As much as I am a fan of my home city (11 years and counting, by the way), there are nevertheless certains parts of Berlin where I would rather avoid if I can. One of these is the U8 U-Bahn line, which I have to say, I don't have a pleasant experience every time I am riding this metro line.
The U8 runs on a north-south course on the eastern part of Berlin, linking Neukölln in the south with Wittenau in the north, via Alexanderplatz and Gesundbrunnen. It is always crowded. After all, it passes through rather well-populated areas of the city, with significant interchanges of transportation lines along the way. And because of its high rate of utilisation, of course as a passenger you would encounter almost every kind of person in the trains, including those you would rather prefer to be close to.
The other day, I was meeting a friend in a restaurant in Neukölln, and I had to ride the U8 for a few stations. I actually let one train pass by because it was just too crowded, and the other train I rode was almost bearable until there was a very dirty homeless person who passed by inside begging for support. I couldn't help but bring my hand to my nose, observing that I am not the only one. Thankfully, the windows were open.
Yes, I know. I should be thankful that I am not in that situation. But nevertheless, I also prefer being in more pleasant surroundings, and the U8 just isn't one of them for the most part.
