23 November 2004 (Tuesday)
i hate the mbta
Nope, no catchy entry title this time. Just directly to the point: I loathe, despise, detest, hate, and in all other possible ways do not like the public transportation service in the Boston metro area.
This morning I waited outside for about 25 minutes for a Green Line train (*ahem* trolley). They're supposed to run every six minutes during rush hour. When one finally showed up, it was (of course) packed to overflowing. Since I could see another one a block behind it, I decided not to wedge myself into the overfilled car. Got onto that one without incident, but of course it ran very slowly because the first train was right in front of it, making all stops. Why the MBTA couldn't have ordered this first train to go express (since there was barely room for people to get on it anyway) so as to get those people to work faster and free up track space for us, I have no idea.
The second one was completely packed, too, just in case you thought I at least had the benefit of a comfortable ride.
My train was rerouted, making Park Street its last stop. This is one stop short of where I need to get off for my shuttle bus, and the distance between those stops is long enough that it doesn't make sense to just walk instead of waiting for the next train. Luckily enough, there was a train going that way right across the platform. The doors of the first car were open, but that car was already quite full. Second car? Doors firmly shut. "Driver, can you open the doors please?" "No."
No? What, are you afraid of disturbing the seven people sitting comfortably among the empty seats? The closed car sat there, mocking us, for nearly five minutes before the front-loaded two-car train pulled away. In the meantime, an MBTA employee had the chutzpah to walk through the crowd promising us that there was aanother train "right behind this one." Well, what the hell is wrong with this one?
Finally got on another train. Got to Government Center. Spent far too long on the shuttle bus getting to Cambridge.
Hate the MBTA. Hate.
report it: www.badtransit.com.
If you have to get to Cambridge, why not change to RED line at Park then cath the appropriate bus out of Harvard Square?
(keep in mind I haven't lived in Boston in over 21 years, so forgive the potential ignorance - some thigs do change, I suppose).
Harvard Square as an end point would be entirely the wrong part of Cambridge. Taking the T to Park Street and then to Harvard Square, followed by the #69 bus to Lechmere, would take far, far longer than just taking the T to Government Center and taking the shuttle bus from there. It would also cost more, since a Combo T-pass is about 75% more expensive than a Sunway-only T-pass.
Also, I don't work in Cambridge anymore. :)
