So this guy from East Boston strikes up a conversation with another guy sitting on a bench in the busway at Andrew station this afternoon. He's feeling mellow, gets a joint out of his right jacket pocket, lights up and offers his newfound friend a toke.
Unfortunately for the man, the guy was an undercover Transit Police officer, assigned to anti-drug duty at the South Boston station, police report.
New fare schedule on a fare machine. Photo by MBTA.
The T began slapping new fare schedules on fare machines at South Station today, in advance of July 1's increases.
Seems that when a big convention is in town, the MBTA runs special Silver Line service to the airport straight from the convention center, rather than making people carry their bags on that long walk to the nearest Silver Line stop and crowding onto a bus there.
The Globe reports an outbound Franklin Line train hit a trespasser around 12:30 a.m. in Norwood, several hours after an inbound Acela train struck and killed a trespasser in Sharon.
MBTA Transit Police report a "trespasser" on the tracks was struck and killed by a Boston-bound Amtrak train between Mansfield and Sharon late this afternoon, and that both commuter-rail and Amtrak service is now halted as police investigate. Buses are on the way to pick up passengers, MBCR says.
Zach Lanier tweets:
Currently on Amtrak #2160, sitting between Providence and Rte128. Our train hit someone crossing the tracks; fatality.
Rob Goodwin, also on the train, tweets:
I feel horrible for the Amtrak crew. I don't know how I would cope in their shoes. Having a tough enough time coping with it in mine.
Why you don't want to be on the tracks in Mansfield or Sharon:
Rush Hour Race pitted the three transportation modes in a battle to the death, um, fastest commute this morning between Davis Square and Kendall Square. LivableStreets reports bike won, followed nine minutes later by the T. The car sputtered in last.
Steve Annear reports that, yes, the bicyclist stopped for all red lights.
Last year, Jack DeManche put together an unusual resume.
Via Almondette.
MBTA Transit Police report that even after two shots of pepper spray yesterday afternoon, a Chelsea man collared for trying to steal an Orange Line rider's phones managed to flee an officer - who managed to catch up with him and finally subdue him on a commuter-rail platform with his baton.
Police say an officer on routine patrol inside Back Bay station noticed two men holding down a third just inside the fare gates to the Orange Line around 6:40 p.m. According to a police report, one told the officer the man had tried to steal his phone down on the platform but that he and another Orange Line rider grabbed the guy, later identified as Jonathan Pagan, 20, and marched him upstairs in search of police.
Police say that after hearing their stories, the officer told Pagan he was under arrest. According to his report:
MBTA Transit Police report a train on the Fairmount Line hit somebody this evening in South Bay by Massachusetts Avenue. The person died; train service was halted for about an hour as police investigated.
Jessica Orndorff tweets:
Just saw an MBTA bus in Andrew with "!*%?&$" on its display.
The state reports on a data deal with Google in which about two dozen T stops will show up on Google Maps for Android and show you some of the innards of those stations, such as where to sit and where to get an escalator. Sadly, however, the maps do not show you the locations of underwear vending machines or Dunkin' Donuts, thus ruling out the possibility of plotting the quickets route from buying underwear to grabbing a medium regulah at Back Bay.
Boston Police today found and arrested Rafael Guzman, 21, charged with spitting at a driver on a 28 bus last month.
Guzman faces charges of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon and assault and battery on a public employee. His alleged accomplice, Maurice Jones, 18, of Roxbury, was arrested three days after the incident, in which Guzman allegedly responded to requests to pay his fare by spitting at the driver after which Jones made motions as if he had a gun and cursed out the driver.
Innocent, etc.
Erin Sullivan reports from the Blue Line today:
Dude next to me on the MBTA had an iguana on his shoulder and I didn't notice until it tried TO CLIMB ON ME. There goes 10 years of my life. I fear reptiles as much as I fear birds only I SHOULD NEVER ENCOUNTER A REPTILE.
Alert New England reports somebody was stabbed in the throat by the Old State House entrance to the State Street T stop around 9 p.m. The T shut down the station to let police investigate the incident.
Christopher Baer tweeted not long after:
I saw a man holding a cloth to his throat getting into an ambulance outside State St. T station a few minutes ago.
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