30 Times People Had To Look Twice To Understand What They Were Seeing On The Berlin Subway
InterviewFor better or worse, living in a big city means being around a whole smorgasbord of humanity. Every subculture, style, and design has its adherents, and where better to see it than buses, trams, and subways?
The “Berlin Subway Creatures” Instagram account is dedicated to sharing the most interesting passengers on the city's public transport and not, unfortunately, found footage of actual underground creatures. So get comfortable as you look through, perhaps on your commute, and be sure to upvote your favorites. We also got in touch with the page's creator and admin to learn more.
More info: Instagram
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Fair enough. Here's a new one, in case you're still hungry.
Load More Replies...I bet he works for the company (Berliner Verkehrsbetriebe - Berlin Transport Company). The small yellow tag on his chest, could be their logo.
Probably headed to a protest. With the overturning of Roe V. Wade, there's a lot of talk about Handmaid's Tale.
Going to be a long trip, might want to get a seat at some point.
Load More Replies...I love to have one of these lamps in my living room. Should be perfect for reading.
Bored Panda got in touch with the person behind “Berlin Subway Creatures” and they were kind enough to answer some of our questions. First, we wanted to know what was the story behind the page’s creation.
“Like most of the time with these kind of things it started off pretty stupid. Basically, when I moved in 2015 I had a group chat with my friends from my hometown to keep in touch and I was occasionally sending them silly things from the subway in Berlin. I don't know if they got sick of the messages or whatnot but at some point, someone was like: "Why don't you make an Instagram and we will all follow it?"”
Their knees bother me far more than that pasta box bag!
That's probably for us Americans who will use anything BUT the metric system for measuring
Ranching community here, our local health dept. used an image of a cow.
“At the time I didn't think it would "blow up" to 26k followers and I was rather lazy with the name and took over the Subwaycreatures (of the New York subway). I do use their hashtag in order to hopefully give them some traffic back in return though. Anyway, big shout out to the OG Subwaycreatures, but no, I'm not affiliated with them (I wish:-D),” they shared with Bored Panda.
No one asked them.... yet they found a way to tell everyone around them. Vegans seem to get upset about the "How can you tell a vegan?" trope, but sometimes it fits. (I expect many downvotes for merely speaking on vegans as I have only ever met one or two, even online, who weren't militantly hostile about it.)
Load More Replies...Vegan stuff aside, it's sad seeing people body-shaming in the comments as though that's okay.
I went vegan years ago because I decided to live a cruelty free life to the extent that I'm able.
All of us assume this for practical purposes though, meat eaters included. None of us avoid walking on grass because we think the grass will feel pain, but we will avoid stepping on a cat because we know it will feel pain.
Load More Replies...Yes, plants ARE sentient. If you kill something in front of them, their electrical waves spike. They're aware. The study was fascinating.
Yes they are more aware than we previously have thought.
Load More Replies...plants are somewhat sentient. the fact they react to music and pain means something.
Means what, exactly? That people shouldn't eat plants? So called "food animals" (cows, pigs, etc) eat a much, much higher number of plants than a human could so by eating meat, a person is eating the equivalent of far more plants than a person directly eating plants is.
Load More Replies...Doc Martens used to be worn by punks, skinheads, and alternative types. This picture is there to point the current conformity of the non-conformist style. This is meta-criticism, criticizing critics of the system, rage against the machine, but only from 9 to 5!
Load More Replies...I'm wearing purple docs right now... they are comfortable and cute. Sometimes people just wear shoes
I wore them through school through the mid 80s mid 90s because I'd kick the toes out of anything else within a week, bit of a tomboy lol
Load More Replies...On the plus side, they all have black laces. No white or red so none of them are brandishing their racism.
Technically, "Doc Martens" is abbreviated to "Doc's", right? Considering the fact that part of a second word is removed, which is therefore not part of "Doc"...
Sure, if that were in New York, everyone would be grossed out. ;-)
Load More Replies...We also wanted to know what they thought was the main draw for people. “I think honestly that relatability is a big player here. Like, so many people use public transport every day and when you live in a city like Berlin, you KNOW how wild it can get. So we can really all relate to what is posted in one way or another I feel. Besides that, let's not forget Voyeurism. I think on social media we love to be observers and document things we see. The page is a fly on the wall I feel for what goes on in the Berlin subways.”
Forget Spiderman, what is with the person in front with the nineties hair cut?
I like how she has the stroller for her jackfruit and the baby in the foreground is being carried 😆 I say this genuinely and lightheartedly, I think the contrast really adds to the humor!
No some Preiß’n knocked him out for wearing Bavarian in Berlin..
Load More Replies...Oktoberfest is in München, not Berlin. That‘s miles away. Must be a tourist who thought all Germans wear this
Load More Replies...“The 26K followers is also ALL organic traffic, no bought followers, no promoted posts, etc. It took a while to get here and besides the page, I'm an event production Freelancer, so I also have my hands full. But I had some help from pages like the “bvg_weilwirdichlieben”, they even projected a post in U Friedrichstr. and “berlinclubmemes” so that also really helped boost followers.”
Again... when this happens in New York, everyone is traumatized. (Or is she taking him to cooking school?)
Rats are so cute and fun! I had them for years, but sadly I became allergic over time. Now we've got free-roaming bunnies, and they're a lot of fun. Once you get them fixed they're very easy to litter train, and they're fun and sociable pets. ▪️▪️▪️They're not great pets for kids though: as prey animals it takes rabbits weeks or months to get used to you. By then the kids are bored with them. They're very anxious and hate loud noises, being picked up, or being held tightly. When they're picked up they freak out and may bite or scratch. ▪️▪️▪️ The sad thing is that they're very easy and cheap to get, but not low-maintenance in vet bills and care needs. The main difference between bunny and dog care is that the bunny doesn't have to be walked outside. They still need 2-3 hours of supervised exercise. Most people don't expect this, and many rabbits are "set free", which they rarely survive.
I don't understand why some people are afraid of rats, mice, snakes or spiders?! If they are poisonous, keep a safe distance, but otherwise, I don't understand why.
People are.. rats, mice, spiders, birds, you name it. I am not but I respect my bestie who is terrified of spiders and freaking out when one got into her car- I removed it but by that time I was freaked out because of her screaming
Load More Replies...The photo is anonymous. No person could be identified by this image. It's no more an invasion of privacy than taking a picture of someone's shoes.
Load More Replies..."And I also love you from the bottom of my heart. You are the most beautiful star..." 🥺
I often use english translations on Google as well, since the german Google puts out can be a little funky sometimes
Load More Replies...This is a group looking forward to the german CARNIVAL - very unusal for Berlin. Probably tourists ;)
Naturally, we were curious to hear what made the Berlin subway so special. “Well, if you live in Berlin, you know how crazy it can get! But on a "serious" note, I think Berlin is such a diverse city, you really can find every type of human here. For the good and for the worse. Now imagine a high concentration of different people all together in 1 vehicle. You literally see everything. From rats to people peeing to people raving to some funky outfits, the list goes on. On top of that, contrary to the New York/Parisian/London subway, you can enter the trains without a ticket. There are no "fare gates" (barriers limiting access to those who don't pay the fare), so really EVERYONE can enter.”
“I just want to give a big shoutout to all the people who have supported the page! Keep liking, and resharing, it always makes me smile to see people make their own captions. I haven't worked with any brands really, so if there are some nice brands out there that want to support, slide into my DM's! Because I have literally poured 8 years into this for free, and I have to make rent too!”
Sometimes the music is better than listening to someone else's phone conversation
Load More Replies...A melodica, when properly played, can be quite good. I'm guessing this one isn't.
A friend plays this instrument, I always forget what it is called and refer to it as a "mouth piano." Anyway, she is very talented! I can only imagine how awful this thing could sound though...
Load More Replies...A guy playing any musical instrument on a subway train would drive me crazy! It is a public space. Please, be quiet, and get to where you are going.
This is why it’s good to carry industrial-grade foam earplugs in your pocket at all times.
The best commute I ever had was when I took the ferry from San Francisco to Sausalito. I'd buy a glass of wine and sit on the upper deck looking at the stars. For a while, I had a great view of Hale Bopp comet. It was magnificent.
Drinking on a train there is fine. Talking on your phone or being loud? Not fine. I like their social rules.
yeah. these look like some rockin' kids. i love it.
Load More Replies...While “Berlin Subway Creatures” uses the very American term “subway,” Europeans might call this type of transportation a metro. Or, since the subjects of this list are from Berlin, it might be more proper to use the German term, U-Bahn. Since being opened in 1902, the Berlin U-Bahn runs trains to 175 stations across the city and its outskirts.
So it’s little wonder that you can really find a full cross-section of the city's demographics strewn across metro seats. In 2019, the U-Bahn helped transport 596 million passengers, although that number has actually dropped since the COVID-19 lockdowns of 2020. With remote work still going strong, fewer people need to travel every day.
This one's actually on the S-Bahn(above-ground train) but still Berlin so it gets a pass 😉
They're separate? In Boston, New York, Philly, DC, they move from above to below and back up again.
Load More Replies...Maybe the dog gets anxious on public transport, and this is a way to calm them down :)
Or maybe the human gets anxious and the dog is there to calm HIM down 🙂
Load More Replies...I do this at my front door so my dog can have a good nose at the world going by and he actually stays still for me
Is he military and or homeless? Maybe they dont want help. Seem sweet and well behaved tho, its human too. 😉
Louise Belcher grew up a bit. Not TOO much, though.
Load More Replies...Since 2020, many of the trains in the Berlin U-Bahn are BVG Class IK models. With 72-80 seats and a capacity for over 200 people standing, you can practically see a cross-section of entire neighborhoods as you travel. Currently, this model services half of Berlin’s ten metro lines, with plans to expand it to others in the future.
The 9 Euro Ticket was the best thing to happen in ages - I wish we could have kept it.
The Person didn't wrote her/his Name on the ticket.
Load More Replies...They used to require that purchaser's signed a legal waiver.
Load More Replies...Well, he's not needed at any campaign rallies these days.
Load More Replies...I've seen these in the wild in London. I'm as bemused now as I was then too.
While most people-watching content focuses on fashion or mocking the people pictured (think “the people of Walmart”), “Berlin Subway Creatures” avoids these specific lines by covering all sorts of people. In general, out of boredom or genuine interest, many of us enjoy people-watching.
"I've got no fare to ride a train I'm nearly drownin' in the pourin' rain Hitchin' a ride, hitchin' a ride" - Vanity Fair, 1969
Oh my! It was one time she wore that low-cut dress to the opera! One time!
Well someone out there appreciated you enough to paint you and someone else loved you enough to buy it so maybe you should do this more often, you have fans 🙌
Load More Replies...After all, it can be a fun little game to try and see what stories you can concoct about random strangers, just based on their appearance and movement. But, if you have lived in a dense urban area long enough, you tend to already, in broad strokes, know the sort of people you will encounter in any given area.
But on public transport, particularly a cross-city line, the sky's the limit. While the time of day does tend to determine what you might come across, it’s worth noting that in big cities, which Berlin absolutely qualifies as there are all sorts of happenings at every hour. As a result, the tedium of sitting on the subway for a few minutes a day can, instead, become a sort of people-watching lottery.
That is a bicycle lock don't get frustrated for no reason - street cuffs by master lock if memory serves me
Load More Replies...Indeed, given the eccentricity of the outfits, one might be able to start theory-crafting not just details about the person’s life, but the event, party, or who knows what else they might be going to. Of course, there is a reasonable chance, given the realities of living in Berlin, that this is just the actual normal daywear of this particular person.
No kink shaming but WTF is it a furry thing or a BDSM thing or both to each their own I guess
This is Puppy Play, which is a type of animal roleplay fetish most common in the gay community. It has nothing to do with furry or BDSM.
Load More Replies...I keep expecting these to be New York subway photos randomly thrown in.
Great idea, i want to wear my wedding dress on a night out and get my moneys worth from it
After I got divorced I used mine as a Halloween costume 🙌
Load More Replies...I always wondered how a seat looks underneath but my interest did go THAT deep ...
Bet no one is going to get cheeky with this security dude checking tickets
He may be strong, but he is definitely not the sharpest knife in the drawer.
Load More Replies...Given how things are in Berlin that is what should be the necessary fitness to safely work there in public transport
I don't see the problem here? Dude looks cute and the dress is adorable.
Same. I don't see the issue. Dude wearing cute dress aaaand...?
Load More Replies...I just read about a 14 year old in New York dying doing this. So sad that this is a thing.
Load More Replies...Dude is rocking that dress and doing far better in heels than I can. I'm kinda jealous.
I think drag queens could create a side hustle of teaching women to walk in heels.
Load More Replies...I would just pick it up and put it on the floor. If she doesn't want it on the floor, she can have it on her lap.
I hate it when people do this (when the public transport is busy) - I tend to just sit on the bag and pray they haven't got one of those handbag dogs in them. Worked particularly well when I was a chonky pregnant lady.
Load More Replies...Strong temptation to remove that bag and sit down opposite her even if there are plenty of spare seats just to annoy her
as you dont know anything about this situation, thats just super stupid. She might just take her bag as soon as she sees that people want sit.The bus might be almost empty.
Load More Replies...we dont know any context. As long as she picks it up when someone wants to sit, there is no reason to act like an idiot like so many of you claim to be doing. Only when she doesnt want to remove the bag.
Never. Just never have I thought shaving was something I could do on the way there.
Why do people choose dogs that look like them? Or is it that the owners begin to look like their dogs?
I'd buy whatever he's selling! I mean just look at that trustworthy face! :)
Ha, nice (tube station "Mrs Female" Plaza) . A wordplay with the (actual) Hermanns-platz (which is a first name but spoken it sounds like "Herr Mann"= "Mr.Mister/Mr. Male" Plaza)
This could also have been me - I used to blow bubbles on the U-bahn to calm my kids down if they were kicking off. Everyone seemed to enjoy it!
Might be selling them in the pubs on a Friday/Saturday night
Load More Replies...where are all the people now that had a big mouth about the bag on the seat earlier?
Kitty's adorable but its owner is a dumbass. Masks go over the nose, people.
Usually people documenting that they have applied the advertising wraps correctly before they get graffitied
seems more like documenting how that train got separated in two
Load More Replies...I am irritated, that in 5 hours nobody upvoted the most fitting quote
Load More Replies...Quite a lot of them might not happen in Japan, for example, where people are more reserved; or in countries where public drunkenness isn't a thing, or where women aren't allowed to wear what they like.
Load More Replies...Which translates into:"No girl wants to touch me with an 10inch pole/ nobody has sex with me/ all my friends are male, hateful, borderline alcoholics" (source: East German F Here. All those "true Germans" are pretty lonely. I wonder why/s)
Load More Replies...No therapy would work with this individual. His parents failed to raise him properly a long time ago.
Actually, there IS an NGO called "EXIT Deutschland" in Germany which has a helpline and safe house and self help groups for neo Nazis who realized their attitude is crappy and brings them nowhere and who want to quit. They are brave social workers and former neo nazis and really unsung heroes I deeply respect. It is possible, but often it only works if you cut all your ties with your crappy friends &family and move somewhere else.
Load More Replies...Terrifying. When I see people like this where I live, I back away and quietly run a mile.
Maybe there is a leak in the roof and it wasnt raining when she left in flip flops, happens in Ireland all the time
Thanks for reminding me why I moved to Berlin! So many creative people unafraid to be themselves. The FKK movement in the 1920s started it: if you see someone you think looks strange & you point & laugh, the real problem is YOU.
To whoever posted these: If you didn't have written permission, be very careful with posting peoples faces in Germany, including with masks. I am not a lawyer but privacy laws are extremely strict in Germany and at least one lawyer has stated that masks aren't enough to conceal someone's identity. https://www.frag-einen-anwalt.de/Street-Photography-Leute-mit-Corona-Maske-eindeutig-identifizierbar--f343020.html
Maybe i‘ve already seen it all, but none of these look very surprising to me 🙈😂
Thanks for reminding me why I moved to Berlin! So many creative people unafraid to be themselves. The FKK movement in the 1920s started it: if you see someone you think looks strange & you point & laugh, the real problem is YOU.
To whoever posted these: If you didn't have written permission, be very careful with posting peoples faces in Germany, including with masks. I am not a lawyer but privacy laws are extremely strict in Germany and at least one lawyer has stated that masks aren't enough to conceal someone's identity. https://www.frag-einen-anwalt.de/Street-Photography-Leute-mit-Corona-Maske-eindeutig-identifizierbar--f343020.html
Maybe i‘ve already seen it all, but none of these look very surprising to me 🙈😂
