Pinned Down at Downtown Crossing

Bus Departure Time: 6:59
Bus Arrival Time: 7:16
T Departure Time: 7:17
T Arrival Time: 7:38
Weather as I call it: Cloudy and cooler...a little rain once I got into Boston
Level of commute annoyance (scale of 1 to 10): 3
Feared for my life: Nah

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Good stuff this morning! Let's start at the beginning. I got on the first bus since it was pretty empty and arrived right around the time it should.

Three stops later: A woman wearing flip flops fell down while running to catch the bus. It didn't seem that she hurt herself though since she got right up and laughed it off.

Funny thing is, I see this woman all the time. She always looks exasperated on the bus. The first time I saw her smile was today...after she fell. She may not take herself as seriously as I thought.

That'll teach me.

I got on the Orange Line after a very short wait. The car I was on filled up with people by Sullivan Square...and the A/C wasn't on...or it wasn't working.

It was pretty steamy by the time we got to Downtown Crossing, when the normal grand exodus occurred and the few of us left on the train got some relief.

Or so I thought.

Before we left DTC (that's what the cool kids call Downtown Crossing), a guy sat down next to me...a pretty large gentleman. He had a large plastic bag full of soda cans, he talked to himself, and he smelt like garbage.

The worst part was he had me pinned in my seat. His left elbow was pressed against my right arm. There was no escape! Ok, I am exaggerating, but at Chinatown I got up and sat down in the next section of seats. That's the first time I have had to do that this year - move away from somebody because I was starting to get sick to my stomach.

P.S. The old Dean's Home Furniture building in Malden Center is being torn down. Am I going to miss it?

I freaking doubt it!!

She Knows Too

Bus Departure Time: 7:05
Bus Arrival Time: 7:21
T Departure Time: 7:21
T Arrival Time: 7:41
Weather as I call it: Sunny and warmer High 60s
Level of commute annoyance (scale of 1 to 10): 1
Feared for my life: No

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I don't know if I should write about what happened today but I have to report what I witnessed.

The first bus was late today and the second bus was right behind it. There was an unusually large number of people at the stop today, so some people (the ones not in the know) got on the first bus.

After the passengers had boarded, the bus driver called over to "Frank" (name changed to protect the innocent). The driver told "Frank" to tell the second bus driver (since a bunch of us were standing around waiting to take the second bus) that she shouldn't go slow and that she should pass the first bus when she can.

He said, "Ah, ok."

"Frank" told the second bus driver this message when he stepped onto the bus. According to "Frank", the second bus driver looked at him strangely when he was telling her what the first driver had said.

The second bus driver stated gruffly, "Well if she had left on time, I wouldn't have to pass her!"

Just between you and me, I have known that the 6:55 bus has been late more times than not over the past few months. It's reassuring that an authority on the matter; i.e., another MBTA employee knows about this issue as well.

Not sure what will come of this incident, but I will let you know.

Once we got to the Malden T station, I had to take two steps at a time to catch the subway. It was waiting at the platform and the first "doors are closing" chimes had rang. I jumped on right in time and got a seat to boot.

Long Weekend Recovery

Bus Departure Time: 6:58
Bus Arrival Time: 7:15
T Departure Time: 7:16
T Arrival Time: 7:37
Weather as I call it: Nice. Clear and sunny
Level of commute annoyance (scale of 1 to 10): 2
Feared for my life: Nah.

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I love three day weekends. I hate three day weekends. I am pretty groggy this morning. I must have gotten used to sleeping late, if you consider 8:00 late. Plus, I went to the driving range with my father-in-law yesterday and I am sore in weird places like the tricep muscle on my left arm.

Lesson learned: I am out of shape.

Two buses came to the stop at the same time today. I opted for the second one since it had less people on it. Mike and I talked about Papelbon and his "heart attack saves". Mike thinks Francona is using him too much...especially in non-save situations.

The Orange Line was ok today. I was cramped between two people who sat down on either side of me at Wellington and I didn't get any relief until Downtown Crossing.

Overheard On Someone's iPod: Some No Doubt song...or maybe it was a Gwen Stefani solo effort. It was definitely her voice.

Welcome back.

Allergies

Bus Departure Time: 6:59
Bus Arrival Time: 7:15
T Departure Time: 7:15
T Arrival Time: 7:36
Weather as I call it: Hazy sun and in the low 70s. It's gonna be a scorcha!?!
Level of commute annoyance (scale of 1 to 10): 1
Feared for my life: Nope

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I finally did it today. I have been holding back for days now. It was controllable; I was able to contain it. Today was different...and it happened.

I sneezed on the subway.

Whatever pollen was in the air this morning finally caused me to sneeze. I have felt a tickle in my nose all this week, but combated it successfully through squeezing my face into different positions (people probably thought I had a facial tic) and pinching the bridge of my nose.

Right around the State St. stop, I let 'er rip. I covered my face with my hands and let out a mighty "ah-choo!".

Can a guy get a "Bless you" around here? The answer is "No, not on the Orange Line".

Have a good weekend. I will type to you Tuesday.

Slow Train Safe Train

Bus Departure Time: 6:58
Bus Arrival Time: 7:15
T Departure Time: 7:16
T Arrival Time: 7:39
Weather as I call it: Sunny and warm. I could get used to this...
Level of commute annoyance (scale of 1 to 10): 3
Feared for my life: Nah.

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The Orange Line was incredibly slow today, but then I look at the times above and I have to correct myself. It was only a minute later than usual. How is that possible?

There were long pauses between Sullivan Sq. and Community College that seemed to go on forever...and were never explained.

No falling people on the train today...it was going to slow.

How To Keep From Falling On The T

Bus Departure Time: 6:57
Bus Arrival Time: 7:13
T Departure Time: 7:15
T Arrival Time: 7:36
Weather as I call it: Sunny and in the 50s
Level of commute annoyance (scale of 1 to 10): 1
Feared for my life: Nope

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The first bus came on time again today. Looks like we have a Yankees-esque winning streak (two in a row...whoa!), which means it will be late tomorrow.

We had Sox talk in the back of the bus with Mike and the other guy I can talk to through the transitive property.

Once on the Orange Line, I got a seat and the train was relatively quiet.

There was one guy who lost his balance and almost fell on his face. He hadn't mastered the "reading the paper on the T" technique yet.

Maybe I should hold a training this weekend?

Giving Up Your Seat

Bus Departure Time: 7:05
Bus Arrival Time: 7:20
T Departure Time: 7:23
T Arrival Time: 7:45
Weather as I call it: Sunny and warm. High 50s
Level of commute annoyance (scale of 1 to 10): 3
Feared for my life: No

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I took the second bus today because I left the house later than usual. I thought I would take my time and get to the stop just before 7 and still have my choice between the two buses. Apparently, miracles never cease and the first bus came on time today.

Mike and I chatted about the Sox loss and somehow through what I call the transitive property of acquaintances (He talks to this guy and he talks to that guy, so this guy and that guy can talk too) I continued talking to another Sox fan guy while standing on the Orange Line platform.

Both the bus and T were packed today and I had to stand for both rides.

At Chinatown, an elderly man came on the train. A young woman helped him to find a seat and after he sat down, she chided the people who were sitting near the door.

"Why aren't you giving up your seats for the old man?" she asked.

Alas, no one responded.

Overheard On Someone's iPod: I didn't recognize the song, but it sure had a lot of horns playing Latin-tinged melodies.

Charlie Tickets Instead of Change

Bus Departure Time: 7:05
Bus Arrival Time: 7:19
T Departure Time: 7:20
T Arrival Time: 7:42
Weather as I call it: Sunny (finally) and spring like. 50s
Level of commute annoyance (scale of 1 to 10): 2
Feared for my life: No

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I took the later bus today...because of peer pressure (ha!) and because I didn't take it on Friday.

The bus ride was mellow as it normally is on the second bus, but there was one rider who was befuddled about getting a Charlie Ticket instead of coins after paying for his fare. He's not the first person I have witnessed having trouble understanding the "ticket rather than change" situation.

Let me explain: If you are going to pay cash on the bus, the ride costs $1.50. If you have two dollar bills and you choose to pay the fare with them, you would expect to get 50 cents back...preferably two quarters.

The way the system works now, you will not get 50 cents in U.S. coins as the difference of your payment to the bus fare. You will get a Charlie Ticket that is worth 50 cents. You can use this ticket next time you ride the T. You can even add money to it at a subway station using a kiosk.

People may have their hearts set on getting a couple of quarters for the vending machine, but once you give money to the MBTA you have to spend it with the MBTA (at least in this situation).

From what I have experienced, the drivers spend a lot of time explaining the ticket to riders. Not sure how to get the word out and help reset expectations of cash paying bus riders, but maybe this post will help.



Just one quick item from the Orange Line: The conductor said these words over the loudspeaker, "Please stop holding the door open with your bag, ma'am!"

The best part: The train was moving at the time!

Docking Satellites at Sullivan Square

Bus Departure Time: 7:04
Bus Arrival Time: 7:16
T Departure Time: 7:17
T Arrival Time: 7:40
Weather as I call it: Rainy...and cold.
Level of commute annoyance (scale of 1 to 10): 3
Feared for my life: No

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I was the only person at my stop today and I had to wait longer than usual (wah).
Rain tends to slow the bus down and also brings out crowds of people who don't want to walk in it. The Outcome: the bus was packed with people within three stops after I got on.

Since we reached capacity earlier than normal, the bus stopped picking up people and started picking up speed. We got to the T stop faster than I expected.

On the T, there was one curious happening at Sullivan Square. We pulled into the station and came to a stop. Everything seemed normal. Then, the announcer told everyone to stand behind the yellow line because the train was backing up. We paused for a while, but then the train started to back up and then paused again.

I sat there waiting for the doors to open as people on the other side looked in with me with anxious looks.

Then, the train lurched forward about 2 feet, finally stopped, and then opened its doors.

I thought to myself "Are we docking to a satellite here?"

What's with all the precision? Maybe the engineer has OCD about this one stop and IT JUST HAD TO BE PERFECT!!

Maybe? Meh. Type to you Monday.

Double Parked

Bus Departure Time: 7:02
Bus Arrival Time: 7:19
T Departure Time: 7:21
T Arrival Time: 7:42
Weather as I call it: Cloudy and cooler, 40s
Level of commute annoyance (scale of 1 to 10): 2
Feared for my life: No

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Leaving my pals behind at the stop, I took the first bus again today. Maybe I will treat myself tomorrow and take the later, less crowded bus.

As the bus was trying to get through Malden Square we were halted because some, well, Masshole double parked on Main St. so he could get his coffee at the Dunk. From what I could see, the bus could have squeezed by the parked Jeep Liberty...but maybe the driver didn't want to risk it...or maybe she stopped on the principle that what this M-word did was intolerable. I mean, he was blocking most of the road when he could have parked in an open space just down the street.

I guess the lazy M-word didn't want to walk that far.

The bus driver beeped her horn a few times. The Jeep's hazards were on which led me to believe that driver may have been in the car.

The bus driver laid on the horn again. Suddenly the doors of the ubiquitous coffee/donut mecca opened and a man with keys in one hand and an iced coffee in the other strolled towards the Jeep.

He never made eye contact with anyone on the bus nor did he quicken his pace. He casually entered the Jeep and slowly pulled away.

It was an amazing feat of blithe unconcern.

It's For The Blog

Bus Departure Time: 7:02
Bus Arrival Time: 7:18
T Departure Time: 7:20
T Arrival Time: 7:42
Weather as I call it: Hazy sunshine and a bit humid. 60s?
Level of commute annoyance (scale of 1 to 10): 2
Feared for my life: Nope

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Breaking News: I found out what Gym Bag Guy's name is today. He asked me mine because he's been calling me Buddy for months now. I told him and he replied with "I'm Mike". Damn, I like mysteries.

I took the first bus because it's better for the blog. The second one is quiet and comfortable, but boring. When it arrived I hopped on, leaving Mike at the stop.

The bus driver asked me, "Are you sure?"

There was a woman in front of me who amazed me with her crankiness. I believe she was the mouthpiece of comments reported here.

As the bus filled up, she wondered aloud, "Why aren't people moving back? You can't stand at the front if more people are coming on!"

There was a teenage boy waiting at a stop a block away from the T station. She spoke out to no one in particular, "It's a nice day, why doesn't he walk to the T station?" (Note: The T station is the last stop of this bus.)

I don't think she was having a good day today.

Overheard on Someone's iPod: "There, There" by Radiohead.

(Uh, I cheated a little bit...I sorta recognized it from the beat, but happened to see the title on the iPod's screen... Boo! Hiss!)

Some MBTA Annoyances

Bus Departure Time: 7:04
Bus Arrival Time: 7:19
T Departure Time: 7:21
T Arrival Time: 7:41
Weather as I call it: Cloudy with some light rain
Level of commute annoyance (scale of 1 to 10): 3
Feared for my life: Not really

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There was some light rain a-droppin' down as I walked from my door to the bus stop. I decided to 'go with the crowd' and take the second bus today. When the first one came around 7:02 and was packed with people, Guy and a woman who has been showing up at the stop the last few days (Guy knows her, natch) convinced me that the later bus was the one to take.

I didn't regret my choice too much even though I did get to the T station later than the first bus. I enjoyed the lower stress level of the less crowded bus.

The T was fine until the end. I was looking to get off the subway car, but the exit closest to me only had one door operational. On the Orange line, every exit has two sliding doors that break in the middle. When one of them doesn't work, you only have half the space to pass through.

Not only was one of the doors not working correctly, there was a young gentleman standing right in front of the open door. I had to speak up or would have never exited the train (Does that remind you of some old folk song?).

I just said, "Excuse me" and he moved out of the way. I guess I was a little annoyed about him, but more annoyed about the broken door.

Ground Rules

Bus Departure Time: 7:00
Bus Arrival Time: 7:14
T Departure Time: 7:15
T Arrival Time: 7:37
Weather as I call it: Sunny and nice. I probably should have worn a jacket, but I didn't. Don't tell my mom.
Level of commute annoyance (scale of 1 to 10): 1
Feared for my life: Nope

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I was sort of a late riser myself today. As I was walking to the stop, I could see there were a number of people waiting including Gym Bag Guy. Just as I arrived, a bus was slowing to a stop. I asked Guy if it were bus #1 or #2. He replied he was going to wait for the second one. Looking through the bus windows, I could see that there were open seats. I decided to take my chances, and jumped on.

My choice was right. The first bus got to the stop earlier than the second one and I was able to connect with the Orange Line without having to wait a long time/run to catch it.

Once on the Orange Line, I sat down and joined the other people quietly riding to their destination.

There was a guy listening to his iPod and the volume was up just enough for me to hear the beat. I started to lean in a little to see if I could hear more of the song, but then I stopped myself because I felt a little creepy.

Although it would good to get a new segment a-going for the blog, I think I need to set up some ground rules for "Overheard On Someone's iPod". I shouldn't have to invade someone's personal space for the blog.

Sharing Music on the T

Bus Departure Time: 7:04
Bus Arrival Time: 7:17
T Departure Time: 7:19
T Arrival Time: 7:40
Weather as I call it: Partly sunny, 60s
Level of commute annoyance (scale of 1 to 10): 1
Feared for my life: No

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Gym Bag Guy and I took the second bus and talked Red Sox. Maybe it was the lack of crowdedness or the weather or the Sox finishing the sweep of Toronto, but I had no worries this morning on the bus.

I got on the T and you could tell it was a Friday. People were dressed for comfort. I was wearing jeans and a buttoned up short sleeve shirt, so I was part of the comfort club.

I may need to add a new segment to each post. I will call it, "Overheard on someone's iPod". Some people like to listen to their music at a very loud volume. In turn, the rest of us on the car get to hear it too.

Today's selection: Lenny Kravitz's "Are You Gonna Go My Way?"

If this unintentional music sharing happens often enough, then I will add a line to the header. If not, I will report them as they happen.

Finally, Boston Now is trying to pay you to read their paper.

Happy Friday!

Walking in Boston

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: Hazy and a bit humid
Level of commute annoyance (scale of 1 to 10): N/A
Feared for my life: I felt pretty confident I was going to survive.

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I didn't go through the normal routine today because my wife had a dentist appointment at 9 and we all went in together....my son and I got to sit around.

After that, I walked to work since the dentist office is on Park St. If the sky was a little clearer and if it was a bit less humid, the walk would have been perfect.

I shouldn't complain. A day like this beats any day in January.

Storrow Drive Improvement Part Deux

Bus Departure Time: 6:59
Bus Arrival Time: 7:11
T Departure Time: 7:15
T Arrival Time: 7:41
Weather as I call it: The sun is shining and people are happy
Level of commute annoyance (scale of 1 to 10): 3
Feared for my life: No

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This morning, the bus was filled with conversations and happiness. I blame the weather.

The Orange Line was another story: people were silent and angry (Ok, maybe I am exaggerating here).

We did have to stand by due to traffic up ahead numerous times on the trip. That wasn't fun, but looking at the numbers it only added 5 more minutes to the duration.

Ok, onto another subject entirely! (my version of ...and now for something completely different).

Do you remember the Storrow Drive Improvement Study I was a part of last year?

Well, I guess the 4 different ideas that were proposed to improve the road have been deemed "unrealistic" and they are back to the drawing board.

This time, they want to add exit ramps on the Mass Pike.

Hey, I have an idea. Let's build another Storrow Drive, but build it underground.

C'mon, whaddya say?

Bus Driver Seeking Redemption

Bus Departure Time: 6:57
Bus Arrival Time: 7:10
T Departure Time: 7:15
T Arrival Time: 7:37
Weather as I call it: Glorious sun and warm. I didn't wear a jacket.
Level of commute annoyance (scale of 1 to 10): 1
Feared for my life: No

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I stepped onto the bus this morning and was greeted by the driver with a query:
"Where's our Superman today?"

The "Superman" she was referring to was our friend, Gym Bag Guy.

The driver and "Guy" like to rib each other and it stems from the choosing of buses in the morning. Guy is always trying to figure out which bus is the better one to take. Which one will be less crowded and/or which one will get him to his place of work quicker (most days these two aspects can be attributed to the same bus, sometimes not).

He often chooses the second bus. He will stand defiantly at the stop and tell the driver he's waiting for the next one, which signals the closing of the door.

I have since learned that he has seen her in the Dunkin' Donuts (not sure which one since there are about 19 in the center of town) during the middle of the day and they have discussed the topic of his choosing the later bus in further detail. Guy has called it 'giving her a hard time'.

Since she has been on time the past two days, Guy has not been at the bus stop when she arrived. He must be conditioned to the later time.

I think she gets a little hurt when Guy doesn't choo choo choose her bus.

So, here she was, on time, and he wasn't there to deem her bus the better bus, prompting her to ask me where he was.

My answer to her question was to gesture towards the figure strolling across the field on the opposite side of the street.

She responded, "Eh, I guess he doesn't run."

Bring Your Lunch

Bus Departure Time: 6:57
Bus Arrival Time: 7:08
T Departure Time: 7:09
T Arrival Time: 7:30
Weather as I call it: Sunny with a little chill in the air.
Level of commute annoyance (scale of 1 to 10): 1 No complaints
Feared for my life: Not today

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Dear readers,

I was out Friday due to a family emergency, but everything's ok and I'm back at it.

I think I got a glimpse of what summer mornings on the T could be like. For some reason, there were no high school kids on the bus today. Paired with the driver's punctuality, the bus portion of my commute was great. We'll see. It was Monday and late risers are a factor as well.

The only interesting thing about the bus ride was the guy in front of me who smelt of Ben Gay. I have seen this guy many times before and he is a curious figure. He always has an insulated lunch pack with him and I always imagine he has the greatest lunches ever in there; bountiful culinary extravaganzas which make me wish I had planned to make something good rather than rushing through a turkey sandwich on wheat preparation before I left the house.

Maybe he strained a muscle putting together his lunch?

The Oldest Man In The World

Bus Departure Time: 6:59
Bus Arrival Time: 7:18
T Departure Time: 7:18
T Arrival Time: 7:38
Weather as I call it: Bright and sunny. 50 degrees
Level of commute annoyance (scale of 1 to 10): 2.5
Feared for my life: Nah

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As I arrived at the bus stop, Gym Bag Guy greeted me and asked me which bus to take today. He motioned toward the bus rumbling its way to our stop.

"What do you think, bud? Should we take this one?"

"This is the one," I said.

We got on and talked Red Sox, of course. About halfway through our ride, we were delayed for an unusually long time. So, I finished my thought about Julio Lugo and then looked down the aisle to see what was holding us up.

From what I could figure out, it seemed we were blessed with the presence of the oldest man in the world. I overheard people saying that he had just turned 257, but to me he didn't look a day over 220. I guess he decided to take the bus to get to Malden Center today.

Ok, enough picking on the elderly. After the driver dropped him off, she was discussing with some of the passengers sitting close to her that she was amazed the old man was out and about on his own and wondered why he didn't take The Ride.

Just then, a woman's cell phone rang. Vivaldi's The Four Seasons blasted out of her purse and into her hand as she answered.

It was the Spring movement #1. How appropriate.

Big Letdown

Bus Departure Time: 6:57
Bus Arrival Time: 7:13
T Departure Time: 7:16
T Arrival Time: 7:37
Weather as I call it: Cloudy. Sorta damp and
Level of commute annoyance (scale of 1 to 10): 1
Feared for my life: Nope

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The bus came on time today. The driver had a big smile on her face when our eyes met while I was swiping my Charlie Card.

Where did I wake up this morning? Iowa?

Wha' happened?

We got to the T stop in less than 20 minutes.

Somebody must have called to complain about yesterday's debacle. I was ready for another throwdown.

That's the thing, though... With the MBTA, you never know what you're going to get.

MBTA Drama, Fights, and Battles

Bus Departure Time: 7:05
Bus Arrival Time: 7:20
T Departure Time: 7:24
T Arrival Time: 7:46
Weather as I call it: Sunny. The sun was sharing its warmth.
Level of commute annoyance (scale of 1 to 10): 2
Feared for my life: Maybe I should have, but I enjoyed it all.

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I experienced my first driver/passenger fight on the MBTA bus today. Let me set up the scene:

The bus I usually take (commonly referred to on these pages as "the first bus") never came. Where was it? Where? Nowhere.

The next bus (commonly known as "the second bus") came at its regularly scheduled time but since its earlier counterpart was absent today, this bus had a route filled with twice the number of people it normally faces.

My stop sits near the top of the route so I got on the bus with no problem, along with Gym Bag Guy. I stood close to the very back of the bus since I knew we would need all the room we could get.

The biggest problem on the route is the next stop. It's the largest stop in terms of the number of people waiting to get on the bus. Normally, there is at least 15 people waiting; it was doubled today. On top of that, there were two people who had multiple pieces of luggage with them.

Luggage! Huge suitcases!

After the first 28 people got on the bus, the driver started talking to the luggage-carrying pair.

"You're gonna have to wait for the next bus. I can't take luggage. You might as well get a cab with that many bags. This is a busy time for us!"

The passengers refused that advice. They requested to enter the bus through the back door.

One of the passengers, a plucky older gentleman who comes up to about my elbow, shouted to the driver.

"There's no room in the back either!"

The driver shouted back, "I am opening the back door" and said something regarding making room for the luggage couple.

The gentleman yelled, "We would have room if we had another bus. The 6:55 never came."

The driver responded, "I called and asked them to send another bus." and an exclamation that ended with "...shut the door in your face." (There was a lot of commotion, so it was difficult to hear everything that was said.)

"Well, you're an idiot!" stated the gentleman and the exchange abruptly ended. The luggage people shoved their way on. The doors closed with plenty of room away from anyone's face.

For the rest of the trip, the bus stopped to let people off but did not pick up any more passengers. The driver had to announce to every teeming mass pushing its way to get on the bus that there was no more room.

If nobody needed to get off, we just drove on by. I could see jaws dropping and looks of disgust through my dusty window each time we passed those stops.

We got to the T station just in time to watch the 7:20 roll away.

As I walked towards the station's doors, I could hear the free paper hawkers hollering. It's Metro vs. Boston Now in a battle to see who can pass out more dailies!

The Metro guy got me today. He looked right at me and said, "You know it's a Metro morning!" I had to laugh as I clutched the paper he stuck in front of me.

That's one way of putting it.