Changes Are Afoot

Hello faithful readers!

I haven't updated this blog for a bit, but I have news to report. I have changed jobs yet again. I think since September 2005, I have had 3 different work places to commute to...now I will be adding another.

I took a job in downtown Boston and I am taking the commuter rail in from N. Billerica.

The past week and a half have been ok so far. There was a late/slow train last Wednesday...but for the most part it has been problem free.

It has taken me a bit to get used to it. I don't like spending around 300 bucks a month just to get to work, but that is the reality.

So in 2010, we'll get it going for real. I need to make some changes to the post template, and after that you'll start seeing posts about my adventures on public transportation.

Ever onward!


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Departure Time:
Arrival Time:
Weather as I call it:
Shady Gas Price:
Level of commute annoyance (scale of 1 to 10):
Feared for my life:

Full On School Kids

I have to say, last year was worse.

All the high school kids had to report to classes today.

They were all jammed on the bus...but last year, I barely was able to get on...This year, I blazed a trail to the back and sat down. Pretty good.

There was a woman standing in front of me. She was trying to open the emergency exit hatch at the top of the bus. I really don't know why she was doing that.

Maybe she was hot. No matter, I didn't think it was a good idea for her to play with AN EMERGENCY EXIT HATCH.

She was also yelling at the bus driver: "What are you stopping? You're not getting anybody to get on. Keep going!"

This is my second to last MBTA trip to work. The blog goes into Mach 3 starting next Tuesday.

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Bus Departure Time: 7:11
Bus Arrival Time: 7:31
T Departure Time: 7:32
T Arrival Time: 7:53
Weather as I call it: Sunny and cool. Getting used to this...!
Level of commute annoyance (scale of 1 to 10): 3
Feared for my life: Nah

Mystery Liquid On T Seat

How do I describe it? It was just gross. Nobody want to sit on this seat. It was only when I looked to see what was on the seat did I understand.

There was a clear liquid on it...it had things floating in it. It swayed back and forth with the motions of the train.

My first thought was that it was vomit.

I stopped looking at it because I thought was going to add to it.

Sorry about that, folks. Sometimes you have to report the ugly side too.

Maybe it was some kind of brew.


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Bus Departure Time: 7:10
Bus Arrival Time: 7:22
T Departure Time: 7:25
T Arrival Time: 7:46
Weather as I call it: Sunny again. A bit less humid.
Level of commute annoyance (scale of 1 to 10): 2 (not annoyed - just grossed out.)
Feared for my life: Nope. Just feared tossing my cookies. Yes, I ate cookies for breakfast.

Can You Talk Over My iPod?

No birds today. Pretty quiet at the bus stop. Just stood around and got on when the bus pulled up.

The Orange Line was pretty normal...well...as normal as the Orange Line can be.

I sometimes like the exchanges people have with each other... This one woman shouted to another as she took a seat, "Well you should expect that if you sit in front of an open seat!"

I guess she shoved the other woman..not sure though.

The best part was they both had iPod buds in their ears. I wonder if they even heard each other.

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Bus Departure Time: 7:06
Bus Arrival Time: 7:21
T Departure Time: 7:25
T Arrival Time: 7:46
Weather as I call it: Sunny and cooler as predicted
Level of commute annoyance (scale of 1 to 10): 2
Feared for my life: No

MBTA Bus Shouting Match

Today just wasn't a happy, friendly day. People were cranky. Not sure what to attribute it to...maybe the Celtics' lack of playoff wins on the road. I don't know.

There was a scary exchange of heated words on the bus. It got to the point that I thought some fists would fly...or other things flying. Let's start from the beginning.

The two people involved I will describe as "Old Guy" and "H.S. Kid" (You can probably guess where this is going). When I got on the bus, H.S. Kid was already sitting. I sat down in the seat in front of him. Old Guy got on at the next stop. He walked down the aisle and walked up the three steps that separates the back and the front of these new fangled buses. He asked the teenage girl across from me if the seat that she had her bag resting on was taken. She nodded, "No". and moved her bag. He sat down. Behind me, I heard H.S. Kid mumble something about, "You don't have to ask if the seat's taken...you just have to sit down." Apparently, he has his own opinions about MBTA Bus etiquette. I don't think Old Guy heard him because he didn't react to the kid's mumbles, but this incident is worth noting...a sort of preamble of what was to come. It seemed H.S. Kid already had an issue with Old Guy.

I guess it's also worth noting a few other things:

- The teenage girl promptly got up and moved to another seat 5 seconds after Old Guy sat down.

- Based on my own sense of smell, I caught a whiff of alcohol as Old Guy walked by.

- Based on my own eyesight, he was carrying a large black trash bag that was filled to half of its capacity.

As the bus ride continued, more and more people filed on until it seemed the bus could take no more. Old Guy noticed there was standing room in the back of the bus and shouted out, "There's plenty of room back here if you people weren't too lazy to move back!"

H.S. Kid took offense. "Why don't you shut up?" he retorted. "Picking on 15 year olds...you're probably pretty lazy yourself!"

A volley of "Shut ups" and "Screw Yous" took place...then comments related to their mothers and fathers were spoken. At that point, I started to tune out since it was getting to be very uncomfortable.

When the language got particularly ugly, a bystander yelled at the H.S. Kid and said, "Hey, there are kids on this bus!"...referring to the two baby carriages that were riding along with us.

H.S. Kid's response was, "I don't care!" He went on to explain he didn't care because he wasn't going to back down from Old Guy. Everyone, including myself, looked like they were trying to will themselves invisible.

As the H.S. Kid got off the bus, he did comment about the Old Guy's intoxication at this early hour. After the door closed, Old Guy had some things to say about what he was going to do to H.S. kid...things that I would have to testify in a court of law if need be.

Once a year, there's a loud argument between strangers on the bus and you just pray it doesn't get violent...especially when logic and humanity is seemingly vacant from the proceedings.

Beyond that, the Orange Line ride was full of delays. Some based on the train just stopping in between stops...Some based on people in the way of the doors closing.

The conductor was shouting at people at State and Downtown Crossing.

Sometimes this town is a morass of negativity.

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Bus Departure Time: 6:58
Bus Arrival Time: 7:15
T Departure Time: 7:16
T Arrival Time: 7:41
Weather as I call it: Partly sunny, cool, 47 degrees
Level of commute annoyance (scale of 1 to 10): 6
Feared for my life: Somewhat

Courtesy Counts

I thought I would use that MBTA slogan as my header today...for no particular reason. Well, maybe there is a reason. The automated voice on the bus uses this line when speaking about baby strollers.

"Passengers and baby strollers have to share space on the bus."

Lately, there have been a few strollers on the bus...and it's definitely hard to find space to share when there isn't a lot of space to begin with.

I think everyone does their best to make way for the stroller. I am often surprised at the help that stroller pushers get when they exit the bus.

With the announcements, I always pictured there were some crazy fights that broke out between strollers and passengers...and the announcements were a way to stop those fights from happening again.


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Bus Departure Time: 6:58
Bus Arrival Time: 7:12
T Departure Time: 7:15
T Arrival Time: 7:36
Weather as I call it: Sunny high 40s.
Level of commute annoyance (scale of 1 to 10): 2
Feared for my life: No

Overload

There a lot of people on my commute today. The bus stops were particularly packed with people. Stops that usually have 3 people at them had 6 today. Stops that usually have 6 people at them had 12 today...you get the point.

Is it the spring time? Did these people pop out of the ground?

On the bus, I saw a WCOZ bumper sticker on a pole near Malden Center...the funny thing is, it didn't look old. The frequency it displayed was 94 1/2 FM. Weird. Someone must have been saving that sticker for a while.

The Orange Line stop announcements were filled with feedback...ear piercing feedback.

The announcer kept telling passengers "the train was filled to capacity". Passengers near me quietly disagreed. "I don't think so" said one.


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Bus Departure Time: 6:57
Bus Arrival Time: 7:15
T Departure Time: 7:15
T Arrival Time: 7:36
Weather as I call it: Sunny and cool...spring time....saw a robin today.
Level of commute annoyance (scale of 1 to 10): 3 (damn feedback)
Feared for my life: No

Where Are You?

Today was quiet...a quiet Monday to be sure. Not a lot of people on the T. The people who were on the T were silent.

Not a happy Monday for the people.

Well...

There was one guy who saw a sign for a wine tasting on May 2 and shouted out his joy to the whole bus. Outside of that, it was quiet


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Bus Departure Time: 6:57
Bus Arrival Time: 7:12
T Departure Time: 7:15
T Arrival Time: 7:36
Weather as I call it: Sunny and cool
Level of commute annoyance (scale of 1 to 10): 1
Feared for my life: No

Breaking Up The Routine

I had to drop off the CR-V this morning. The "Check Engine" light lit up just in time for the state inspection month (March) and, of course, this year was the year they checked emissions. Because the light was illuminated, I got a big, fat rejection sticker. So, I went to a shop that has a state-registered technician to fix the issue or at least set me up to get a passing inspection sticker.

Let's all keep good thoughts about the repair bill. Thanking you.

Because I drove away from my house, I took the 109 bus which had a stop near the repair shop.

Yikes! The traffic was horrendous....I anticipated some traffic but we were stopped for a good 5 minutes. My usual bus ride is wonderful in comparison.

I took the Orange Line from Sullivan Square. Peeps are much more awake at 8:15 than they are at 7:15...and more annoyed too.

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Bus Departure Time: N/A
Bus Arrival Time: N/A
T Departure Time: N/A
T Arrival Time: N/A
Weather as I call it: Foggy, almost smoky. Mid-30s
Level of commute annoyance (scale of 1 to 10): 4
Feared for my life: No...and I didn't fear change either.

Bag On Knee

Sometimes when the bus is too crowded, someone will rest their bag on my knee. They are in a standing position. I am in a seated position. I don't put my knee out there as a support mechanism. It just sorta happens. I am fine with it.

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Bus Departure Time: 6:59
Bus Arrival Time: 7:13
T Departure Time: 7:16
T Arrival Time: 7:37
Weather as I call it: Sunny, cool, Opening day at Fenway
Level of commute annoyance (scale of 1 to 10): 2
Feared for my life: No

Saving Seats With Shells

On the Orange Line, there was an empty seat but no one wanted to sit on it.

Somebody had left pistachio shells on the seat.

Somebody had left PISTACHIO SHELLS on the seat!?!

Thankfully they were the non-dyed ones...but still...this is odd for even the T.

Thoughts:

• Somebody was eating on the T...which is something I wouldn't do. Too dirty.
  
• Somebody was eating pistachios on the T early in the morning...I dunno...Pistachios just aren't a breakfast food to me.
  
• Somebody decided to leave the shells on a seat once they were done. Why would you do that? Pack in - Pack out, peeps.
  

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Bus Departure Time: 6:57
Bus Arrival Time: 7:11
T Departure Time: 7:11
T Arrival Time: 7:32
Weather as I call it: Cold...sunny...but 20s if that.
Level of commute annoyance (scale of 1 to 10): 3
Feared for my life: Nah.

Sympathetic Conductor

For the second straight day, the bus I usually take was MIA. I do not understand. Although it's not a huge deal in terms of my arrival to work since there is another that comes five minutes later, it does make a huge impact on every commuter's comfort. It's simple: If there is only one bus to pick up two bus-loads of people, the one bus is always packed and uncomfortable.

It's not funny and it's not fun.

Even though I stated earlier that waiting a little bit for the next bus is not a big deal, this morning it was a major factor in my missing the Orange Line. I made a valiant effort: The bus had pulled into Malden Station just as the T was slowing to a stop. I dashed into the station, scanned my card, and bolted up the stairs just in time to hear the tones of the doors closing. As I hopped unto the platform, the doors slammed shut. I sorta clenched my right fist and motioned my arm in an "Ah Shucks" fashion.

I made eye contact with the conductor. He looked sympathetic to my cause. I had the feeling if I had put up a stink, he would have opened the doors for me.

I decided not to do or say anything to get special treatment. I did what I think we commuters are supposed to do: look down and wait awkwardly until the train rolls away...and act like nothing happened.

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Bus Departure Time: 7:02
Bus Arrival Time: 7:16
T Departure Time: 7:22
T Arrival Time: 7:44
Weather as I call it: Partly sunny, 30s
Level of commute annoyance (scale of 1 to 10): 3
Feared for my life: No

Orange Line - Stop By Stop

Bus Departure Time: 7:02
Bus Arrival Time: 7:16
T Departure Time: 7:18
T Arrival Time: 7:43
Weather as I call it: Sunny and warm. No too humid though.
Level of commute annoyance (scale of 1 to 10): 4
Feared for my life: No

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The bus dropped all of us off at the Malden T station and I could see that the Orange Line had just pulled into the station. What I didn't realize until I got to the platform was that it was still there.

So I jumped on thinking the doors were going to close soon. They didn't. We waited. The announcer said there was a disabled train in front of us and we would have to stay put for a while. We did and more people got on. I was standing in the middle of the car and suddenly I was joined by three others. Then, the train doors closed and we got going. Here's how it went from Wellington to Downtown Crossing:

Wellington: The platform was teeming with people and they were all looking eager to get on. The doors opened and wave after wave of people entered the train until we were near capacity.

Sullivan Square: Not as packed as Wellington, but a large enough number of people to raise the panic level. The bodies bobbing and weaving to get a good position in front of a door. The eyes filled with looks of "I am getting on this train if I need to pull people off of it!"

Community College: Usually nobody gets on at this stop during my commute. There were three people on the platform today. They took one look at our car and ran to enter another one.

North Station: Some relief with a few people exiting. Seats opened up and a few of my standing comrades sat down quickly.

Haymarket: A woman entered the train with a raised bandaged left arm exclaiming, "I don't want to do this to anybody, but I have GOT to sit down!" It worked. A man stood up, the crowd parted, and she took her seat.

Downtown Crossing: The grand exodus commenced.
Joy was felt up and down the Orange Line. A large group of new passengers got on, but they seemed to fit right in.

Taking the MBTA to the Airport

Bus Departure Time: 7:04
Bus Arrival Time: 7:20
T Departure Time: 7:23
T Arrival Time: 7:44
Weather as I call it: Cloudy and still cool out there
Level of commute annoyance (scale of 1 to 10): 3
Feared for my life: I feared for somebody else's

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Red Sox lose, Yankees win. Ah, yin and yang.

The bus was as good as it has been this summer. Crowded but everyone was tolerant of the lack of space.

The Orange Line had an interesting situation. I got on at Malden Center along with another guy with a HUGE SUITCASE. It was really big. I could have fit in there. Seriously. It had tags on it from previous flights on United that stated it was HEAVY.

I sat next to the end of the subway car and he sat in the next seat over, leaving an empty seat in between us. He then set his suitcase down parallel with the row of seats. Since the suitcase was so huge, it blocked off anyone from using the empty seat.

This layout drew some grimaces from other passengers as they entered the train.

The suitcase became such a fixture that its owner was offering it up as a place for people who were standing it near it to rest their bags. Nobody took him up on his offer.

Then we got to State St. and all hell broke loose. The guy tried to be as friendly and polite as he could, but the other passengers holding on to the poles and bars weren't very happy about his advances toward the doors before the train came to a stop.

Oh, the looks that he got were priceless. Some people were really angry. Most laughed a little after he got off the train.

I hope he had a better time at Logan.

Orange Line Safety Tip

Bus Departure Time: 7:02
Bus Arrival Time: 7:16
T Departure Time: 7:16
T Arrival Time: 7:38
Weather as I call it: Cloudy and muggy
Level of commute annoyance (scale of 1 to 10): 1
Feared for my life: Nah

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Ok, hopefully I can do this story justice. Telling a story and typing a story are very different. Before I get into it, the bus was on time and it moved pretty well. Sweet A.

I got on the Orange Line right after being dropped off by the bus....I ran up the stairs and walked right through one of the train's open doors. Because I didn't have time to plan it out, I took the first seat I saw: The end seat right next to the front wall of the car.

This car had the conductor/announcer's compartment right next to it. Through the window I could see that she was in there talking to someone, but I could see who that person was since they were behind the curtain.

Flashforward to Dtown Xing (That's how the kids text Downtown Crossing): There is a woman standing in front of me and she is doing the unspeakable! She's leaning against the door to the announcer's compartment. FOR SHAME! Don't you know that it's strictly forbidden to lean against that door? It's clearly labelled!

Now I know why.

As the subway came to the stop, the door opened. The announcer's mystery companion was getting out there! The woman who was leaning on the door fell in...almost fell all the way in, never to be seen again. It was pretty intense. It happened so fast that I didn't know what was happening.

It turned out she was ok. The companion apologized and all was set right. She went back to leaning on the door.

I always thought they didn't want you to lean on the door because they were afraid the door was going to fly open and I always thought that the doors were pretty secure.

You have to be afraid of who may be opening the door on the other side of it.