MBTA Rants

So what is it about the T that seems to attract a certain level of the “mentally questionable”, in particular the class we’ll call the “Self Talkers” – you know, the ones that seem to be having a fairly decent conversation, except there is no one at the other end of the conversation? Yesterday on the commuter train I had a woman behind me that I thought was on the phone – I wasn’t really listening in, but I could occasionally hear names being mentioned, and what sounded like little descriptions about them, like “she wore wire-rimmed glasses”. I first noticed that it wasn’t a typical conversation when she started repeating herself – the same things I had heard earlier. Then, as we were approaching the final stop, her conversation got even weirder – talking about how “you are a scumbag” and such, and then she got to really swearing as if she were complaining about some real major dirtbag rapist or something. As it got worse, it also got louder such that other people on the train started noticing it, except for the woman next to me fortunate enough to be wearing a headset (alas, my iPod was out of power). Everyone just kind of silently but quickly left the train…

Now I’ve seen the Self Talkers on the subway lines, but this is the first on the Commuter Rail…

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Here is just a list of some pet peeves I have riding the T. There will be more, I’m sure of it…

1. If you are as wide as the doors to the train, try to avoid standing in front of them when people need to get out. And DON’T get all huffy and shit when people ask you to move out of the way so they can get off.
2. Don’t push your way through like you’re extremely late and might not make it off the train, only so you can stand in the doorway for the NEXT stop.
3. Don’t be the first person off the train, walk like you have purpose towards the exit, then come to a complete stop like you are second-guessing yourself, blocking everybody else who knows where they are going.
4. On the commuter trains, don’t walk all the way up the aisle, stop, then turn around and try to go back through all the other people behind you. Take a damned seat! And watch those backs/backpacks/whatever! You are likely to hit someone in the head with a quick turnaround!
5. Again on the commuter trains, give your kids a watch and tell them when the train will arrive at your destination. It will preempt all the “Are we there yet?” crap that goes on mile after mile.
6. It’s amazing how many people gravitate to the back of the southbound Orange Line trains, while the forward cars have plenty of room. Come on – the walk will do you good.

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Working in Downtown Boston doesn’t offer a lot of travel options. You can pay what would be a fair fraction of rent on a decent apartment anywhere else for a parking space (and the hassle of actually driving in Boston), or you take the MBTA. Since I live a fair distance west of Boston, the commute for me includes the Commuter Rail. Read on for some details and rantings. Continue reading →

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