter in the raccords, amongs t the stacks of spare materials

and components often found in them. One could venture a guess there's less graffiti in them since there's no passenger service

there and nobody to see the works. There are exceptions naturally and many of the raccords contain oddities unmarked on any

map. Without checking them all, you'll never know.




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Rolling StockWith time the tunnels become repetitive, the junctions s imilar and the abandoned stations s een. Clich as it may be, eventually

the metro becomes about the experience and the adventure, more a journey than a particular destination. The journey is a

conflagration of uncontrollable variables which conspire to make it unpredictable and dangerous. But that's the fun of being within

a live system and as they say, there's never a dull night in the metro.




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Naturally the biggest ris k is the rolling s tock but like the moth and the flame it's what we grew to have the biggest hard on for. Not

in an anorak way - you won't see us s cribbling down carriage numbers and looking at engine s pecs; but in a manner of respect for

these intimidating beasts which roam the system. They're unconcerned by our weak, fleshy bodies and totally indifferent to

whether said body remains in one piece, or many smeared down 100m of track. It's inevitable that over the course of our

adventures we'd encounter these beasts up close and personal, in fact by the end we began to seek them out as we gained the

courage to venture further into their territory.




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There are regular trains, the driverless robotrains of line 14 (and soon line 1), work trains and of course, the Spragues. One night

while totally unprepared for such we chanced upon a mint Sprague s itting on a platform, like it was fresh from a 1930's production

line. It was a twin-car train resplendent in ravi shing red and green against the sparkling backdrop of white tile. Red for the ballers

in first class, green for s econd. The panels were shiny and true, the inside lovingly worn. The wooden second class seats were

polished, the padded first class ones still springy. It's probably still sitting there waiting to be taken out for s pecial occasions. Don't

ask where it is, I can't say.




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The RisksNaturally the activities presented here are dangerous and concern varying degrees of legality but I'll spare you the dis claimer and

hypocrisy of "do as I say, not as I do"and offer a short list of s ituations I or my friends found ourselves in from which you can

choose for yourself your own (in)actions.

getting caught by security and police while too drunk to function, i nspired by 2 French cataphiles on shrooms

getting into a fist fight with coked out bunch of frenchies while midriding

qx dropping his keys and hav ing them land perfectly balanced on the third rail

riding in the back carriage and hitting the bell button, getting yelled at by the driver then having the train stop and wait in the

station while we fled

being 10 seconds from running headlong into a ghost train near Vavin

sprinting out a raccord tunnel after a robot train started up automatically just as we reached it

a driver in the voie des fetes telling qx and AC he was g lad they weren't throwing rocks at him

hiding on the floor of a layed up train near molitor waiting for the cleaners walking by to leave

cramped into an alcove with snappel, qx doing similarly on the opposite s ide of the tunnel while pinned down by a late arriving

train near molitor being parked by a driver who clearly knew we were there.

meeting workers in an old station and them being totally cool with us, then having a nap on the ground while waiting for the

trains

jumping out from a midride as the rain pulls into station, way before it's safe to do so and almost collecting a dozen people

standing on the platform who are totally shocked at this person materialising out of nowhere onto the platform and hurtling

towards them

getting caught up between two groups of workers near a yard while trying to access a raccord tunnel

exiting from a tunnel onto the platform to discover security hiding and waiting for us by looking at the tv s creens used by the

drivers to check it's safe to close the train doors. Naturally we turned and crept away very very quickly.

getting caught by securitons in the tunnel and discovering they were really scared of the 3rd rail and wouldn't cross i t, only go

around it. Then the looks on their faces when, expecting bags of spraypaint, we opened our backpack and out came the pile of

1 series bodies and lenses.Jumping up onto a platform mid service and meeting ticket inspectors, who couldnt' give us a cheap fine s ince we had valid

tickets and instead found something much more expensive to hit us with.

the police stopping beside us one night while we were trying to open a locked metro manhole with a street sweeper bristle.

Then them deciding it was a catacomb manhole and asking us about the catacombs.

Being chased away from a tunnel into a yard by a s ingle security guard yelling " bougez pas bougez pas!" . Yeah right!

Running a certain camera'd and alarmed to the hilt loop track, emerging topside jus t in time to avoid being seen by a dog

equipped secca who asked "was that you in the tunnels?", "nah mate we're just Aus tralians getting drunk" and lifting our cans

of disgusting 12% Maximator beer with a grin.




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The OdditiesWith the ris ks accepted, ghost stations done, raccords run and trains encountered one begins to develop an appreciation for the

oddities in the system and begins to comb it, seeking out the weird, the undocumented and unknown places. These places will

always draw back those who have a s tronger interest in the metro than collecting the set of abandoned stations. Here's a sample:

From the really fucking weird things you find in the tunnels:




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photo: qx

To the platforms guarded all night long by a guard and his dog who you might miss by virtue of a visi t to the pissoir:

photo: qx

photo: qx

Enormous vent systems:




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The Zbulon, the protype for the common MF67 stock, on an abandoned platforms of an active station:




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The short section of tunnel of the Voie des Finances which was us ed up until 1967 to transport money collected from the other

stations to a large RATP office in the east:

photo: snappel

The tunnels under the river reminiscent of Londons' tube:




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And those of line 14, the driverless automated line on which opening the platform doors halts the line:

Navigation




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The loop at Porte Maillot:




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General dicking around:




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And of course, the abandoned section of tunnel converted into an underground facility, including a tunnel packed with the fading

red and green of v intage Sprague rolling stock waiting to be moved to a museum. Shortly after we found it the tunnel became the

venue for the illest party of the year. You can read more about this place here.




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The end?As we haven't walked every section of tunnel nor checked every door, and considering the evolving nature of the system and the

city it supports there is and will always be more to see, find and experience in the metro. This is in no way a definitive list, nor

even a checklist for future explorers to use in their adventures in the metro, since discovering your own places is substantially

more rewarding and something we should always pursue. Counter intuitive as it may seem, the system still feel so vi rgin despite

the thick layers of graffiti almost (:P) everywhere. Not once did we encounter others of a simi lar disposition to ourselves down

there. Not a single graffiti writer, nor a sing le explorer. It's eas y to believe the Metro is yours alone to explore and no doubt there

is much more to be found secreted away below the streets of Paris. Pose 'em and get fucking involved.




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Posted: 2010-12-17

Location:view on map

Views: 165,755

Tags:france, graffiti, metro, paris, posetescouilles, trains,

underground

Involved:dsankt, hount, marshall, quantum-x, snappel

Enable photo lightbox on map older | newer

:QndZ nWTVPOn_STn_] d$$$

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Shouts first and foremost to quantum-x and marshall, the two with whom I spent the most time tucked into alcoves as the trains

whistled past. Also to snappel and hount for the nights face down in the ballast, nose to the third waiting for the perfect moment.

To BHV for that first piece of information which led us down onto the tracks that first s tressful night. To everyone else I got dirty,

stinky and downright filthy with. To the iron men of the CMP and the NS who built such an excellent system and the hard working

staff of the RATP who maintain and extend it. Last of all a special shout to le-mec-sans-nom, whose hours of painstaking work

opened possibilites everywhere. Your contribution to this project is forever appreciated.

ds, 2010.

79 Comments

The One, Paris- 2010-10-16

Probing the edges of system late one night we found her, The One. That place in the system which sets itself apart from

the rest. Like NYC's City Hall or Sydney's St James, this is Paris' jewel. An abandoned tunnel...

Molitor, King of Stations- 2010-09-09

I'd neatly copied a map of the surrounding tunnels onto a small scrap of paper folded in my chest pocket. In case of

capture I was to eat the paper and claim we were looking for the bathroom. The Artline pen I'd used...

Maillot Loop, Paris.- 2010-03-17

Out on the western side of the metro map sits a small odd looking piece of track which always interested us. Originally

Porte Maillot station was the western terminus of line one, with two platforms connected by a...

Les trains du metro- 2010-04-14

The most interesting thing in the system is, to the foamers delight, the trains. Were half chubby at the merest hint of

laid up stock, so what? As you have read in the previous chapters of metro demolition we spent a...

Les Raccordements du Metro, 1- 2009-12-16

In addition to the many abandoned stations the s ystem has what are known as Les Raccordements, or jus t raccords. As

the name sugges ts theyre linking tunnels, which span between lines to enable easy movement of trains.. .




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nckt#1 - 2010-12-17 07:03 - Reply

Absolutely fantastic write up, photos, the fucking lot son;Shit is real.

dsankt#2 - 2010-12-17 07:55 - Reply

It's a lot more real when you're being chased by security. Maybe someone got some video of the last round of idiocy. It was

messy.

Moe#3 - 2010-12-17 07:10 - Reply

This s tory is so romantic (and reminds me so much of my experience with the NYC system). Fall in love with the girl, be nervous

and amazed when you finally kis s her, spend a wonderful and rewarding period of time exploring her every crack and crevice,

and eventually, just make her your bitch and bust her up with your buddies every once in a while on a whim. Wait, that's still

romantic right?

dsankt#4 - 2010-12-17 07:56 - Reply

Probably the most romantic thing I've ever read. Considered a job with Hallmark?

winch#5 - 2010-12-17 07:46 - Reply

Absolutely stunning, inspirational, mindblowing stuff. This blows anything else I've seen on any subterranean transit system

completely out of the water. Respect.

dsankt

#6 - 2010-12-17 07:57 - Reply

Cheers!

Winch#7 - 2010-12-17 08:29 - Reply

Now for the LU.... ;)

dsankt#8 - 2010-12-18 00:37 - Reply

You're closer than I am. Get on it!

Winchester #9 - 2010-12-22 01:40 - Reply

Don't think we're not trying!!! Mr S///////////// has blown the rest of us out of the water over this weekend. Maybe the

'A' and 'B' teams of London will complete a mammoth task at some point soon!?

dsankt#10- 2010-12-22 10:03 - Reply

I'm aware how different the challenges are between London and Paris, the Tube is a very different beast indeed. I don't

expect it will ever be explored in a manner similar to how paris has been done unfortunately.I think there are some is sues

between teams A and B, so to speak, which seem not so easily resolved. Rarely do I see S/// get angry over anything and

certain events seem to have wound him up quite a lot. I'm glad to not be directly involved but I'm sure that hoourable

information flow between the two (c road comes to mind) would be mutually beneficial.

Jim Gillette#11- 2010-12-17 10:01 - Reply

Fuggin POWERFUL.

agour#12- 2010-12-17 23:23 - Reply

awesome stuff as usual, nice to bring all the previous posts of the metro together, gives it all a lot more depth, respect!

dsankt#13- 2010-12-18 00:38 - Reply

Cheers, after all the work it seemed logical to finally put it all together into something more than a loose collection of

posts.

yaz#14- 2010-12-18 00:20 - Reply

RATP: avez-vous tous t dans le mtro?

dsankt#15- 2010-12-18 00:38 - Reply

Clearly there's a problem here with encoding. Fucking internets.

Goblinmerchant#16- 2010-12-18 00:45 - Reply

With every double finger swipe that scrolled me deeper into the bowels of the Paris Metro, the fear began to build. When I

finally realized, sweating and rubbing my temples, my coffee now cold, that you had written the longest UrbEx blog post in the

history of human kind, I loved you a little more. Nicely done mate, great to have this all in one place.

snaps#17- 2010-12-18 03:58 - Reply




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This ain't UrbEx, son ;)

dsankt#18- 2010-12-19 03:30 - Reply

Ew urbex!

nckt#19- 2010-12-19 22:09 - Reply

to quote potentially the the best line relating to this post on the internets: 'now that's a eXplore!'

JaL#20- 2010-12-18 01:06 - Reply

Yes, that was a very interesting introduction into the underground side of Paris and its metro... Thanks for that ! :-)

Viktor#21- 2010-12-18 04:06 - Reply

That was fantastic! I'd love a chance to explore some of these kinds of things - legally of course. You'd be amazed at the amount

of stuff you can get into without causing problems if you just ask. Although, the frenchies might be different. Definitely

appreciate the photos! keep it up!

dsankt#22- 2010-12-19 03:34 - Reply

As is commonly said: It's easier to ask forgiveness than it is to get permission. Plus once denied permission life becomes

much more difficult if you do whatever it is you've been denied.

Eurotrip Tips#23- 2010-12-18 04:52 - Reply

Amazing shots. I'll keep my mouth shut as for the whole legality of the process, though. ;)

Nico#24- 2010-12-18 08:01 - Reply

Wohw... mauvais pour les yeux...

dsankt#25- 2010-12-19 03:35 - Reply

non ce n'est pas poss ible, le metro est beau et tu le connais!

Aqualung#26- 2010-12-18 10:57 - Reply

Classy!

xp#27- 2010-12-18 18:49 - Reply

Thanks for doing this, and documenting it, for those of us who will never see it for ourselves.

dsankt#28- 2010-12-19 03:36 - Reply

Bah, what's with the defeatist attitude?

oams.d#29- 2010-12-18 20:52 - Reply

1st comment here but been readin for a while. Inspiring me to get overseas, s tuck in the Hobart darkie for now :pFuckin'

awesome site mate. Love it :) Have a good one :)

dsankt#30- 2010-12-19 03:36 - Reply

There are worse places to be than Hobart Darkie. Once you reach escape velocity you're never going back.

Marketing de Filles#31- 2010-12-18 21:01 - Reply

Our Blog like your blog and photos. We are 3 french students in Paris and we will write an article about your site ! It is a really

good means to discover differently the Paris metro ! Don't hesitate to visit our blog to read soon the article about your photos !

www.marketingdefille s;blog-idrac.com

dsankt#32- 2010-12-19 03:37 - Reply

Merci pour le link :)

Marshall#33- 2010-12-18 21:43 - Reply

Top stuff mate, so many good times. I've sent you a clippy of the finest black metro dust so whenever you feel the need you can

rack up and chase the Paris metro dragon.

dsankt#34- 2010-12-19 03:38 - Reply

I'll sprinkle some of it in my palm when I'm feeling lonely and it'll be the next best thing to being there. Glad to have shared

so many adventures with quality people, the best of times.

jago#35- 2010-12-18 23:24 - Reply




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Great stuff here. Amazing images. Keep on doing what you're doing! I t's alive!

thomas p#36- 2010-12-19 03:53 - Reply

Terrific photos. I 'll never take the tube anymore... and wait for the trains to get off... s o that i could walk and walk and walk

and walk and walk and walk and walkand walk and walkand walk and walkand walk and walkand walk and walkand walk and

walkand walk and walk!!!

dsankt#37- 2010-12-19 13:20 - Reply

So long as you're ready to run run run run and run.

S///#38- 2010-12-19 10:39 - Reply

Fuckin' nooooobody does it better, sometimes haters wis h someone woooould. Fucking awesome finale to the utter teardown of

one of the finest compendiums of crazy rad interesting shit anyone ever thought to build under a city.

dsankt#39- 2010-12-24 06:26 - Reply

So, which city should we start on now?

Cornstarch#40- 2010-12-19 22:02 - Reply

Mazena is indeed still made -- a fine product. I have been known to bring one variety back to the US in my luggage. When I

accidentally forgot a suitcase on the side of the street near Bastille during la Fte de la Musique, I miraculously recovered it

from the Police, who had logged it in as "valise avec vtements, conserves, et Mazena." And they all asked me about it: "Mais

pourquoi la Mazena, Madame?"

Caspian#41- 2010-12-20 08:40 - Reply

Nice photos! I want a poster or coffee table book.

dsankt#42- 2010-12-21 14:01 - Reply

If you're interesting buying a print drop me an email.

Caracalla#43- 2010-12-20 21:16 - Reply

Incredibly great ! I really enjoyed reading this article, and envy you, as the parisian that I am has always dreamt of doing what

you've done. Sooo cool !

dsankt#44- 2010-12-21 14:02 - Reply

Then get out there and do it, you've no excuse :P

urbexIL#45- 2010-12-21 01:48 - Reply

I am totally blown away. This is by far one of the most epic urbex s tories I've ever experienced. Your photos are amazing, and

the metro system is expansive beyond any dream.I am speechless. Kudos.

dsankt#46- 2010-12-21 14:02 - Reply

Thanks

Cam#47- 2010-12-21 12:46 - Reply

Shit bro! /end.

Verfsnuiver #48- 2010-12-22 22:40 - Reply

You sir, are my hero.nice writeup.

ArdianZzZ#49- 2010-12-23 05:52 - Reply

WoW! Fantastic!

RichInSydney#50- 2010-12-23 06:15 - Reply

Excellent work. Photography is g reat, as are the stories. I love traveling the metro and am always amazed at its diversity (not

just the stations, but the side tracks and ghost stations the trains pass through). Loved the bit about having to sprint from a

tunnel when a robo-train started up without warning - woulda scared the s**t outta me.

dsankt

#51- 2010-12-24 06:27 - Reply

Man we turned and bolted. The whole night was hectic from the start, that just capped it! We didn't take much video back

then unfortunately as it would have been fucking clas sic.

Tcat#52- 2010-12-24 01:42 - Reply

Oh my! What a great battle for the best ever of photography, writing and just having me cry with joy for top spot. Just




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incredible. Maybe the best Christmas present I ever got. Thank you.

dsankt#53- 2010-12-24 06:28 - Reply

No probs capn.

EnamelKoi#54- 2010-12-24 13:26 - Reply

This is a fantastic presentation of a wonderful journey! The pictures are terrific and the stories of how you got them make them

that much better. While my days of such escapades (and they were never on this scale) may be behind me, I can really appreciate

the spirit here. Great of you to share it.

dsankt#55- 2010-12-24 13:55 - Reply

Thanks for leaving your message, your words inspire belief that there are still people out there who had(ve) that

adventurous streak and that the entire older generation isn't a bunch of scared sheep concerned with liability and what

might happen if people hurt themselves doing something they love.

victor raggio#56- 2010-12-24 13:35 - Reply

great work. congrats

Dimkit#57- 2010-12-24 15:33 - Reply

What a stunning work ! I wish i were here ! Amazing shots & discoveries. Just keep it up guys !

R2ro#58- 2010-12-25 00:18 - Reply

Nothing short of spectacular. There aren't enough superlatives to describe awesomeness of the photos and accompanying

narration. Can you guys do New York as well?? :)

dsankt#59- 2010-12-25 04:41 - Reply

Thanks, If you're interested in the new york subways I'd recommend heading over to LTV Squad, selecting subways from the

location type dropdown and immersing yourself.

Eve Politanoff#60- 2010-12-25 21:28 - Reply

Absolutely amazing, great post !

seotons#61- 2010-12-26 08:20 - Reply

very nice pictures ! there is a lot of hidden treasure in Paris

mustafa#62- 2010-12-26 17:18 - Reply

Simply effing magnificent! Once I was able to schmooz my way into a ride in the cab with the motorman of a 12 train from

Abbesses, but I never saw anything as cool as these pics. You guys rock at urban subterranean exploration. More, please!

dsankt#63- 2010-12-27 01:42 - Reply

It's a great view isn't it! Riding up front also make it obvious how easy it would be to see someone in the tunnels if they

didn't take care to hide themselves.

Theremin#64- 2010-12-26 19:49 - Reply

Fascinating story/photos! I'm interested in doing an article about you for an online fan magazine, is there some way I can

contact you?

dsankt#65- 2010-12-27 01:41 - Reply

My email can be found at the bottom of every page in the footer or on the About page in the top menu.

erik#66- 2010-12-27 00:53 - Reply

great photos, but a little too instructional. Someone could read this and not understand the real danger of it and get killed.

dsankt#67- 2010-12-27 01:40 - Reply

I believe the risks and possible consequences are outlined sufficiently above. If s omeone chooses to put themselves into a

dangerous situation and dies that's unfortunate of course but we posses s a brain and one does well to use it. Life is

inherently risky whichever (in)actions we choose; that's the crux of it - people make their own choices.

prasad#68- 2010-12-27 02:34 - Reply

Incredible i'd say! amazing photography.. stunning. how did you manage the risks :)

dsankt#69- 2010-12-27 09:04 - Reply

Anyway we could!




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Disclaimer? There is none, do as you wish. Climb bridges, run the subways, play in sewage, go in drains. [email protected]

lanchester#70- 2010-12-27 05:44 - Reply

Thank you so much for sharing your adventure/quest! Really really beautiful pictures. Art...

erik#71- 2010-12-27 11:22 - Reply

just saying,, i don't think the internet is the place for any random dweeb to read a step by step guide to exploring the Paris

Metro.

Davidikus#72- 2010-12-27 16:02 - Reply

Great project! The photos & the write ups are excellent. I never did half as much as you have but this reminds me of my youth inParis!davidikus. blogspot.com

dsankt#73- 2010-12-29 00:06 - Reply

This i s an aspect of paris, to me, which separates it from so many other place I've been. Not so much with the metro, but

certainly with the catacombs, the average person on the street has an idea of what they're about and why people go in

them. The idea of exploring your city is almost normal, and the number of times we'd be entering/exiting a manhole and

have a passerby stop for a quit chat about the ktas was surprising to those of us who come initially from a culture where

anyone doing something different is viewed with suspicion.

Alyssa Becker#74- 2010-12-28 18:00 - Reply

BEAUTIFUL photos. Absolutely captivating.

trefynnon

#75- 2010-12-28 23:37 - Reply

Damn, I 've led a sheltered life! Great pictures and writing; you can smell the ozone. And I love the last pic with the disappearing

concentric curves. Inspirational!

dsankt#76- 2010-12-29 00:07 - Reply

Then there's no time like the present to rectify the situation. New year's resolution?

G-rom#77- 2010-12-29 01:52 - Reply

Excellent ! Beaucoup de gens explorent les catacombes et le mtro, mais peu en ramne des photos auss i belles que les v

tres. Bravo.

russos#78- 2010-12-29 06:10 - Reply

Respect from Russia!

Fatbat#79- 2010-12-29 07:33 - Reply

Absolutely loved the article and photos. Always been fascinated by this kind of stuff and your explorations have inspired me!


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Demolition of the Paris Metro