I always go that way coming back from Suffolk Downs. I hope everybody goes this way and sticks it up Beacon Hill's ass. Can't pay for pork when the income is $0, you shitheads.
This would be a nice consolation "fuck you" to the state after the idiot voters rejected #1.
After watching 70% of people in this State vote to KEEP paying taxes nothing that the Government does will surprise me.
It is too bad that people here are apparently too weak minded to actually see how much of those tax dollars are completely wasted... Now they will just raise the cost of everything and laugh at the voters of this state as just being a bunch of suckers.
Look, as someone who lives west of downtown, inside 128 and travels to the airport a lot, I stand to be hit if not hardest by this, very close to hardest.
But here is the bottom line. The Commonwealth and the Turnpike Authority have behaved in exactly the same manner as the population at large. They ran up huge debts, and decided they would just figure out a way to pay for it later. The population at large has done the same thing with their credit cards, mortgages, etc.
Well, it's later, and surprise! Neither group has figured out how they will pay for their previous profligacy. It was and is unreasonable to have expected a government elected by a majority of the people to behave any differently than the majority of the people.
I am not a Deval groupee by any stretch, but you have to give the guy a little credit for at least trying to deal with the problem that was handed to him. You will recall that since 1992 (when the Big Dig really got into fully swing) there have been five governors (4 of which were supposedly fiscally conservative Republicans), none of which was successful in addressing this issue. Some actually made it worse (Bill Weld, who I otherwise like, being at the top of that list for removing tolls in Newton and elsewhere). That said, Deval has been late to the game.
Tolls should have been raised at regular intervals since at least 1992 or so. Furthermore, the gas tax should have been raised then, and tolls (electronic tolling ONLY - like the 403 in and near Toronto) should have been installed elsewhere to balance the burden. But again, the government did what the majority of population did - it used its credit card and had no real plan to pay off the debt.
So now it's time to pay the Piper. Protest in the streets, vote people out of office, vote new ones in, but you had better be damn sure that the new folks will follow the advice offered centuries ago by Benjamin Franklin in The Way to Wealth. I am not optimistic that they will until the population at large does.
...you can't take the T (or The Ride, if applicable) to the airport?
And yeah, otherwise, you're totally right. People are suddenly bitching when they've gotten a nearly free ride until now. Do people have any idea how much it costs to own and operate a car in most of the rest of the world? There's a reason people have insisted upon public transportation everywhere else. Most places, if a light rail system doesn't run to your neighborhood, there's at least some sort of neighborhood-created shuttle to a place where it does, extensive networks for locating carpools, etc. Not to mention much heavier use of bikes and scooters than here.
The T doesn't run any buses out my way until well after 6am, and I find it difficult to make that first 5:30 am train out of Davis by bike with a weeks worth of luggage and stuff I have to lug along for work.
You know as well as I do that the best flights out to the west coast and must business flights down the eastern corridor (like Raleigh Durham) leave before 8am, meaning a 6am arrival at the airport.
Add in the very spotty service before 6am on the train lines (I have many times had to take a cab from a station because the only possible train didn't show) and it gets very difficult to make a morning flight using the T.
I usually just get on the first train to the airport and haven't yet missed a flight.
But yeah, when it's too early for that to possibly work, I do live within walking distance of the bus that leaves at 4:20 for the airport, which isn't an option everyone has.
Still, I don't fly much, but haven't taken many flights that leaves before 7 or so. I don't check luggage, so I've always been fine taking the train and getting there 30-45 minutes ahead of departure.
I've taken that route maybe twice. Usually, I take the train. There've only been a few times that the flight I was taking or meeting was outside of the time that the T runs. I don't think I have friends/family who take particularly strange flights, so, yes, I'm generalizing my experience and hazarding a guess that most people could probably use the same solution I did. Yes, of course there are going to be exceptions.
But the bigger problem that maybe you and your big edjamacated words can solve is, um, why on earth are people who can afford to fly more than once a year (and apparently can afford to park at Logan for several days, dayum!) bitching about a few dollars in toll hikes? What, your frequent trips are now going to run you $1007.00 a pop instead of $1003.50? I, um, feel really bad for you?
There are still $49 flights. I take them to see my mother, who is very sick. I ride the T to the airport.
The T (trains) do not run at times that can get a person to the airport for a 6am-7am flight unless you're willing to REALLY risk it. I'm not willing to really risk it.
I didn't know they still did that. Where do the $49 flights go? I may have to look into this!
I wasn't thinking you in particular, no. Just that the majority of complaints here and on other boards (and on WBUR...did you hear the piece a couple days ago about the toll hikes?) were from people who were talking about traveling all the hell over the place on a regular basis. It sounded like they were spending a grand on going across the country for a week, yet were complaining about the extra $3.50. WBUR didn't talk to anyone who uses the tunnels, like, daily for work or anything. They were only talking to airport travelers.
I just know that most every time I've looked for flights when I wanted to go to a conference or visit someone or something, the flights were around $500 (plus hotel when applicable, lost work time, yada yada) and it just wasn't feasible. The times I have gone places the flights have been in this range, so I figured this was fairly normal. Guess not.
Sorry to hear about your mother btw. It's great that you can spend time with her.
All the same, that doesn't help when you have two kids (one of whom is on the "watch" list for the usual stupid reasons and can't get a boarding pass in advance)and a 5:20 am flight.
French Toast Alert Level: Guarded. Explanation.
16/99
I always go that way coming back from Suffolk Downs. I hope everybody goes this way and sticks it up Beacon Hill's ass. Can't pay for pork when the income is $0, you shitheads.
This would be a nice consolation "fuck you" to the state after the idiot voters rejected #1.
I could not have said it any better
After watching 70% of people in this State vote to KEEP paying taxes nothing that the Government does will surprise me.
It is too bad that people here are apparently too weak minded to actually see how much of those tax dollars are completely wasted... Now they will just raise the cost of everything and laugh at the voters of this state as just being a bunch of suckers.
Need another choice of
"I don't use any of these roads"
Yup.
This:
I couldn't agree with more.
There's a reason that's not a choice...
Because as far as the State is concerned, you don't exist.
Yeah, none of those roads go
Yeah, none of those roads go through Slumerville. Howse the Ikea coming, btw?
What Goes Around Tolls Around
Look, as someone who lives west of downtown, inside 128 and travels to the airport a lot, I stand to be hit if not hardest by this, very close to hardest.
But here is the bottom line. The Commonwealth and the Turnpike Authority have behaved in exactly the same manner as the population at large. They ran up huge debts, and decided they would just figure out a way to pay for it later. The population at large has done the same thing with their credit cards, mortgages, etc.
Well, it's later, and surprise! Neither group has figured out how they will pay for their previous profligacy. It was and is unreasonable to have expected a government elected by a majority of the people to behave any differently than the majority of the people.
I am not a Deval groupee by any stretch, but you have to give the guy a little credit for at least trying to deal with the problem that was handed to him. You will recall that since 1992 (when the Big Dig really got into fully swing) there have been five governors (4 of which were supposedly fiscally conservative Republicans), none of which was successful in addressing this issue. Some actually made it worse (Bill Weld, who I otherwise like, being at the top of that list for removing tolls in Newton and elsewhere). That said, Deval has been late to the game.
Tolls should have been raised at regular intervals since at least 1992 or so. Furthermore, the gas tax should have been raised then, and tolls (electronic tolling ONLY - like the 403 in and near Toronto) should have been installed elsewhere to balance the burden. But again, the government did what the majority of population did - it used its credit card and had no real plan to pay off the debt.
So now it's time to pay the Piper. Protest in the streets, vote people out of office, vote new ones in, but you had better be damn sure that the new folks will follow the advice offered centuries ago by Benjamin Franklin in The Way to Wealth. I am not optimistic that they will until the population at large does.
Is there some reason...
...you can't take the T (or The Ride, if applicable) to the airport?
And yeah, otherwise, you're totally right. People are suddenly bitching when they've gotten a nearly free ride until now. Do people have any idea how much it costs to own and operate a car in most of the rest of the world? There's a reason people have insisted upon public transportation everywhere else. Most places, if a light rail system doesn't run to your neighborhood, there's at least some sort of neighborhood-created shuttle to a place where it does, extensive networks for locating carpools, etc. Not to mention much heavier use of bikes and scooters than here.
http://1smootshort.blogspot.com
Early a.m. flights for starters
The T doesn't run any buses out my way until well after 6am, and I find it difficult to make that first 5:30 am train out of Davis by bike with a weeks worth of luggage and stuff I have to lug along for work.
You know as well as I do that the best flights out to the west coast and must business flights down the eastern corridor (like Raleigh Durham) leave before 8am, meaning a 6am arrival at the airport.
Add in the very spotty service before 6am on the train lines (I have many times had to take a cab from a station because the only possible train didn't show) and it gets very difficult to make a morning flight using the T.
I guess I've usually just chanced it...
I usually just get on the first train to the airport and haven't yet missed a flight.
But yeah, when it's too early for that to possibly work, I do live within walking distance of the bus that leaves at 4:20 for the airport, which isn't an option everyone has.
Still, I don't fly much, but haven't taken many flights that leaves before 7 or so. I don't check luggage, so I've always been fine taking the train and getting there 30-45 minutes ahead of departure.
http://1smootshort.blogspot.com
"I"
And because "you" are able to find accomodation on a rare early ride to the airport, you are able to extrapolate this to all the rest of Boston?
bzzzzt
Or in MIT-speak: This solution doesn't scale.
Try that problem set again. You've apparently misunderstood the question.
Read it again
I've taken that route maybe twice. Usually, I take the train. There've only been a few times that the flight I was taking or meeting was outside of the time that the T runs. I don't think I have friends/family who take particularly strange flights, so, yes, I'm generalizing my experience and hazarding a guess that most people could probably use the same solution I did. Yes, of course there are going to be exceptions.
But the bigger problem that maybe you and your big edjamacated words can solve is, um, why on earth are people who can afford to fly more than once a year (and apparently can afford to park at Logan for several days, dayum!) bitching about a few dollars in toll hikes? What, your frequent trips are now going to run you $1007.00 a pop instead of $1003.50? I, um, feel really bad for you?
http://1smootshort.blogspot.com
LOL
There are still $49 flights. I take them to see my mother, who is very sick. I ride the T to the airport.
The T (trains) do not run at times that can get a person to the airport for a 6am-7am flight unless you're willing to REALLY risk it. I'm not willing to really risk it.
by "you" i hope you do not mean "me"
Whoa!
I didn't know they still did that. Where do the $49 flights go? I may have to look into this!
I wasn't thinking you in particular, no. Just that the majority of complaints here and on other boards (and on WBUR...did you hear the piece a couple days ago about the toll hikes?) were from people who were talking about traveling all the hell over the place on a regular basis. It sounded like they were spending a grand on going across the country for a week, yet were complaining about the extra $3.50. WBUR didn't talk to anyone who uses the tunnels, like, daily for work or anything. They were only talking to airport travelers.
I just know that most every time I've looked for flights when I wanted to go to a conference or visit someone or something, the flights were around $500 (plus hotel when applicable, lost work time, yada yada) and it just wasn't feasible. The times I have gone places the flights have been in this range, so I figured this was fairly normal. Guess not.
Sorry to hear about your mother btw. It's great that you can spend time with her.
http://1smootshort.blogspot.com
4:20 am Bus??
Do they still run those? I thought it was cut?
All the same, that doesn't help when you have two kids (one of whom is on the "watch" list for the usual stupid reasons and can't get a boarding pass in advance)and a 5:20 am flight.
Route 171 - runs out of Dudley 3:50AM and 4:20AM
Route 171 schedule
Both buses would stop at Andrew at around 4:10/4:40am before arriving at the Airport and its terminals.
that's the 171 bus
eeka is lucky to live in Roxbury near Dudley Square, from which the super-secret 171 bus leaves for Logan Airport at 3:50 and 4:20 am every day.
Like the 89/93, this bus is not on the interactive MBTA site, but it is on the printed and PDF schedules for the CT3 route.
Not an alternate route
Where's the option for "I almost always walk or take the T when feasible because I'd rather that Boston not be under water any time soon?"
http://1smootshort.blogspot.com