Subway Bump

Entering a Metropolitan subway car last week Henri Decharbogne, famed Paris newspaperman, member of the Legion of Honor, was bumped on the head by a closing door, killed. A great cry of protest against the danger of subway doors went up. "Metro" officials, calm, ignored it; said the doors were modeled on those in use in the U. S. for years.

According to some observers the Metropolitan Subway system in Paris is the most efficient subway service in the world. Entering, one buys a ticket, the price varying according to the class. The ticket is punched at the entrance to the platform, the agent regulating the number of people passing him to avoid overcrowding on the platform. Many of the stairways are divided; people entering go down to the right, those leaving go up to the right. The wide subway doors are all on the side, usually three of them, so that the cars can be emptied and filled rapidly. Doors must be opened by hand, they close automatically. The average stop at stations is about 15 seconds. There are no expresses.