Should You Ride the Metro? [Panama City, Panama]

[@profitcompass]

Thanks for creating this video. When I move there in August I plan to live in PC and will be taking the public transportation often.

[@thewrightsights]

Glad it was helpful! Good luck on your move to Panama!

[@chicken6237]

Great video Mr. Wright! My favorite 7th bell AP US History teacher

[@thewrightsights]

Thanks Bridget!

[@OLEGYASIKOV-k1p]

Thank you for visiting our country. Blessings

[@thewrightsights]

@@OLEGYASIKOV-k1p we loved our time in Panama! Thank you

[@sharonlynnanderson0229]

I am in Panama and plan on riding the Metro but was scared to death., This video makes it much easier to face my fears., Also, your wife has the most beautiful smile. Thanks guys.

[@thewrightsights]

Thanks!! And good luck! You can do it!! My wife will love your comment too!

[@andrewweitzman4006]

I find it odd to think of a public transit system as "scary". But then again, I'm a Montrealer. We don't have the issues that NYC or Chicago has, though after the pandemic that has changed somewhat.

[@ih7924]

I travel to Panama to check this out myself and really enjoyed every moment. Thank you for the video.

[@thewrightsights]

You are welcome. Thank you for commenting. Cheers !

[@guillermogouldburn763]

Options to pay the metro fare besides the metro card: Mastercard or Visa (can be credit or debit) Apple Pay and Google Pay. The reason you swipe when you exit is because the fare is calculated by where you enter and where you exit, but the fare will never exceed 85 cents per trip per person. A trip from the airport into the city or vice versa will cost both of you just 1.70$, or .85 cents each.

[@thewrightsights]

Great information! Thanks so much.

[@RedroomStudios]

I dont think that's right. you never pay less than full fare any time you get on the metro. systems that require you to swipe out is just an added security feature to ensure people arent scamming the system... like if you snuck into the metro, the swipe to exit is just another way that the authorities would possibly be able to catch you when you try to exit as those gates are often manned by security.

[@guillermogouldburn763]

@@RedroomStudios Hello, my friend. The metro currently has two lines operating (Line 3 is under construction). Using only Line 1 costs 35 cents and using line 2 costs 50 cents. The only way the system knows if you use both lines is if you swipe entering and again exiting. For example, when you enter the system at the airport you will be using Line 2. If you swipe out of the system from any stop along Line 2, the system will only charge you 50 cents, but if you transfer from Line 2 to Line 1 to go into the city, when you swipe out from a stop along Line one, the system will know that you used both lines, so it will charge you, upon swiping out, the additional 35 cents, or a total of 85 cents for that trip.

[@RedroomStudios]

@@guillermogouldburn763 yes, I have already used the system - both lines, all the way from the airport to Albrook and then back at the end of my trip... and I saw line 3 under construction after I crossed the canal. I agree with your explanation here. in your original comment you kind of made it sound like if you only went 1 or 2 stations that you would pay less than 35 cents or 50 cents.

[@paulgriese8243]

Albrook used to be a U.S. Air Force Station before 1980, when that area was in the American Canal Zone. I used to work there. The Fort Kobbe Sport Parachute Club used to skydive there on weekends. After the treaty in 1979, when the ACZ was turned over to the Republic of Panama, we had to pack up our office and move over to Howard AFB on the other side of the canal. I bet Albrook would be unrecognizable to me now.

[@thewrightsights]

I am sure it has changed a great deal. Still a very beautiful area around Albrook. Thanks for commenting and watching!

[@D_BigShow]

I love Panama and you guys did a great job, thanks

[@thewrightsights]

Thanks for watching! We love Panama and look forward to returning !

[@PAnon-sama]

Great adventure. Thanks for the video.

[@thewrightsights]

Our pleasure! Thanks for letting us know. Cheers!

[@RedroomStudios]

super easy and safe system to use. my only negative complaint about it is that the air circulation is not very good on the section that is underground in the center of the city and it gets quite hot and humid in the train and those stations.

[@thewrightsights]

Thanks for watching a commenting. We loved using the subway. It was a great way to get around the city!

[@AnnCamargo507]

Hace calor en todas partes de Panamá es normal 😂

[@RedroomStudios]

@@AnnCamargo507 Parece que no entiendes mi punto. Me refiero específicamente al metro. La nueva línea que va por encima del suelo hasta el aeropuerto tiene aire acondicionado y es muy cómoda. el tramo de la antigua línea entre San Miguelito y Casco Viejo que corre mayoritariamente bajo tierra no tiene aire acondicionado y tiene muy mala circulación de aire dentro de esas estaciones.

[@luisalbertovergarav1950]

@@RedroomStudios Tienes razón pero el problema es de mantenimiento; lo que está pasando es que los ductos de aire están tapados o sucios y hay que desmontarlos y limpiarlos, pero cuando trataron de hacer la contratación para eso, hubo problemas de reclamos, demoras, etc. Ojalá se solucionen prontos, porque eso no solo es molesto sino dañino para la salud.

[@allyons5970]

Not sure if all of them, because there are like 2 or 3 models of metro card top up machines, but one can also buy metro cards in those machines. As others have pointed out, you can also swipe a visa or mastercard card instead of the metrocard in designated turnstiles for accessing the metro.

[@thewrightsights]

Thanks for the info! Cheers!

[@LimDuality-]

Saludos desde Panamá.

[@thewrightsights]

Thank you. We love the beautiful country on Panama!

[@formerlyknownashammerofthegods]

The Via Argentina station has machines that are in English as well.

[@thewrightsights]

Thanks for that information! Cheers!

[@arkyfer197]

Panamá 🇵🇦🦋

[@thewrightsights]

Panama is fantastic!

[@G_PTYNicolasCMP]

the scariest thing you can hear is "Alguien aqui se cago" meaning someone farted really bad

[@thewrightsights]

Lol.I agree!

[@billgracey6369]

did you find a selfie stick? there are all kinds of phone and camera shops in Albrook! I haven't been there since 2010 but I'm sure there still are, I saw the I heart my phone shop in the background of one of your scenes, I'm sure they might have one!

[@thewrightsights]

We looked everywhere but they didn’t have one that fit my camera!

[@billgracey6369]

@@thewrightsights awww that sucks!

[@user-andrew-Jones]

Sanjose Costa Rica also has a metro train.

[@thewrightsights]

We would love to go there one day!

[@Boho_world]

That not a metro, it is a tranvia. The difference is the tranvia shares space with streets and avenues, and it is prone to cause accidents. Metro has an exclusive trail.

[@user-andrew-Jones]

You can now pay the metro with a tap visa or Mastercard

[@thewrightsights]

Nice! That makes it even easier to use!

[@billgracey6369]

I guess they got rid of all the old school buses they used to use for transpo in the city? When I left in 2010 they were starting to de-escalate the use of them because they bought a couple hundred city buses from Europe and were just starting to build the metro in PC.

[@thewrightsights]

They still have the school buses that run. We didn’t go on one but would love to have that experience!

[@billgracey6369]

@@thewrightsights You're not missing much; they are crowded and smelly, and dont have anything even semi-valuable in sight or you will get picked or mugged after you get off the bus! Most times I walked home from work because they were so crowded. It was OK, I was tired of sitting all day and bus surfing home wasn't appealing to me!

[@thewrightsights]

@@billgracey6369 sounds like the subway is the way to go!

You need to swipe out to make connections with a bus for free. If you want of course. Greetings from Panama.

[@thewrightsights]

Thanks for the info!

[@allyons5970]

I don't think this is accurate, not sure if there is any bus route that works like a connection from the metro in a way you can take it for the same fare. The bus will always charge you the bus fare no matter if you came from the metro. Connectivity for the same fare only works when making connections between buses.

@@allyons5970 I didn't say same fare. It will give you a discount if you need to use both. We call it unified rate.

[@OLEGYASIKOV-k1p]

Na gode da ziyartar kasarmu, albarka

[@thewrightsights]

Thank you! We loved it!

[@augustopilgrim6623]

pues es fácil aprendan Español asi como nosotros nos toca adaptarnos cuando bamos a un pais con otro idioma 👍🏻

[@thewrightsights]

¡Estoy totalmente de acuerdo! Aprendo un poco más cada vez que voy a Panamá. Gracias por comentar y mirar. ¡Salud!

[@zully19g51]

Uber are cheaper than the cabs 🚕

[@thewrightsights]

We used Uber a lot. Great way to get around the city!

[@darrelllockett9721]

Great video, question aside from US passport do i need any other documents to enter into panama for vacation?.

[@thewrightsights]

All you need is a passport. Thanks for watching! Let us know how you enjoy Panama. It is amazing!

[@darrelllockett9721]

@thewrightsights will do thanks for the reply.