Whenever the MBTA is that late, I get really worried about the elderly. I remember standing at Sullivan Square for a good (in some peculiar sense of "good") hour and a half waiting for a train to come on a viciously cold day. I was fine, but all the old people were presumably not. When the MBTA messes up like this, it goes beyond mere inconvenience; it's a health hazard. They should be subject to lawsuits when they make that kind of mistake.
Yes, its winter. Yes, it gets cold. Most people prepare for this. The MBTA/MBCR should be prepared for winter too. Just because they can't keep their trains repaired and their signals uncrossed, doesn't mean they are not to blaim for forcing passengers to wait on freezing platforms for an hour or more. Worse yet is boarding a packed train that has no heat or lights. As was the case for me this morning. My toes still have not recovered. Elderly or not, having to stand outside in 4 below for an hour is not fun, and the MBCR is to blame. Face it.
This was on the Rockport line. The sign board at Salem Depot announced that two trains (one out of Rockport, the other out of Boston) had been cancelled, another train was running 30+ minutes late, and that there were signal problems causing 20 minute delays in general.
I'm not necessarily saying that frostbite is grounds for a lawsuit. But what if something worse happened? What if someone died or required hospitalization after waiting an hour on an MBTA platform in freezing weather conditions?
I'm sure there's a well-established case law about when something counts as negligence, and when an organization is liable for injuries or deaths conducted because of its failure to do its job as advertised. Surely there are certain standards that "reasonable people" expect the MBTA to adhere to. I can't testify to the MBTA's adherence to these standards; you may be right that the Ride program absolves them of responsibility. And I'm also sure that judges know far more about the case law than I do.
I'm asking the following sort of question. Suppose that the MBTA could save one elderly life every ten years by putting in some protection against the elements at Sullivan Square. Would it be worth it? If someone died because Sullivan is totally exposed, wouldn't we be obligated to say, "The MBTA should have done better"?
Um ... maybe because it has 1) been getting cold like this every year and 2) the T has had the SAME PROBLEMS for at least 20 years and HAS NOT FIXED THEM?
I remember one winter in the early 90s when a friend and I printed up "red line sleeper service" flyers and handed them out at Alewife. "Board by 9pm, grab a berth, and you might actually make it to Park Street by 7am!"
up
Voting closed 0
Support Universal Hub
Help keep Universal Hub going. If you like what we're up to and want to help out, please consider a (completely non-deductible) contribution.
Comments
Whenever the MBTA is that
Whenever the MBTA is that late, I get really worried about the elderly. I remember standing at Sullivan Square for a good (in some peculiar sense of "good") hour and a half waiting for a train to come on a viciously cold day. I was fine, but all the old people were presumably not. When the MBTA messes up like this, it goes beyond mere inconvenience; it's a health hazard. They should be subject to lawsuits when they make that kind of mistake.
*shaking head*
Lawsuits??? Its f-ing cold outside!! You cannot sue for that!!! Guess what... it also gets really hot in the summer!
If you do have an elderly or disabled family member who is susceptible to extreme weather, the T offers the Ride program.
http://mbta.com/riding_the_t/accessible_services/?...
Frostbite
Yes, its winter. Yes, it gets cold. Most people prepare for this. The MBTA/MBCR should be prepared for winter too. Just because they can't keep their trains repaired and their signals uncrossed, doesn't mean they are not to blaim for forcing passengers to wait on freezing platforms for an hour or more. Worse yet is boarding a packed train that has no heat or lights. As was the case for me this morning. My toes still have not recovered. Elderly or not, having to stand outside in 4 below for an hour is not fun, and the MBCR is to blame. Face it.
What line was this?
And: Yeesh, that sucks!
And isn't this the appropriate place for a link
back to the Patriot Ledger article about the 75 year old MBTA electrical engineer and her colleagues who work maybe 5 hours per month?
Here is something in the way of preventive maintenance or system enhancements they could work on!
Voila! Two problems solved.
T pays some to sit and do
T pays some to sit and do little
This was on the Rockport
This was on the Rockport line. The sign board at Salem Depot announced that two trains (one out of Rockport, the other out of Boston) had been cancelled, another train was running 30+ minutes late, and that there were signal problems causing 20 minute delays in general.
Yes, they are to blame
But what basis is there to sue? I can't understand how that can be a lawsuit.
I'm not necessarily saying
I'm not necessarily saying that frostbite is grounds for a lawsuit. But what if something worse happened? What if someone died or required hospitalization after waiting an hour on an MBTA platform in freezing weather conditions?
I'm sure there's a
I'm sure there's a well-established case law about when something counts as negligence, and when an organization is liable for injuries or deaths conducted because of its failure to do its job as advertised. Surely there are certain standards that "reasonable people" expect the MBTA to adhere to. I can't testify to the MBTA's adherence to these standards; you may be right that the Ride program absolves them of responsibility. And I'm also sure that judges know far more about the case law than I do.
I'm asking the following sort of question. Suppose that the MBTA could save one elderly life every ten years by putting in some protection against the elements at Sullivan Square. Would it be worth it? If someone died because Sullivan is totally exposed, wouldn't we be obligated to say, "The MBTA should have done better"?
Flagrant Incompetence and Failure of Service Promised?
Um ... maybe because it has 1) been getting cold like this every year and 2) the T has had the SAME PROBLEMS for at least 20 years and HAS NOT FIXED THEM?
I remember one winter in the early 90s when a friend and I printed up "red line sleeper service" flyers and handed them out at Alewife. "Board by 9pm, grab a berth, and you might actually make it to Park Street by 7am!"