So today (yesterday now!) I was going to join the mass group of 600+ people who wanted to ride the metro on the first day. However, when I got to the station I couldn't tell who was who so i just got on the train anyway! I stopped at each station to take a few pictures, sometimes jumping back on before the doors closed (in some stations they stopped for a few minutes, others shorter) other times waiting for the next train.
Got some good pictures passing along Sheikh Zayed Road (will post those later) and also at the end of the line at Nakheel Harbour and Tower Station.
All was rosy, I had parked at Rashidiya and got off at MOE.
I met a friend to see a film at MOE, we had a coffee and at 10pm off I trotted to get back on the metro to go back to Rashidiya to pick up my car - or so I thought!
At the entrance to MOE station were about 2-300 people queing to get in. The guy at the door then said that the station was full, no-one else was going in and they were trying to get more empty trains. He couldn't promise however that there would be enough trains to take everyone. One guy I spoke to said that in fact it was unlikely there would be enough and I would probably have to get a taxi back to Rashidiya!!! As you can imagine I was not best impressed having left my car at home in the first place.
So then lucky for me my friend had not left MOE so she gave me a lift to NH&T station where I got on one of the empty trains that were leaving there.
When I got to MOE the whole world and his dog got on (well not the dog as that is against the by-laws :-) ) and we slowly headed to Rashidiya. After what seemed an age, and after a number of children pressed the emergency call button, which just happened to be at exactly their height, we pulled into Rashidiya at 11.45pm. Never was I so happy to see my car :-)
I guess the first day was always going to be busy but it probably would have helped if they hadn't let people on for free for a joy ride rather than letting people on who had legitimate cause to use it!