Free fly swatter (Metro)

Member Name: jthecrab

Product:	Metro
Date:	28/07/09 (91 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Free

Disadvantages: Film reviews by stuck up lady

Metro is a free newspaper that commuters who use public transport in the UK's big cities can pick up and read on the way to work/school/whatever every weekday morning except on bank holidays.

The Metro is like a tabloid paper but is a lot more refined than rags like The Sun or The Daily Star. As it is free it doesn't have to stoop to topless photos or other assorted sexual imagery to sell it to people. It is also not sensationalist like the red top papers. It isn't even red it's mainly printed in blue, probably to distinguish itself from the other rags.

I usually read this from back to front so that whatever happens I get to see the sports news before I get to work. The sports coverage is very impressive and even more impressively they have a free fantasy football league this year where you can "win a slice of £50k".

What I also like about this paper is that each region gets their own localised version. This means, for example, that the jobs section contains vacancies for the region you happen to have picked the paper up in.

There are always "text in competitions" and funny little offers in The Metro that in themselves give it a nice character. Today, for instance, they were offering half price hot air balloon flights in association with Virgin Adventure Packages.

I really like the sudoku puzzles in The Metro as well. These have been a staple for a while now and are good for helping your brain to wake up at 6:30am on a cold, damp, miserable morning (what happened to summer?).

The day's tv is well covered, offering full terrestrial, cable and satellite listings. The daily "what to watch" often offers up little gems for you to look out for.

Also worth a look are "The Ridiculant", the irreverent daily look at what Metro call "stuff we found down the back of the internet". My recent favourite they covered in this piece was a cat and dog having a boxing match - http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=a72_1238539879

The downsides? Obviously this newspaper is funded by ads and some of them are just plain dodgy. What's with the baldness clinic ad?!?! It's in there every day.

The film reviewer, a lady called Larushka, also gets right up my nose. She's such a stuck up ****!! If a film is not all arty farty or a chick flick she sticks her nose up at it. She is almost as bad a film reviewer as Jonathon Ross. I'd give this 5 stars were it not for her, she alone makes me dock 1 star. I hope someone lets off a string of right rotten farts at her next press screening.

Overall, how can I not recommend this? Although I wouldn't pay for it, this newspaper is more than acceptable for a freebie. It has something for everyone - celeb gossip, horoscopes, news, sport etc. Long may The Metro help us wake up on the way to work!!

Summary: Free paper to read while you commute. What's not to like?