No Commuter Left Behind

Let’s just start this out with a little PSA. If you are traveling on the T between the hours of 6-8 in the morning or 4-7 in the evening, then put the book away. I love literature as much as the next person, but you and your Kafka are taking up, like, two people’s worth of space during rush hour. ‘Nuff Said.

Do you see room for a book in here?

It had been a while since I’d been on the T, but I had a meeting in Cambridge so the car got dumped in Wellington, I sat on the orange line, I sat on the red line, I dodged that random guy who stands in Downtown Crossing hissing at people, and before you know it I’d landed.

The ride back was not so smooth. I would first like to bring up this ‘view from inside Boston’ which states that the MBTA is ranked third in the U.S. for transit systems. My heart goes out to those poor souls in Portland. This was also published on the same day, by the way, that anyone going to Alewife was bound to see a twelve minute ride turn into a two hour one.

But anyway, as it was rush hour, I figured it would be the perfect time to head home. And so I and about a billion of my closest friends rushed on board and we took off… For about one stop. The train came to a grinding halt, the doors opened, people left, more crammed on, and we waited. And waited. And waited.

The announcer came on and announced quite impressively, “Therrrrrre’s a train crossing ahead of us aaaaand it’ll be just a few more minutes before we take off. I’ll leave the doors open” A few minutes later and he came back on, “Aaaas I said before just a few more minutes, and the doors are open for anyone else who wants to jump on.” At that point I was in the mood to shove a few people off. Some greedy bitch decided to use her body as a shield between me and two other people and the train pole you grab onto. Finally the guy came back on for yet another update, “And we just got word that that other train has move past us.” Good, we can move. “I’ll just leave these doors open a moment longer so everyone can get on.” So who can get on? Who the hell hasn’t gotten on?  And then he let out in one last cry, “WE won’t leave anyone behind!!!” Oh dear. No I believe everyone and their mother is on this train.

The doors finally closed and I was left to train surf my way back to the orange line along with all others excluded from the train pole.