[hirsin]

The observation that the colors were meant to be absorbed over time rather than explicitly set out reminds me of the old NYC Metro mosaics. https://www.untappedcities.com/secret-meaning-behind-colors-...

While no one would ever navigate by learning what the mosaics mean, it's a fantastic setup for the expected audience of commuters. Give it a month and your brain would associate a given color with your stop coming up soon, and make navigation easier.

[xg15]

I remember having read a story about some wild dogs in Moscow apparently having learned to use the subway and establishing their own "commute schedule".

I always wondered how the dogs would identify the station to leave the train - counting stations or understanding how the announcements worked felt too "smart". But I imagine the simplest way for them would be to just learn the design of different stations over time and jump off once they see a familiar design through the windows.

[jabl]

If I had to make I guess, I'd go with the dogs recognizing the smell. Dogs apparently don't have terribly good vision, but as I'm sure we all know, a very good sense of smell.