T headaches - A commuter's journal - February 8, 2010
Every week there are headaches with the T. My guess is that the trains are old and constantly having problems and we don't have the money to replace them. But understanding does not make the commuting experience any less miserable. I am so sick of having to explain that I'm late for work because of a disabled train, etc. So I plan to post a commuter's journal here when there are problems.
Today, Monday, Feb 8, 2010 (between 7:30 and 8am) - The inbound Red Line train I was on stopped for about 15 - 20 minutes before the announcement came on telling us that the train was disabled. This was right before JFK Station. Nice of them to finally inform us after waiting there so long. We were also told the train was stopping at JFK and had to empty out "But don't worry, there are other trains behind us."
We all get off at JFK in the freezing cold and wait for this train to get out of the way, and for the next one to come. The next one is full. Not many people can get on.
Finally get on the next one. Time wasted = at least half an hour.
Then I get off at the Kendall stop and the buses are held up because there are police cars blocking off streets in Cambridge (was there an accident? - how would you know? - no one ever posts about these things. Went on boston.com hoping for some "breaking news" and there was nothing.)
Ever have one of those mornings when everything seems to be telling you that you should have stayed home?
-Leon S.
Comments
Kendall Sq police action
I got off the red line in Kendall about 9am this morning. As I walked the couple of blocks to my office, I saw the police out with a couple of squad cars and an ambulance lined up on the inbound side of Broadway right by the Marriott hotel, at Third St. As I waited to cross Broadway, I saw them loading someone onto the ambulance, but I wasn't able to figure out what the problem was; there was no obvious evidence of an accident on the streets.
But it was clearly snarling up traffic; west-bound cars were backed up well onto the Longfellow Bridge.
Right as I got to my office, the ambulance sped past over the bridge to Boston, so I can only assume things cleared up after that.
I take the train to work
I take the train to work every weekday. I get to Green Street station on the Orange line at between 8:05 and 8:10 and make it to Central Square at 8:45. I have been late for work two times due to the trains in about 6 years. Are there really people who take the orange and red lines who are regularly late for work because of the T?
Whit
trains to work
Only late two times in six years? Are you sure you're taking trains in BOSTON?? It's not every day. But a lot more than it should be. Maybe a few times a week at least. Switching problems, disabled trains, traffic, whatever else they come up with. It gets tiresom.
You want proof? Get those T alert emails. Delays every single day.
There are delays of 5 or 10
There are delays of 5 or 10 minutes regularly, but I still make it to work right before 9 AM. I am not saying there isn't room for improvement on the orange and red lines. I would like to see conductors who appear to care more about their jobs, I would like to see T workers who are not lounging around or averting their eyes from customers, I would like to have trains that run with more precision. But ultimately I think that exaggerating the problems the T has--like claiming that you will be late for work on a weekly basis--encourages people not to use the T. In the coming years the T in Boston and every other major city is going to HAVE TO provide better public transportation or face economic failure--unless we invent cars that run on fairy pee and fly in the air. This will be delayed for as long as possible and the fewer riders there are, the less likely we are to have improvements and expansion before I die.
Whit
Many of the people I work with, including my current boss, live
on the South Shore and commute via the Red Line daily. When things go wrong on their trips, I usually hear about it. And over the past couple of years, the instances of bad commutes they've reported to me are INDEED getting more and more frequent.
For the record, I live north of Boston and normally commute via the Reading/Haverhill commuter rail and the Green Line on a daily basis (although if the Green Line gets really bad, I'll use the Orange instead). I've never claimed to have a perfect commute, but on an average day it's far better than what my South Shore colleagues face.
I think Whit works for the T.
I think Whit works for the T. LOL
Hard to imagine but..
I seem to have much more luck than most on this site. I take the 87 to Davis, the Red Line to Central, and then the 47 to work. The 87 is extremely reliable in the morning, a bit less in the evening. The Red Line is usually working on my section of track at least. It seems a lot of the issues revolve around commuter rail, the green line, and other sections of the Red Line.
Tuesday - Feb. 9th -
Tuesday - Feb. 9th - everything went fairly smooth today. So no, it's not an everyday occurence. And no, I'm not trying to discourage anyone from using the T. Just make sure to give yourself extra time in the mornings.
I just think there are way too many disabled trains and switchgear problems than there should be, and things need to be improved before they get worse. People rely on these trains - and we should get better service. Right now, we're not getting our money's worth.
~Leon