The T

The MBTA continues to run trains to try to keep the tracks clear. Here's the view from out the front of an Orange Line snow train.

Transit Police report arresting a guy who donned one of those bright orange vests T workers often wear in an attempt to evade paying to get on the Orange Line at Back Bay.

Fire in the machine room at Forest Hills tonight, which led to lengthy delays.

First there were signal problems at Harvard. Now, "severe delays in service due to a track problem," specifically, a cracked rail near Central, are creating hordes of refugees. Mamajoan reports from Porter Square:

Commuters exiting Porter like rats from sinking ship. Buses crammed full, driver waving people on without paying.

Amy Lynne Grzybinski adds:

I've been on the train from Porter for 30 minutes and haven't left Kendall yet. HAHAHA

This is the first time a rail has cracked on the Red Line in almost three weeks.

The MBTA's starting a new ad campaign to try to get people to be less litterbuggy, less crabby to T workers, less piggy with seats and less elephanty in terms of spraying mucus on fellow passengers. See 'em all by downloading the attached file, and ponder the real reason Charlie never returned - he was eaten by giant cockroaches.

This is the first time the campaign has used such a light, humor-based tone to get these important messages across. Using the voice of various animals related to the reminder they're trying to make is done in order to make riders smile while reinforcing public transit etiquette.

"Riding the T every day, I know how important it is to be respectful and kind to fellow passengers as well as operators," said MBTA General Manager Dr. Beverly Scott. "Sometimes we need to be reminded of the basics and hopefully it will make everyone's commute a more pleasant one."

They should get Legal Seafood to underwrite this ad.

This morning, we had the construction worker saved by plastic sheeting. And now comes word, via Jerzy Eisenberg Guyot, of a slippery lunchtime rescue at the Downtown Crossing T stop:

Man trapped with suitcase in Downtown Crossing MBTA turnstile, turnstile experts are on the scene with lubricant.

A few minutes later:

Luckily the turnstile support team was able to save the man, although he's now drenched in oils.

Those infected mutants blocking your way just get out of hand sometimes.

More at BostInno.

Transit Police report a man stopped for questioning at Park Street for allegedly nabbing another Green Line rider's phone turned out to be wanted on a warrant for indecent assault and battery on another MBTA train.

Upon arrival officers were met by the reporting party who stated as he was traveling on a Green Line westbound train another passenger, later identified as Dane Mullin 26 of Boston, chose to sit in between the reporting party and another female passenger despite the fact there were several other available seats. Prior to this Mullin oddly walked back and forth through the train car before taking a seat. As the train was approaching Park Street the reporting party got up from his seat and began making his way to the doors. He suddenly realized his cell phone was missing from his jacket pocket. He suspected Mullin had stolen his phone and confronted him. An MBTA employee who observed what was taking place contacted Transit Police.

Police say they did not find the other passenger's phone on Mullin, but placed him under arrest for the warrant. Mullin, a former Salem resident who now lists the Pine Street Inn as his home address, has a sex-offender record dating to when he was 17 and was convicted for grabbing a woman walking down the street in Salem.

Innocent, etc.

The Dig proposes some realistic play sets for the toy trolleys you can now buy.

As of 8:20 a.m.: Two trolleys died on the Green Line (one at Chestnut Hill Avenue, one at Park Street) and one train died on the Red Line (at Charles/MGH).

The T wonders if you can figure out where this photo was taken.

The T today turned on new digital ad screens at Harvard, in a move that could mean "millions of dollars of new advertising revenue for the MBTA in the coming years," the state Department of Transportation says.

Park Street Station, North Station and South Station will also get some of the large-screen TVs to beam ads and service info at the faces of commuters.

Harvard Station is equipped with three 70" Tri-Faced screens in a kiosk in the main atrium and five 55" Landscape Screens; one double-sided on the inbound platform and three single-sided across the track on the inbound platform.

This car.

UPDATE: An MBTA spokesman reports: "There was no damage to the tracks. No injuries. The auto was towed away, and trolley service resumed. It's unclear how this atom-splitter ended up on the Green Line tracks.

Earlier:
Woman claims GPS told her to drive on Beacon Street trolley tracks.

UPDATE: Transit Police report they have identified the woman as AnnMarie Tessier, 43, whose last known address was in Weymouth, and have obtained a warrant charging her with assault and battery and assault with a dangerous weapon. Now they have to find her.

Transit Police have released a couple of photos of the woman they say helped start a fight on an inbound Red Line train Sunday evening that ended with her companion trying to smash a man in the head with a 40-oz beer bottle as his wife and two-year-old fled the train at Broadway.

Police collaged the alleged smasher; she escaped up the escalator. If you see her, contact police at 617-222-1050 or send an anonymous tip via the MBTA SeeSay app or by texting 873873.

Transit Police report a quadruple bonus when they arrested John Monroe, 32, of Roxbury after he refused a request from an officer to stop holding open the doors of a Red Line train at Quincy Center last night:

Officers proceeded in Monroe's direction, while en route the train attendant announced via the intercom system several times "Please clear the doors". Monroe ignored these requests and continued to stand in between the doors preventing their closure. Officers approached Monroe to ascertain what his issue was and subsequently discovered Monroe had a total 4 outstanding warrants in existence for his arrest. The warrants issued from multiple courts were for several different charges.

Presumed brilliant until proven a dumbass.

A concerned citizen reports this morning he doesn't feel like he should have to buy a construction helmet just to board commuter rail at Forest Hills.

UPDATE: The T reports a maintenance crew is on its way to the station.

Transit Police report arresting a Weymouth man for the sort of crime that might make the parents of a young child think twice about ever getting on the T again.

According to police, the parents and their 2-year-old daughter boarded an inbound train at Wollaston around 6 p.m. - to the sounds of a couple across the train arguing with each other. Police say the male yeller, Joseph Pacheco, 43, of Weymouth, twice took a moment off to ask the father for a cigarette. The second time, police say, Pacheco leaned over the toddler's stroller:

The 6:30 a.m. inbound train died. As of 9 a.m., it still hadn't made it into Boston.

The MBTA Ruined My Life.

Dead trains on the Red, Green, Needham and Providence/Stoughton lines (so far) made for another interesting commute for many this morning.

UPDATE: "Significant delays" possible on the Fitchburg Line due to signal problems.

Photo by MBTA.

MBTA General Manager Beverly Scott and Assistant General Manager Michael Turcotte examine the shorted out cable that stopped the Green Line in its tracks during yesterday's morning rush hour (not to be confused with the other cable in the same location that shorted out service last night).

The date on the table presumably refers to the year subway service started in Boston, not the year the cable was installed, but one never knows.

Cat reports on an eventful ride on the Orange Line last night involving a guy who couldn't stop his singing and phone yawping and another guy who finally had enough:

at that point another guy suddenly shouted; "enough!! enough! stop it! no more barbara or whatever her name is. no more singing!! there are other people in this train. enough!" now we suddenly had a screaming person on either side of us, and i wasnt sure anymore which one was more crazy. the singing guy sort of ignored the angry guy, and just continued his loud phone conversation with the person who stepped into the train somewhere else. the angry guy did not like that, and while we were approaching our final stop, he ostentatiously (this word sounds better in dutch) took out his phone.... if possible, he was speaking even more loudly than the singing guy, reporting the above...

Elaine Almquist tweets Loud Singer Guy is a regular:

OHMIGOD! Musical-singing guy rides my bus! When I see him, I wait for the next one or walk. Very annoying.

Transit Police report they are looking for this guy for an incident around 9:45 p.m. on Dec. 16 at the Ashmont Red Line station, in which he allegedly kicked a man and then called him a homophobic slur.

Police say he's about 5'10" with a dark beard and 25-30 years old.

If you know him, contact T police at 617-222-1050 or send an anonymous tip via the SeeSay app or by text to 873873.

Yesterday's troublesome Green Line junction box, covered in foam. Photo by BFD.

No cable fires (so far) on the Green Line this morning, but delays caused by dying trolleys. Meanwhile, on the Red Line, one train, and its riders, wheezed into South Station around 6:45 a.m. Fatty tweets:

My train smells like it's on fire. ...

My train WAS on fire. It is no longer my train. We are in a smoke cloud at South Station because the brakes have been on since Dorchester.

I'm going to start slow chanting "refund" as soon as the smoke clears and I can breathe again.

Another "power problem" between Arlington and Copley tonight - yes, cables are burning - and riders are finding themselves stranded. Emily Munroe tweeted shortly after 9:50:

Just got kicked off Bgreen line before Kenmore and was told there are no shuttles.