Time Stands Still

Bus Departure Time: 7:06 I guess
Bus Arrival Time: 7:21 ish
T Departure Time: 7:25 probably
T Arrival Time: 7:46 meh
Weather as I call it: Sunny and 60s - man, it's like CA out there.
Level of commute annoyance (scale of 1 to 10): 2
Feared for my life: No

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Dude, my watch died. Time of death: 2:50 AM. I looked down to see what time the bus arrived at my stop, and I saw the second hand frozen at 21 seconds.

I guess I gotta get the battery replaced.

I kept time using my cell phone but it just wasn't the same.

No school today for some reason...so the bus was tolerable. I had all these "the bus was soooo packed" jokes lined up for today's post, but I really shouldn't use them.

Oh all right.

The bus was so packed today, we ended up on the baggage conveyor belt at Logan.

The bus was so packed today, not only could I tell what the guy next to me had for breakfast but also what he had dinner the past two weeks.

The bus was so packed today, I think I'm carrying some woman's baby.

I have more...but I think that's a good place to stop.

Have a good long weekend.

Getting Through It

Bus Departure Time: 7:08
Bus Arrival Time: 7:22
T Departure Time: 7:24
T Arrival Time: 7:45
Weather as I call it: Sunny and 60s
Level of commute annoyance (scale of 1 to 10): 4
Feared for my life: No

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The bus was a little less stressful than yesterday. Oh yeah, it was insanely full of people but because I knew what I was in for this morning, it didn't stress me out as much. I counted down the stops until we got to the high school and all the kids got off. Once that happened, it was smooth sailing.

Just as a side note, I did see a bus that claimed it was "out of service" but was picking up people along the route on Salem St. Did the MBTA hear my plea from yesterday?

On the Orange Line, I sat at the end of the car and was smashed up against the faux wood wall because some guy needed a lot of space. There was a guy who was rapping along to his music aloud. I had to stop myself from looking up every time he broke the silence with some lyric.

I had two dollars burning in my pocket so I got a coffee at the Dunk near my work. There was a woman who greeted me right before walked in and she asked if she could have some change on the way out. After I got my medium with skim milk, no sugar, I handed her my $0.17 as I slid through the double doors. I'm not sure why I did that.

Plea to the MBTA

Bus Departure Time: 7:10
Bus Arrival Time: 7:27
T Departure Time: 7:31
T Arrival Time: 7:52
Weather as I call it: Sunny and in the 60s
Level of commute annoyance (scale of 1 to 10): 6
Feared for my life: Not really

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Dear MBTA,

I know you plan to add more buses next week, but we really need them now. Yes, yes...I think it's weird too that Malden's schools are back in session before Labor Day. It never was like that when I was a kid. I am sure it was the same for you. The reality is the kids are back in school and they are using the MBTA bus to get there. Man, it was packed today. I had to stand at the front of the bus with one foot slightly over the yellow line. That's against the rules! If there is any way you could send another bus to head down Salem St. around 7 o'clock, that would really help everyone out. We passed so many stops today...they all had 10+ people waiting at them...some of them many more.

If you can't send another bus, I guess that's just the way it is. I will make other arrangements if need be, but the city's school schedule isn't jiving with the bus schedule this year. Could you help us out?

School Already?

Bus Departure Time: 7:05
Bus Arrival Time: 7:20
T Departure Time: 7:25
T Arrival Time: N/A
Weather as I call it: Sunny and comfortable.
Level of commute annoyance (scale of 1 to 10): 3
Feared for my life: Not really

------------------------------

I don't know why but this morning the kids were all going back to school and somehow they were all on the bus too. I have seen the bus packed with people but this morning set a new record of people per square foot.

Once we got to the high school stop, the pressure valve was released. The working stiffs like me were able to take a seat and take a break for the next three stops.

Tomorrow should be a blast.

I got off the Orange line at Downtown Crossing because I had to go to the post office. After I bought my stamps, I saw two fire trucks race down St. James Ave. I thought to myself, "I wonder where they are going?" with a smaller thought of "I wonder if it will be my building?"

When I got to the building, the two trucks parked outside. I thought I would have to wait to get inside, I was let in with no troubles.

Not sure what the problem was, but an "all clear" message was announced five minutes later.

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.

Into The Mystic

Bus Departure Time: 7:07
Bus Arrival Time: 7:20
T Departure Time: 7:25
T Arrival Time: 7:44
Weather as I call it: Cloudy and a little muggy
Level of commute annoyance (scale of 1 to 10): 2
Feared for my life: Nope

------------------------------



I told you the Mystic River was misunderstood. This picture is from the Boston.com article about the river is making a comeback.

Yeah, it's still a pretty yucky river especially in the Everett area, but everybody gets a second chance...even rivers. Or maybe more accurately, mother nature is a strong force and will correct all human mistakes especially when we try working with her.

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

------------------------------

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.

No Sleep 'til DTX

Bus Departure Time: 7:07
Bus Arrival Time: 7:23
T Departure Time: 7:23
T Arrival Time: 7:45
Weather as I call it: Misty overcast skies. 50s
Level of commute annoyance (scale of 1 to 10): 2
Feared for my life: Naw

------------------------------

Crisp air, misty skies. Red Sox win, Yankees lose. Bus is late, T is waiting for me.

We had dueling buses today....you know, two buses that ride down the street at the same time and take turns picking up people.

Well one guy tried out both buses. He got onto ours, stayed on for one stop, and then proceed to exit our bus and then got on the other bus.

I guess we were too much for him.

The T was all right. I got squashed between two dudes who were reading their papers with wide arms.

I found my safe place and survived until DTX where they both departed.

Shedding Tears

Bus Departure Time: 7:05
Bus Arrival Time: 7:20
T Departure Time: 7:24
T Arrival Time: 7:44
Weather as I call it: Sunny and 50s
Level of commute annoyance (scale of 1 to 10): 2
Feared for my life: No

------------------------------

The bus was a little late today...the stop was full of people when I got to it. I left my house at the normal time, but I guess people decided to get up a little earlier. It didn't make the bus come any sooner.

I think I saw a woman crying on the Orange Line. I am sure it wasn't because the T was riding smoothly today. Hope she's feeling better.

More Backpack Fun

Bus Departure Time: 7:02
Bus Arrival Time: 7:16
T Departure Time: 7:19
T Arrival Time: 7:40
Weather as I call it: A bit chilly...certainly has an autumn feel today.
Level of commute annoyance (scale of 1 to 10): 2
Feared for my life: No

------------------------------

Hey now. That crisp air was an eye opener, both literally and figuratively. Most years I would feel saddness when the indications of summer dying down come around. Recently, I have realized that Boston's real season is autumn. I look forward to it.

Bus was jammed packed today. Soon, the kids will be back in school and they will add another bus to run around the 7 o'clock hour. I look forward to that too.

The person who sat near me placed her backpack on the seat in between us, making the person who wanted to sit there have to ask her to move it. I also saw a near backpack knockdown.

Backpacks!

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

------------------------------

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.

Breakfast of Chumps

Bus Departure Time: 7:07
Bus Arrival Time: 7:20
T Departure Time: 7:25
T Arrival Time: 7:46
Weather as I call it: Mostly sunny and 70
Level of commute annoyance (scale of 1 to 10): 3
Feared for my life: Not really

------------------------------

I was going to type about how I thought the bus driver didn't have his Wheaties today to explain why he was late but on second thought, there were a few other things in play.

1. When the bus did arrive, it was one the older models
2. It was driven by some guy I have never seen before

Not sure, but maybe there was a larger issue behind the bus's tardiness outside of the driver not having a nutritious breakfast.

The Orange Line was pleasant for the most part. Even though I was on a later train, I saw many of the same faces I always see. It was as if everyone's travel time was shifted 5 minutes later...just like mine.

There was one woman who shouted out to no one in particular when we were delayed right outside New England Medical Center, "This train has been standing by more than it has been frigging moving this morning."
Although I disagreed with her (that was the only delay that I experienced on the line - and for the record it only lasted 20 seconds), I wasn't really in the mood to debate random people on the train.

Maybe tomorrow.

Murky Waters

Bus Departure Time: 7:02
Bus Arrival Time: 7:16
T Departure Time: 7:19
T Arrival Time: 7:42
Weather as I call it: Sunny and a little warmer
Level of commute annoyance (scale of 1 to 10): 2
Feared for my life: Nah

------------------------------

I got to the bus just in time today. Mike told me my timing was perfect. I let him know I didn't plan it that way. Just lucky, I guess.

The Orange Line had an extended delay between Wellington and Sullivan. I got to take in a long glance of the murky Mystic River (they made a movie about it, you know...and it was a book before that). Strange, misunderstood sister river of the Charles...

"Up and over we go
through the wave and undertow
I will float until I learn how to swim"

Just more dirty water.

Are You Saying I'm Fat?

Bus Departure Time: 7:02
Bus Arrival Time: 7:18
T Departure Time: 7:20
T Arrival Time: 7:41
Weather as I call it: Sunny and cool. I am telling ya, it feels like Sept.
Level of commute annoyance (scale of 1 to 10): 2
Feared for my life: No

------------------------------

I went to the Red Sox game last night so I am a little tired today. The bus driver decided she was going to pick up everyone on the route. It was awesome. I hope you can detect my sarcasm.

On the T, I sat down and had an empty seat next to me. At Wellington, a woman sat next to me and I suddenly felt uncomfortable. I think she was trying to take up as much space as possible.

Let me get this out of the way: She was of average size, whatever that means. I guess what I am trying to say is that she wasn't obese. I have had plenty of people who have sat next to me on the Orange Line who I think would fit the description of the medical term "obese" and they have made riding the T a pretty tight situation for me. I generally leave it out of the blog because I don't want readers thinking I am poking fun at fat people.

So, with that long winded, awkward disclaimer out of the way, I want to say that this woman just had a different idea about social space than what I am used to. I had a hard time reading sitting next to her. I kept bumping into her so I started to lean to the right so I would reduce the number of times I said sorry on the trip.

I think I am getting fat.

Phoning It In

Bus Departure Time: 7:01
Bus Arrival Time: 7:16
T Departure Time: 7:20
T Arrival Time: 7:41
Weather as I call it: Overcast with just an orange glow of where the sun should be this morning
Level of commute annoyance (scale of 1 to 10): 2
Feared for my life: Naw

------------------------------

I got to the bus stop early today and waited around. None of the regulars showed up, but an older woman who sometimes takes the bus in the morning came to the stop at 7 o'clock.

On the bus, there was a man with a hand truck. Yes, he had a hand truck and he had it full of boxes and assorted other stuff all secured with bungee cords. He had parked himself in front of the back door, and I took a seat near the front to avoid the scene.

He got off at Malden station where the Boston Now hawker was not so much singing today as he was shooting Boston Now bullets at people as they walked by.

• Boston Now!
  
• Boston Now!
  
• Boston Now!
  

I think he was phoning it in today.

The Orange Line was delay free. Peeps, we should rejoice.

Clear Skies and Crisp Air

Bus Departure Time: 7:02
Bus Arrival Time: 7:16
T Departure Time: 7:20
T Arrival Time: 7:42
Weather as I call it: Sunny, dry air, and cool...do I feel a hint of autumn? No. Slap that wrist for even mentioning it.
Level of commute annoyance (scale of 1 to 10): 2
Feared for my life: Nope

------------------------------

Sunny morning...the sky is clear and blue and the muggy air has jettisoned out of here.

The bus stop was filled with people I had never seen before. Some wearing cowboy hats, no joke. Other stops were jammed packed with people as well and we stopped picking up people 5 stops before the end.

The Orange Line had my favorite conductor announcing the stops. When we had to standby, she explained the reason in her soft tones was "due to traffic up ahead". She made the delay acceptable...somehow.

I am off tomorrow...so I will type to you on Monday.

Best Wishes From The Conductor

Bus Departure Time: 7:02
Bus Arrival Time: 7:16
T Departure Time: 7:19
T Arrival Time: 7:42
Weather as I call it: Light rain, heavier as I got closer to work.
Level of commute annoyance (scale of 1 to 10): 2
Feared for my life: No

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So, Bonds broke the career home run record last night. I didn't see it, but Mike and I talked about it and how it wasn't really the big deal it should have been.

As the rain got heavier, the slower the ride became. We came to complete, unscheduled stops a few times before we headed into North Station.

Lately, I have had the pleasure of riding on the same Orange Line train with this one conductor. She does a good job of announcing stops and connections, reminds people to pick up their newspapers before they leave the train, and sends out constant best wishes of a good day to all who are listening.

So maybe, just maybe, we will all have a good day today even if the weather isn't cooperating.

Take Your Time With Charlie

Bus Departure Time: 7:08
Bus Arrival Time: 7:23
T Departure Time: 7:25
T Arrival Time: 7:46
Weather as I call it: Misty. Some fog, but humid.
Level of commute annoyance (scale of 1 to 10): 3
Feared for my life: No

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Man, the bus was late today. I pumped up the level of annoyance because of it.

When we got to the T station, there was an MBTA attendant shouting at people to slow down. I didn't see much of the reasons why she was yelling, but I could hear the buzzing sounds of some kind of gate error as I rounded the bend.

From what I could tell, people were trying and retrying to insert their Charlie Tickets into the gate slot so many times and so quickly that it was causing problems, hence the rather loud instructions from the attendant.

When I got to the gate, I thanked her for the tip and took my time. My Charlie Card works just fine, for the most part. I keep it in my wallet and the only time I have trouble with the scanner not reading my card is when I have a large amount of other stuff in there blocking it.

Usually, it's receipts. (No, nothing good like cash or gold or magic beans)

I saw a woman on the Orange Line give up her seat to a man with a cane. He was relucant at first but he took it and thank her kindly. More good stuff.

Please Take Your Belongings

Bus Departure Time: 7:02
Bus Arrival Time: 7:16
T Departure Time: 7:19
T Arrival Time: 7:41
Weather as I call it: Mostly cloudy. Cooler. Probably in the 60s
Level of commute annoyance (scale of 1 to 10): 2
Feared for my life: Nope

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Mike was back on the commute. He was gone on vacation last week and it was good to catch up with him. The bus was running well. Most of the stops had 4 or 5 people at them, but right before the end of the ride we got slammed with a stop that had 15 or so. We all had to squeeze together but we were able to accomodate.

When I got to Malden Center, the Orange Line was departing. The next one came pretty quickly so there weren't a lot of people waiting.

I got on the train and there was a seat that both a Metro and a Now on it. I took both of the papers, folded them up, and put them on the floor. I stepped on them so they wouldn't go anywhere.

I guess I hate that feeling when someone encounters a seat next to you that has newspapers on it, and gives you a look like, "Did you leave these papers here?"

So, I took them off the seat and when I got to my stop I picked them up along with the news articles I was reading and threw them in the recycling bin.

No weird feeling and I recycled. Good times.

It's Trending Nicely

Bus Departure Time: 7:05
Bus Arrival Time: 7:20
T Departure Time: 7:24
T Arrival Time: 7:45
Weather as I call it: Sunny and muggy
Level of commute annoyance (scale of 1 to 10): 2.5
Feared for my life: No

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Alone at the bus stop again (naturally) and the bus was late today. Not a huge deal because it was Friday and there weren't a lot of people on the bus, but you'd think it would have been early because it was Friday and there weren't a lot of people on the bus. The annoyance scale went up a half point.

I am happy that the Orange Line's delay troubles have gone away. Today marks two days in a row that my ride's duration was within what I consider the normal range.

Oh no, I just jinxed it. Great.

Have a good weekend everyone.

Malden Scenes

Bus Departure Time: 7:02
Bus Arrival Time: 7:16
T Departure Time: 7:19
T Arrival Time: 7:40
Weather as I call it: Sunny and warm
Level of commute annoyance (scale of 1 to 10): 2
Feared for my life: No

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I think my neighborhood is full of different scenes and kooky characters, not including me. Today I was alone at the bus stop, so I had time to watch an older Asian couple shoot hoops in the playground across the street. The man had a good low post game, but was really trying to help his female companion. She was missing 10 foot jumpers one right after another, but he kept passing it to her until she got one. It was nice to see. I was rooting for her.

There was also an old woman walking up and down the street with a blue and green polka dot shirt with matching socks. I don't think she had any particular place to go; she had grocery bags full of stuff and she was moving from one end of the street to the other.

Bus was good. Orange Line is back to a 21 minute ride.

Sunshine Morning

Bus Departure Time: 7:03
Bus Arrival Time: 7:17
T Departure Time: 7:20
T Arrival Time: 7:42
Weather as I call it: Sunny and hot
Level of commute annoyance (scale of 1 to 10): 2
Feared for my life: No

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Was that sun hot out there or what? I think I was just surprised to see it at seven o'clock in the morning....but it felt pretty intense too.

Bus ride was good. Everybody got on without too many snags. It was as smooth as it has been this summer.

A few notes from the Orange line:

All the free papers love Eric Gagne.

There was a kid, must have been 3 years old, who was yelling very loudly when we stopped at Downtown Crossing. It was fun to see people wake up.

A woman dropped her water bottle as she was exiting at Chinatown and a young guy picked it up and handed it to her. Who says chivalry is dead?