A closer look
Parisian subway cars run on actual rubber tires instead of traditional steel wheels to reduce noise and increase traction on steep inclines. Introduced in the 1950s, this pneumatic system requires completely different tracks with specialized rollways. Instead of marveling at this engineering quirk, most commuters are just grateful their eardrums aren't bleeding during the morning rush. Of course, when the tires pop or catch fire, the smell of burning rubber in a poorly ventilated subterranean tunnel provides a lovely, dystopian start to your workday. It is the perfect metaphor for modern urban existence: slightly quieter, infinitely more expensive to maintain, and always one flat tire away from total systemic collapse. At least you get to work feeling like you just survived a Mario Kart level designed by a sadistic French urban planner
