Ride The Subway For Free in Santiago de Chile
A while back I told you how to ride the bus for free in Santiago, Chile. Now, as promised, here is my secret to Riding the Santiago Subway for Free. It really works.
Basically, all you have to do is tell a yellow-vested station operator that you got off at the wrong stop.
What makes this trick so great is that I didn't even think it up: a station operator taught me! See, every month I had to pay my Internet bill at the Telefonica office which happened to be located in a strange little mall right inside a Metro station. (In Santiago they call it "Metro", not "Subway").
But the very next station was where my gym was at.
So one day I told a yellow-vested lady my predicament - while I really didn't have it in me to walk all the way to the gym from there, I was not about to pay full fair just to travel one more stop.
Of course, she couldn't just let me through the normal card-swiping beeping pay gates. But what she did do was tell me to walk over to her colleague and explain that I'd accidentally gotten off one stop shy of my destination. Her colleague, you see, was guarding the normal gates for staff and emergency crews (and now me!) to get through w/o paying.
The key to making this work is to walk in from outside and go straight toward the platform exit gates. Once there, walk away as if you were just getting off the metro. Then slow down, look around, look lost, look for the entrance gates and the nearest station operator.
If you've ever called in sick to work, you've enough acting skillz to make this work. For plausibility's sake, it's best if you say that you disembarked one stop early, or one stop late. But from there you can travel the whole length of Santiago for all they know.
This way, Sara, you may never have to buy a BIP card again.
Good luck!
Basically, all you have to do is tell a yellow-vested station operator that you got off at the wrong stop.
What makes this trick so great is that I didn't even think it up: a station operator taught me! See, every month I had to pay my Internet bill at the Telefonica office which happened to be located in a strange little mall right inside a Metro station. (In Santiago they call it "Metro", not "Subway").
But the very next station was where my gym was at.
So one day I told a yellow-vested lady my predicament - while I really didn't have it in me to walk all the way to the gym from there, I was not about to pay full fair just to travel one more stop.
Of course, she couldn't just let me through the normal card-swiping beeping pay gates. But what she did do was tell me to walk over to her colleague and explain that I'd accidentally gotten off one stop shy of my destination. Her colleague, you see, was guarding the normal gates for staff and emergency crews (and now me!) to get through w/o paying.
The key to making this work is to walk in from outside and go straight toward the platform exit gates. Once there, walk away as if you were just getting off the metro. Then slow down, look around, look lost, look for the entrance gates and the nearest station operator.
If you've ever called in sick to work, you've enough acting skillz to make this work. For plausibility's sake, it's best if you say that you disembarked one stop early, or one stop late. But from there you can travel the whole length of Santiago for all they know.
This way, Sara, you may never have to buy a BIP card again.
Good luck!
posted by Chileno @ 6:51 AM
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47 Comments:
Your suggestion for how to ride the Metro for free might indeed work but have you considered...
That doing so undermines the very fiber of a countries values and leads, ultimately, to what we have in North America. Every man/woman for themselves with nary a thought for your fellow man or for doing what is right.
Is the dishonesty you are promoting a good thing for Chile? I think not.
If we promote and teach dishonesty and a lack of integrity we will end up with corrupt public officials, corrupt companies, and corrupt individuals. If you think we have that already...how about promoting honesty, virtue, and integrity in your next blog post as a step in helping society get back on track?
Carlos (Chilean by birth now living in North America)
Carlos, please go back to your country and promote virtue to the station operator who taught me the trick. If I'm gonna promote anything, it's getting her a raise.
chileno let me tell you something that might open your eyes. EVERYBODY has to pay the fare. If guards let you in for free, this is because this is rarely requested, and you can't abuse from it. Very irresponsable, for not outright wrong. If you think you can start abusing the system, then maybe you should stop critizicing our country and go back home. It disgusts me that people, especially foreigners that should be more educated, could resort to such nefarious ways to not pay $380. Very very bad. Hope somebody reports you, I know I will.
>>>foreigners that should be more educated
R U saying foreigners are smarter than Chileans? Racist pig...
"I was not about to pay full fair just to travel one more stop."
First of all, you're riding the metro rather than walking/jogging to the gym?
Second of all, the fair is what, $0.50? $0.75?
I'm impressed by your stinginess!
Joel, no good deed goes unpunished :-)
I took at least 20 minutes of my valuable time to blog and help poor Sara, who is broke as a joke and got her BIP card stolen by two little old ladies, and you call me stingy?
If your free market metro can't make it without charging me for every. Single. Stop. Then there's something wrong with the system. It's too smoggy to walk/jog through the center of town. Gym has filtered air. Actually, took months to get them to comply with their own advertising on that one (there was a big whole in the window letting in smog), but that's a different story ;-)
And a general note, a lot of people seem really outraged as if my blog is going to single handedly dismantle the system well guess what you're free to pay! You can even make a donation to the metro for all i care. This is a tip for people who have to watch every penny, not fat cat hotel clerks like Joel.
>especially foreigners that should be more educated
>>R U saying foreigners are smarter than Chileans? Racist pig...
He's using the word education to mean "civility," that he expects from foreigners, even if they abuse the system in their own countries.
c.hileno what I meant by most educated was trying to go with your logic imposed in other blog posts, where you tell others how everything here just doesn’t work, and how it works better internationally. I see that foreigners are at the same level of ignorance and incompetence as the Chileans you criticize in your blog.
One of your best and most "insightful" entries yet!
Wembley
>>>I see that foreigners are at the same level of ignorance and incompetence as the Chileans you criticize in your blog.
1. Being able to score a free ride hardly a sign of ignorance and incompetence.
2. I give full credit to the kinda and intelligent station operator, who is of Chilean nationality, who taught me the trick.
...that's "kind and intelligent" - not "kinda intelligent" ;-)
>>>He's using the word education to mean "civility," that he expects from foreigners...
English 101: common usage of "education" refers to school training, and possibly, indirectly intelligence. Not manners.
Re: foreigners. In Chile, as in most parts of the world, there are two kinds of foreigners. Do tell me: which kind of foreigner does he expect to be more civil, and why?
According to the Oxford English Dictionary:
education (...) 2. The process of ‘bringing up’ (young persons); the manner in which a person has been ‘brought up’; with reference to social station, kind of manners and habits acquired, calling or employment prepared for, etc. (...)
But you're right, should be more educated is an incorrect way to express it.
I think he made a literal translation of the Spanish debieran ser más educados, using the noun educación in the sense:
4. f. Cortesía, urbanidad. (Real Academia Española)
But it just doesn't work in English. Heh.
educado --> educated is kinduva homonym. At least in the version of English I speak, I've never heard/employed "educated" in terms of breeding. "Bien educado" would be "well bred" or, more contemporary, "well behaved", "well mannered".
Whether it's good manners or good schooling, it's something he expects foreigners to have more of. What kind of foreigners?
chileno, i like your blog but NOT this entry.. If you complain about the smog PAY for the metro.. Santiago does need the money... "every little helps" how much is the metro in santiago?
Well, I'm no longer in Santiago but I regret to say that I always did pay for the metro apart from the time I learned this trick. As far as I can tell it's fool-proof but I didn't need the hassle of scamming every time. This post was for Sara who got her BIP card stolen and anyone else strapped for cash. You've got the info, do with it what you like. I still find it immensely funny that people think this blog entry is somehow the kiss of death for Santiago's metro.
I think the Metro will survive just fine. What's bound to turn into ashes here are chileno's chances of ever getting into Sara's pants.
She may be able to pull off this little trick a few times and experience the exhilaration of breaking the law and getting away with it. Sooner or later, she will be noticed and when she's finally arrested and thrown in jail, it's safe to say she won't be in the most romantic of moods.
This post has been removed by a blog administrator.
...until I rescue her from Jail!
First of all, it's not exactly a free market metro. There's no direct competition!
"This is a tip for people who have to watch every penny, not fat cat hotel clerks like Joel."
This former fat cat hotel clerk who was earning less than US minimum working six days a week is now an unemployed vagabond, while Mr C.hileno writes about enjoying filtered air with his gym membership.
>>>First of all, it's not exactly a free market metro. There's no direct competition!
I never said "exactly", and "free market" encompasses more than just direct competition. In this case I was referring to what I heard once: that the metro is self-sustained, not subsidized by the gov't.
>>>This former fat cat hotel clerk who was earning less than US minimum working six days a week is now an unemployed vagabond, while Mr C.hileno writes about enjoying filtered air with his gym membership.
Do I sense some class rivalry brewing? First you call me "stingy", now you're insinuating that I'm elitist :-)
You know, where I come from we've got a word for poor, conservative-leaning folks who aren't quite clear on the conservative policies they back...
:-P
I'm not guilty of contradiction. Elitists usually are stingy.
If you've ever worked in a restaurant, or about any branch of tourism, you'd know that the best tippers are usually the guys that come in with dirty clothes, and hard hats on, and order a burger. The service is never good enough for the filtered-air-gym types.
Joel, you got "derailed" (a subway metaphor).
I never said you're contradicting yourself. In fact I applaud your consistency piling on the insults these past two comments. Not only am I elitist and stingy but now I'm bad tipper! LOL.
Because obviously we eat together all the time and you see what i tip...:P
Here's what I think your issue is: you've got it stuck in your head that I'm stingy despite absolutely no evidence to that effect.
Truth is I'm spending valuable time giving to the less fortunate by posting on how they can economize in Chile! You've conveniently ignored that fact, because it doesn't blend into your pretty little water color you've painted of me (inherently pretty, because it's of me).
Well add this to your pallet: nobody tips me, but I tip you! (By "you" I mean "your people"). (Okay, people don't tip me they give me "bonuses"...)
If you cared about the less fortunate in Chile than the blog entry should have been written in Spanish rather than English.
Sara is a native English speaker. She is less fortunate.
Furthermore, I never claimed to care about her and her penniless expat ilk, (as well as the plenty of penniless Chileans who can read English, or use online translating tools). Rather, I just noted how I gave generously to them. But you got derailed (pardon the subway metaphor). You turned it into a question of my motives then (or as you would say "than") questioned my sincerity as regards to the motives which you yourself invented and heaped upon me.
Well, carry on if you'd like but your line of reasoning is completely detached from reality, revealing you to be a frustratedly wannabe "gotcha" commentard sadly bereft of any material with which you could ever actually, well, "get me".
*Sigh*. Sir, it sounds like you desperately want me to care about...you. Sorry, but I just don't have it in me :P
I didn't get derailed, I'm consistently complaining about how those of us scrounging for tips consistently contribute to the society, while the elitists who roll around in their bonu$e$ like a dog in refuse, are always thinking of how they can horde more of their cash.
Anyway, I didn't say "you" were a bad tipper, just that "your kind" were generally bad tippers. ;)
I appreciate what you claim to be a helping hand to the downtrodden, but I suspect a more sinister scheme to stir up unrest like Pulitzer and Hearst for your own benefit...
You got derailed because you thought I was accusing you of inconsistency when I wasn't, but no biggie.
>>>those of us scrounging for tips consistently contribute to the [sic] society
Joel, I respect the dirty work your people must do but I'm not sure how busing a table or checking high priced whores into the Marriott is somehow more of a contribution to society than the hard work that better paid people do.
In other words, I fail to see how morality, authenticity and basic human decency increase as wages decrease. Your cartoonish portrait of poorly clothed hamburger-eaters as bigger tippers precludes almost any respectable fine dining establishment where rich and powerful congregate for power-lunches, for example, and tip up to $200 per meal. (And if you don't good luck getting a seat next time...)
Get a cuenta corriente. Pay online. Or go to a different Servipag or whathaveyou.
Or just enjoy what we call "sacando la tarjeta gringa," by playing ñoño.
cute, but I wouldn't try it. Curious to know what station you tried this at. I'm pretty sure down here at Sta. Anna it just wouldn't fly.
OMG! I wish I had thought of that. I'm sure it would work fabulously with a little bit of eyelash batting and a horrible Spanish accent. I think I'll spread the word.
Sweet blog. Do you actually make money at this and if so, how?!?!
I mean, how long have you been at it?
Sorry, last comment. I don't know why they are all giving you slack. I think it's brillant.
Yes, Sara. Spread the word. And tell them who told you!
>>>Do you actually make money at this and if so, how?!?! I mean, how long have you been at it?
I've been blogging for a thousand years and I don't ever talk about money. Joel does.
"In other words, I fail to see how morality, authenticity and basic human decency increase as wages decrease...rich and powerful congregate for power-lunches, for example, and tip up to $200 per meal."
I know, right? Pfsh. As if those of us who make a decent living, and actually like their jobs are somehow a detriment to society. As it happens, when I have more money at my disposal, I usually throw a little bit more around, and most likely it will land in the hands of the very self same acne covered incompetant waiter who complains that we don't tip.
(FYI it looks like I got a new job)
And Sara, save yourself the agony, and don't worry about trying to make money off your blog, you wouldn't know what to do with it all.
>>>I know, right? Pfsh. As if those of us who make a decent living, and actually like their jobs are somehow a detriment to society.
Mercy on the souls of your metaphorical subway passengers! (You got derailed again). Joel, I'm not implying that lower-paid people are necessarily worse than higher paid people. But neither am I implying that service workers are inherently better people. You are.
Come on, man. The more you try to nail down the profile of these honest-to-goodness, decent-living, acne-covered service industry professionals whom you call "those of us", I'm beginning to think it's actually a rather lonely and fuzzybrained - albeit adorable - group of, well, one. (You).
I mean, how many waiters really truly lo-o-o-o-o-ve their jobs and intermittent unemployment like you claim to so love yours?
And then, can you clearly show me who among them "actually like their jobs" more than the media, artistic and corporate elites like theirs?
And then, could you please illuminate us on how, exactly, your shit work engenders "decent living" any more than does a cleaner, higher-paying job?
Again, I think you're rehashing a miserably quaint rich/poor = sinner/saint stereotype backed up only by your deplorably faux yet self-deluding 'street cred' of having "worked in a restaurant, or about any branch of tourism" as if that makes you a Wise Man who Knows More About the World well let me tell you something Joel I've filled plenty of coffee cups and led many tours and know people in fine dining and I disagree entirely with your extremely limited and shortsighted assessments of the behavior of clientele, your class profiling as it were and, even if you are being true to your own very narrow experience, your absurd and generalized extrapolations thereof are completely detached from fact or reason.
In other words, you're full of crap. So there.
:P
No no no. I can see why this might have been confusing, but you misunderstand!
This was no venom filled satirical rant, I'm on your side bro! I'm not facing more intermittent work in the dark underbelly of society, I'm looking at a well paid job which would allow me to do something I'm proud of. I'm one of you! We're the same guy now! I'm you!
So I back you up in your supposition that it's not a universal truth that peons "scrounging for tips consistently contribute to the society."
Some might call it a change of heart, or complete lack of character which enables me to allow my circumstances to completely alter long held prejudices and hatred because of circumstantial improvements in my own world. Either way, it's nice to take the taxi and not feel like I'm blowing my life savings...
Joel your 180 degree rhetorical pivot proves that not only did I nail you, but I converted you.
Welcome aboard.
You too are a couple of sellouts. :-)
Enjoy the ride while you can cause your days are numbered. It's only a matter of time until the outsourcing monster swallows its next victim: freelance writing.
Um, last I checked freelance writing is a product of outsourcing. Try again ;-)
Fair enough. It was presumptuous of me to assume that you could figure this out all on your own. :-)
Here's the Sesame Street explanation: outsourcing as in offshoring, as in the subcontracting of services in foreign (usually developing) countries at a much reduced rate.
The transfer of employment abroad means fewer jobs for Americans and, of course, lower wages for those jobs that do remain. The implication being that your current lifestyle may soon become unsustainable even if you somehow manage to stay employed.
And yet, you're not afraid to live abroad and have done so in the past. That's the one survival skill that may redeem you, after all.
Ugh, you're so dull. Everybody knows the definition of outsourcing-over-seas. What I'm referring to is outsourcing out of the office, paying a freelance specialist to do a project or aspect of a project rather than in-house staff. In other words, I know a lot more about it than you do. Please don't be such a patronizing twat.
Wow, I can't believe people are offended by this post. At my college they handed out "Dis-orientation" manuals when I was a freshman to teach us out to shoplift at Wal-mart and dumpster dive. I'm all for some freebies but I can afford a metro ride, thanks.
@kumichan83: sounds like you went to Berkeley!
I didn't. But I know one of the guys who worked on disorientation guide, an insufferable tool who'd lecture you about how anarchy was actually very organized, bla bla.
Still, I'm all for college in general because if you get through it you prolly won't have to spend much time doing anything in Walmart.
PS: I have fond memories dumpster diving at Acme bread HQ in Emeryville, lotsa fresh, delicious high-carb booty :-)
I am not sure this would work for every stop.
@schall: Get back to me when you are sure.
@kumichan83: oh, wait. Says you're an Evergreen grad. Never heard of it so I'll keep assuming you went to Berkeley.
i checked out your blog to learn about expat living in Chile. We may move there. Instead I learned how to trick the subway system. To me that is a pretty "low" posting. Carlos was right how about teaching honesty, integrity, and respect for the system. these are some basic North American traits that makes the public institution (i.e. subway) work there. if everybody cheats the system it ends up serving no one. Trust me I grew up in a developing country and know it. If some people cheat it and the majority does not then it works. I guess if you want to be one of them, go ahead, I am sure it is fun. I personally don't. Good luck with your blog! I am probably not coming back.
Iuliana (Romanian born, lived all over the world)
Hey, Iuliana. Just because you're a gypsy doesn't mean you get to denigrate Chileans.
>>>these are some basic North American traits that makes the public institution (i.e. subway) work there.
Last I checked it was a South American subway system, and it's one of the best in the world.
HI there,
am a chilean living in CHile, and using the metro a lot. I think that most of the post above are overreacting a bit. Is indeed not right to skip the line and not pay for the service you use, but at the same time come on, we all know that foreign people usually get smacked and even robbed by some others...from my own experience must say that foreign usually pay better, tip better and are even kinder with the staff anywhere they go. Of course as chilean are, must be some of them who are not that nice, but then if you live here and you just don't feel fair to pay for a short trip to the next station then know that with your BIP card you have an hour to leave the station do your things and come back without paying your trip back! whether you need combination with a bus (transantiago) or a different line of the metro, you have the time to do it without paying extra.
Lets not be so literal please and blame the owner of this blog for such a small thing when we all know that probably somebody who is looking for advices and getting more into our country is somebody with values who wont make our metro system collapse by doing something fun like this when they need to for whatever reason! am pretty sure they wont do it everytime and also that the staff at the metro are not silly to let it pass every single time!
In some other countries you pay about 2 u$ or 1.5 pounds for a ticket, maybe even more but for the whole day! simple maths at the end, they leave a lot more than that in other expenses than a metro ticket, tourism, hotels and restaurant which are services that actually provide work for chileans!!
Over
I've seen this happen before where people have made a genuine mistake and the attendants have just told the people to go out of the station and take a bus (which would be free if they had actually taken the metro in the first place) to the next station.
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