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Great googly moogly: If there's one thing the T could do to make you forget all the other stuff ...

By adamg on Tue, 04/23/2024 - 11:35am
A hypothetical Green Line trolley with googly eyes

Artist's representation.

Supposedly, there will be a march on Monday from Park Street to the MBTA headquarters in Park Square to demand the T put large googly eyes on the fronts of its trains.

Look: the MBTA has a responsibility to improve the lives of Bostonians. If the trains can’t be reliable, at least they can be fun and bring a smile to the faces of over a million people per day. Compared to the $24 BILLION dollars it will take to fix the T, simply adding Googly eyes to trains could represent a budget of merely a few hundred dollars. Think of all of the new T riders who will come from around the globe to revel in the glory of Boston’s trains.

Organizers of the noontime march also have a more sympathetic view of the T than most of us:

Humans are an empathetic species - we want to relate to the world around us, to feel a connection to our surroundings and our public transit system. When T trains are delayed, people can at least look into the eyes of the train when it finally arrives, and feel some love and understanding in their hearts. The T doesn’t want to be late. It feels bad being late.

There is some precedent.

Via Ariloo.

Topics: 
The T


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Comments

By anon on Tue, 04/23/2024 - 11:53am.

What will happen if the Emerson Protesters block the marchers from using the public alley to gain access to Park Plaza?

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By BostonDog on Tue, 04/23/2024 - 12:03pm.

I only wish I knew sooner so I could attend the march.

Also:

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By what what now? on Tue, 04/23/2024 - 12:10pm.

but you know some jerks will vandalize them.
We can't have nice things.

By anon on Tue, 04/23/2024 - 12:18pm.

If the T becomes cute then it might get more attention and then they might be able to fund fixing it?

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By Lee on Tue, 04/23/2024 - 12:21pm.

I’ll sign.

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By anon on Tue, 04/23/2024 - 12:39pm.

Don't these people have jobs? THIS is what they think about all day? "When T trains are delayed, people can at least look into the eyes of the train when it finally arrives, and feel some love and understanding in their hearts. The T doesn’t want to be late. It feels bad being late." Really?? It boggles the mind. I guarantee you Gen Z age people are behind this. Shouldn't they be protesting at Harvard?

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By anon on Tue, 04/23/2024 - 2:29pm.

I'm right there with you!

I also hate fun and think everyone should be as miserable as I am!

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By lbb on Tue, 04/23/2024 - 2:30pm.

Do you always get this exercised about how other people spend their time, pops?

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By baustin on Tue, 04/23/2024 - 2:42pm.

I want to put googly eyes on your rage.

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By Muerl on Tue, 04/23/2024 - 9:28pm.

This line from the article seems to imply they in fact do have jobs.

Come during your lunch break. Join us.

As a Geriatric millennial it couldn't hurt. Also, Marty the Robot at Stop and Shop is way better with Googly Eyes. Think about how much worse he would be if he didn't have them.

By blues_lead on Wed, 04/24/2024 - 9:21am.

Surely must be Gen Z. Millenials never had weird protests. Gex X? Nothing they ever did was weird. And Boomers?? Famously never had a weird protest, am I right?

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By noahproblem on Tue, 04/23/2024 - 2:24pm.

...my eyes will be rolling too, just not in a happy way...

By Irma la Douce on Tue, 04/23/2024 - 2:28pm.

… shouldn’t the face also have a smile?

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By lbb on Tue, 04/23/2024 - 2:30pm.

...should it?

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By necturus on Tue, 04/23/2024 - 2:46pm.

Today is Tuesday. I hate it when journalists use days of the week instead of "today", "tomorrow", or "April 30", because "Tuesday" is ambiguous. There's one every week.

By Sources Say on Tue, 04/23/2024 - 3:07pm.

The link actually takes you to an event - March for Googly Eyes on the T - scheduled for Monday 4/29.

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By adamg on Tue, 04/23/2024 - 4:17pm.

Fixed. I obviously can't read.

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By noahproblem on Tue, 04/23/2024 - 5:50pm.

You can't trust that day...

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By anon on Tue, 04/23/2024 - 3:40pm.

Now that's fine financial stewardship.

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By Whirlz on Tue, 04/23/2024 - 9:17pm.

A cause I can unequivocally support.
We ride at dawn!

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By Romeo Jones on Wed, 04/24/2024 - 8:22am.

approves

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By anon on Wed, 04/24/2024 - 9:46am.

Low speed still in place along the 21 mile, very busy and crowded, red line? 2 years and counting. Pathetic. There should be criminal investigations into how this was allowed to happen by state and feds.

And a greater police presence. It's not a joke. Maybe with exception of the C line which is sparsely used compared to pre-covid, and goes through some of the most expensive real estate in the country

By Rofojo on Wed, 04/24/2024 - 9:53am.

How about adding a tongue at the bottom? If it would work.

By Tim Mc. on Wed, 04/24/2024 - 7:21pm.

to study the problem.

By Alice on Wed, 04/24/2024 - 12:22pm.

Mabel Hunt Slater, a Boston philanthropist, musician, and inventor, patented the first Googly eye in 1924. I think it’s a wonderful idea for the city to honor her by installing Googly eyes on its trains. She was also the first woman on the board of MGH. (U. S. Patent 1,535,796)

By Tim Mc. on Wed, 04/24/2024 - 7:21pm.

the second one?