I’m sick of the snow.
I’m sick of walking in it. I’m sick of dressing for it. I’m sick of talking about how much of it there is. I’m sick of feeling bad for public school kids who could lose their April vacations because of it. Strangely, I’m not sick of cleaning off my car, but that’s probably because I live in a totally walkable city that also has public transportation.
I’ve got some theories about Blizzard of ’78 post-traumatic stress disorder — specifically, that if you were an adult in ’78 and were snowed in somewhere is directly proportional to the number of phone calls you make to people who weren’t around in ’78 to warn them of an impending storm and the needs for bread, milk, and eggs. I’m looking at you, Harvey Leonard. (And my mother. Seriously, I live right next to a convenience store and a Starbucks. I won’t perish in a snowstorm just because I have an empty fridge.)
2011 isn’t about that one big storm, though. At least, not yet. Or at all. I hope. 2011 is the year of the never-ending storms, one after another, that make it impossible to ever REALLY clear your driveway or plow your street or wear normal shoes to work instead of snowboots.
For Boston commuters, though, 2011 is the year that they finally lost patience with the MBTA.
Full disclosure: I don’t have to take the T to work — I live one mile from my office. But I’ve been on Twitter. I hear (read) your cries. Every morning, it’s the same darn thing. Your bus is late. Your train is delayed. Your train is stuck. There’s a fire at DTX. You’re late for work. Again.
It’s frustrating, I’m sure. I’m not going to defend the MBTA here, beyond pointing out that 1) it isn’t JUST the MBTA getting messed up — when you were getting bused from Riverside to Kenmore last week, the MetroNorth was cancelled or stuck with open doors; 2) Richard Davey’s team has some serious twitter skills; and 3) Davey said “I’m sorry,” which was cool of him. But enough defending.
Instead, I want to try to be a little more positive. What do we LOVE about the MBTA?
Here; I’ll start.
I love the view from Charles/MGH to Kendall.
I love that the Silver Line is a line, and not a bus route, even though it’s a bus.
I love explaining Inbound/Outbound to out-of-towners.
I have a friend who loves the voice of the woman on the Blue Line who does her announcements with a “gooood morning” in a Maine-like accent.
I love when Paul Pierce tells me courtesy counts (and that’s the truth).
None of this made your commutes any less frustrating, but I just wanted to acknowledge that it isn’t all bad. Just mostly bad. What do you love about the T? What’s your favorite T station, for either the location and the station itself? Who is your favorite personali-T*? Tell us in the comments, tweet at us, share it on Facebook. We want to hear from you!
*Stole that from a friend; it could mean bus driver, train conductor, T stop regular, or celeb spokesperson. Whatever works for you!
I’ll start… I think all the T hate is way overblown. Does anybody think the T WANTS to be late? No. They’re doing the best they can with the resources they have. It’s been a historically difficult snow season. Frankly, I think the blizzard of 1978 would have been easier for them to deal with than this. All they’d have to do is shut down for a few days and reopen when ready. This is far harder. Cut ‘em some slack, people. Work will understand if you get there at 9:21am instead of 9:00am.
As for the good, who doesn’t love the refurbished grand entrance to the Copley T at the BPL? Also, was in the Back Bay T station the other day… how great is the new video screens displaying exactly where all the trains on the Orange Line are at any given time? I saw foreign visitors (pretty sure they were German) snapping pictures of it they were so impressed.
Great post by Meg today. Time to have a little sense of perspective people.
Once a mother always a mother…wanting to make sure their kids have food in the house for a storm…the Blizzard of 78 may someday return!
Thanks, mom! (I’m still considering this evidence of a post-traumatic snow disorder.)
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Adam Gaffin, ONEin3 Boston, Meg, Michael Ratty, Heard on the MBTA and others. Heard on the MBTA said: RT @mreils: @universalhub @heardonthembta After this winter, does anyone else still love the T? http://bit.ly/gkKDDa [...]
What is so frustrating for those of us who DO take the T is that feeling of helplessness. If the train is late or delayed, if a bridge is stuck open, if buses are in a stand off on a snowy street (all things that have happened within the last week) there is nothing you can do. You can have done everything right - checked NextBus, checked alerts, left early - and you’re still being punished.
In our anger and frustration, we look to someone to blame. It must be someone’s FAULT, you see. And we’re kind of right - the T should be blamed. But not the T now, the T years ago when money should have been handled differently and repairs and upgrades were small and manageable. Now the T is completely underwater financially, the money and time needed to make the necessary adaptations to a truly unexpected winter like this* are way beyond reach.
Rich Davey (@MBTAGM) tweets alerts. He responds. He goes on the morning news the day of a storm and gives the news about the T himself. There’s no spokesperson - when the T breaks down and the cameras are there, so is Davey.
So what I love about the T is that it’s trying. Davey is trying, when everyone else has just about given up. He takes our abuse and blame during every commute, even on the days when we wouldn’t have been any better off if we’d driven ourselves. And even when I’m late and angry, I’m still safe and I don’t have to try to park my car in a snow bank. Keep on trying, and I’ll keep riding (because I don’t have any other way to get to work.)
having lived in the south all my life, this is the most snow i’ve seen in my life. Also, i learned about a “snow rake” this week… also i’m probably the only one who still checks to see if there are delays/cancellations every time there is snow.
Great post! I agree 100% and hope there is no more snow.
I love how cheerful the 501 drivers are even when passengers are grumpy. I love that they’ll wait for you to climb the mounds next to the sidewalks instead of driving past. I love that the people in charge occasionally apologize. I love that we can check where the buses are online (so we don’t have to wait outside very long). I love the historic exhibits at Boylston and the buskers at Central Square. I love that we don’t have a confusing pricing system like some other cities and that it includes ferries.
On a positive note… at least I don’t have to drive in this! I mean once I get on the train and its moving, I actually enjoy it. But I just get annoyed when I check the train schedule before I leave the house… it says its on time and then out of no where its delayed 20 minutes without any real communication as to why… but oh well…
I loved some of the bus drivers on the 7. There was a woman who would literally drop my at my office door in Southie whenever there weren’t many other people on the bus. I loved the man who offered me his jacket when I got on board totally soaked from a freak 5-minute downpour that lasted only as long as it took me to walk from my office door to the bus stop. And gah knows I’ll never forget the one who laughed at me when I accidentally flashed the entire bus. It’s a shitty system, but it’s certainly not filled with shitty people. Just people who love a free va-jay show.
I LOVE the T! (Riding on the Metro by Berlin playing in the background). I will have lived in every borough of this City on Thursday (moving to the DOT!) and you can get to Central Square from Cleveland Circle, from Cleveland Circle to Sullivan Square all by the bus or the T, take your pick. There is comical relief everywhere on the T or bus. My Facebook update yesterday:
There is a drunk guy on the t slurring/yelling I want it that way by the Backstreet Boys. I’m doing everything in my power not to jump up and sing along with him. Maybe after a few of whatever he had!
Honestly people, we have a great t system, so stop bitching, chill out, bring a book, put on your headphones and find the comical side of taking the T!
Omigosh, Danielle — was that guy also talking about how he wishes people on the train would talk to each other and become friends? If so, I was JUST on the red line with him last week!
I love the old school Green Line cars - the ones that are not weird split-level ranch-style cars. Specifically, I love the forward-facing, left-side, second-from-the-door onesie seat in the old-school cars, that I could always get when I used to take the entire Green Line to work. Also, I love the “High Capacity BIG RED” car on the Red Line, with no seats… mostly because it is named BIG RED. Finally, I love that Fenway is not the stop at which you should get off, if you want to go to Fenway. It helps confuse and disorient fans of the away team - it’s like the T itself is part of Red Sox Nation!
Love the post, though I don’t ALWAYS love the T
My biggest complaint about the MBTA is the disturbing lack of bar cars. I’d even compromise and take them just on the commuter rail.