Paris Metro Is About to Take a Drop in Class

First-class cars on the once-stately Paris Metro face extinction this year because teen-age graffiti artists, drunks and homeless, inconsiderate dog owners and a throng of illegal riders have turned first class in the 91-year-old subway system into something less than a classy experience.

The Paris Regional Transport Authority has recommended that the Metro switch to only one class of car by the end of 1991. The board of directors is expected to approve the plan by summer.

“We’re the only subway in the world to have a first class,” said Michel DuBois, a PRTA spokesman. “It’s outmoded, and we don’t really offer the paying rider anything superior.”

That undesirability is reflected in the number of paying customers. Of 120 million monthly ridership passes sold in 1990, only 21,000 were for first class. Yet there is one first-class car in every train.

Subway customers pay about $1.39 for a one-way first-class ride, compared with 93 cents in second class.

The Metro has had two classes of cars since opening in 1900, and the system used to be rigidly enforced. In recent years, however, ticket checks have become rare and turnstile jumpers and second-class passengers alike now ride in the first-class cars with virtual impunity.

Also, the subway in general has deteriorated. Homeless people and panhandlers have taken up residence all over the subway, muggings are frequent, and graffiti defaces stations and cars--especially in first class.

Dogs are another problem. Despite posted warnings prohibiting most pets, dog owners often bring their animals aboard. In such an environment, PRTA spokesmen note that it is difficult to justify having first-class cars or fares.

Travel Quiz: Brazil borders every country in South America except two. What are the two? (Answer below.)

Safe States: The Northwest National Life Insurance Co. rates the 50 states according to a number of criteria, including prevalence of violent crime, smoking, access to health care and prevalance of various diseases.

According to Travel Smart, a travel industry newsletter, the insurance company’s latest findings show that by these criteria the safest states in the union are: Utah and Minnesota (tie), New Hampshire, Hawaii, Nebraska, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Wisconsin, Iowa and Kansas.

The least safe are: Alaska, West Virginia, Nevada and Louisiana.

Quick Fact: Eighty-five percent of all the ships cruising the Baltic Sea call Copenhagen their home port.

Why Wing-Walking Makes No Sense Up There: The usual temperature inside the cabin of a Boeing 747 flying at 33,000 feet is about 70 degrees. The temperature on the wing at that height is minus-60 degrees.

Ecotourism: A survey conducted by the World Wildlife Fund has found that so-called “nature travelers” take longer trips and spend more money per day than tourists with less interest in the environment.

The WWF poll was conducted last year at airports and nature reserves in the countries of Belize, Costa Rica, Dominica, Ecuador and Mexico--all popular ecotourism destinations.

It found that travelers who said visiting protected areas was their prime reason for choosing a certain location spent an average of $264 per day. Those who rated it very important spent $209 a day, while those who said it was “not important” spent $173.

The purpose of the study was to help develop guidelines for ecotourism, and to point out to governments the economic benefits in protecting their natural resources.

Sky Highs: The 10 most-traveled air routes in the United States, in order, are:

1. New York-Washington.

2. New York-Boston.

3. New York-Los Angeles.

4. New York-Chicago.

5. Dallas-Houston.

6. Honolulu-Maui.

7. New York-Orlando.

8. New York-Miami.

9. New York-Fort Lauderdale.

10. Los Angeles-Phoenix.

Quick Fact: The entire population of Trinidad and Tobago could be seated comfortably in Hertz’s worldwide fleet of 400,000 rental cars.

Stone-faced: The American Bus Assn. lists the year-round celebration of the golden anniversary of Mt. Rushmore as the No. 1 choice in its “Top 100 Events in North America” for 1991.

“Jungle Train” Rescue Bid: Government officials in Costa Rica are searching for ways to replace the country’ famed “jungle train,” which ceased operation last November following a massive landslide that effectively sealed off the route between San Jose and Port Limon.

According to the International Railway Traveler, a newsletter for rail buffs, the earthquake-induced landslide buried more than 700 yards of track in the area of Chiz, and geologists believe the region is too unstable to allow the resumption of passenger service.

The newsletter quoted the Tico Times of San Jose as saying: “The demise of the train, which gained fame for its picturesque descent down the slopes of the country’s central volcanic range, could have a chilling effect on the country’s tourism trade.”

Quiz Answer: Chile and Ecuador.