The T

Charlie on the Commuter Rail notices that rather than fix the steps down to the commuter-rail platform, the T has instead installed a weird-looking cable.

Just before 8 this morning, I passed MBTA bus 0435 on southbound Main Street in Wakefield. The bus was sitting on the side of the road with the engine compartment open. There were two T mechanics and a supervisor on scene.

Assuming the bus had been in service when it broke down, it was apparent that whatever riders were on it had already been transferred to another bus, as there were no other people milling around.

UPDATE - Bus was in service when it broke down. From the T Web page:

Route 137 experiencing 15-20 min delays due to disabled bus 10/2/2009 7:31 AM
Read more

Madfilkentist reports that due to some "suspect" track in the Concord area, his evening commute this week has been 30 minutes longer. On the plus side, he adds:

The good news is that in early October the Fitchburg line offers passengers a very scenic view, especially in the area of the Concord River and Walden Pond. ...

Kalunlee posts a photo of three Silver Line buses in the wild, all bunched together in a convoy; adds:

This is a typical occurrence-30+ min waiting & then 3 buses blow by.

Ed. note: It's hard to break them of this natural habit, which protects them in the wild from roaming packs of busiraptors.

Etana tweets:

The Red Line stopped tween Davis & Porter: suddenly a dragon was heard puffing and snorting. Oh mighty mbta, standing off until it fled!

Dead trolley at Boylston causing problems.

As Pat Goss puts it:

Looks like the green line switch invaded the red line and won!

Meanwhile, MBTA Transit Police Service Area 2 assures us:

No fire at Kendall MBTA. Red Line Dispatcher reports train was creating sparks that caused small smoke condition. Should be clear shortly.

Channel 25 reports cops were handing out fliers at Alewife this morning following a rash of break-ins at MBTA parking lots and bike cages:

Either develop the best online or downloadable application for making the MBTA easier to navigate or build the best visualization of "a day in the life of the T" using data on CharlieCard usage. Sponsored by the Massachusetts Executive Office of Transportation. Details.

Dave Bonner tweets another donut stand at the Oak Grove T stop has closed:

... sign said business was too slow. ...

MassCops is a site where Massachusetts police officers exchange advice and stories. But it also has an Ask a Cop forum, where members of the public can ask about police work.

Word of advice: If you're a skater dude asking if an MBTA "train cop" has the right to tell you and your buddy to stop skating at the Lakeville/Middleboro commuter-rail station late at night or face arrest, you might want to think first before supplying specific info, such as the exact date and time this happened. Because one of the respondents just might be the cop who told you to scram, and he might fill in some of the details you left out of your original post.

Local 718 tweets: Accident on the Red Line this morning. Rescue crews had to deploy air bags to move the train enough to get the victim out.

The Globe reports her injuries were considered non-serious.

Sheesh, some people are just so picky. It's not like there's ever anything that could go wrong that would require human intervention.

He manages to take up a seat without even sitting in it - or next to it.

No more envious sighs when the subject of the Alewife cage comes up, Boston Biker reports. The new storage room opens Sept. 29, with room for up to 100 bikes.

So 20-25 minute delays between Harvard and Park Street, the T says.

Or longer, Dan Dunn says:

After 15 minutes of "moving shortly" announcments now says "in 20 minutes". Stuck at Porter.

Two disabled trains on the Red Line, though? Jesanut wonders:

Why is there a disabled train at Broadway? MBTA, why??

$2.8-billion project cut from state wish list, Wicked Local Cambridge reports.

Also gone forever: The long-fabled Blue Line extension to Lynn, our own Arborway reports.

On the plus side: The Silver Line is still going to become an even longer bus route.

If you guessed the Green Line at Government Center, you're right! Johnny, tell them what they've won!

An extended stay at the Green Line station of their choice!

It's a faceoff! CT3 bus driver vs. SUV driver at W. Concord Street and Harrison Avenue in the South End.

Jason Laramie, who took the photo around 9:47 this morning, reports the two have been facing off like that for 10 minutes, blocking traffic (including him) all the way back to Mass. Ave.

Sean Haire captured the scene this morning at the Reservoir T stop.

Ben Ostrander tweets that around 7:40 this morning:

Saw a tourist with a crappy point & shoot stopped by T employee at Back Bay & told she couldn't do that.

As Ostrander notes, that fall under the category of "Not True." The MBTA's posted photo policy says non-commercial photography is OK - the main limitations are you can't use a flash or tripod and you have to provide ID if requested by a T cop or official.

Around 9:20, Brian Smith tweeted he'd been at Community College for 30 minutes with no sign of an Orange Line train. Blame police action at Malden.

Around 10, Phil R. tweeted he had to wait 30 minutes for a D trolley at Government Center (while 4 Bs, 5 Cs and 3 Es came and went). Blame the Green Line being the Green Line?

The T reports a disabled trolley in "the Boylston area."

Eliop68 tweets he hasn't seen a single train in either direction in 10 minutes at Government Center.

Sad but true: After last week's Orange Line fire, caused by somebody throwing trash on the third rail (not to be confused with the simultaneous Red Line fire caused by old wiring), the MBTA plans a public-education campaign to get people to use trash receptacles instead of the tracks.

Boston Commissioner Roderick Fraser will record one of those public-service announcements today at the T's subway command center, reminding people that the T put those trash and recycling bins in stations for a reason. In addition:

While MBTA train crews are already required to report trash build-up along the tracks, the MBTA is issuing a reminder to all subway employees about the importance of notifying dispatchers so that a clean-up crew will be deployed. The MBTA is also tightening the protocols for trash pick-up by the MBTA track inspectors who work the overnight shifts while trains are not operating.