On a related note, around 6:30 this evening, standing at South Station waiting for the alewife bound train, the fire alarm started wailing. It wailed for a good 7 minutes and I watched in subtle awe at the fact that no one budged an inch. People looked bored or even a little annoyed, but no one moved to check if the alarm was real or false. False was the default assumption.

It had trouble (making noise etc.) as soon as it left Harvard Sq, but kept on going, getting progressively slower and slower. she said it felt like an hour until it finally got to Central Sq. (prob about 40 minutes, though). At that point, they were told to disembark. They were next told a subsequent train would rescue them. But by this point, the disabled train was generating LOTS of smoke (apparently a brake-related fire).

So, they were told to go upstairs to wait for shuttle buses -- which were not there and did not arrive any time soon. The crowds waiting for non-existent shuyttle buses just kept growing. Eventually, a 47 bus appeared (the only one around during the course of 20 or more minutes) -- and my wife (who has all these things memorized, unlike me) got on -- knowing it would eventually get to Ruggles (on the Orange Line). She says the driver of this bus should get a medal. He made certain to fill the bus up with people who could benefit from it (helpfully and cheerfully quizzing would-be passengers as to their ultimate destinations).