Passive aggression on the part of Green Line drivers? Broken PA systems? Whatever, seems like this has been happening a fair amount of late, at least based on the number of people tweeting about it.
May not always be the case, but I've certainly been on many trains where an express announcement is repeated several times and someone still dings for the next local stop.
To be fair, sometimes the intercoms don't work that well and it can be hard to hear the express announcements.
I was on the E line last week headed towards Brigham Circle. The driver made the announcement several times that we were going express to Brigham. As we were stopped at the MFA because of a red light, several passengers walked up to the front to ask why he was not opening any of the doors. They got very angry, and he finally opened the doors.
That's when you pull the e-brake...not that I'd advocate such a thing, but this guy I know, he advised an irrate T rider once to do so. The rider pulled the brake, the driver started yelling, and the rider jumped out the doors and made it to his destination.
They only have to be audible. They don't have to remove your headphones, wake you up, pull your head out of your book, or any other such nonsense to make sure every little snowflake hears the message.
There are usually visual clues too, like all the other passengers getting off the train and standing on the platform.
On the green line, the screens also scroll about the express change.
Ive been on the green line when they decide to express it...they do everything possible to inform you that the train is going express, without actually going to each person and making them sign a memo of understanding.
Whenever I'm on the red line and it's going express from Harvard to Alewife, there are about 10 announcements. Then approaching Porter people get up to stand near the door, thinking it's going to stop.
I always wonder how many of those people don't speak fluent English. That's one issue with Boston's habit of switching trains from local to express midroute. I just spent the weekend in Manhattan, where certain routes are always designated as express. I'm not sure if any local trains still change midroute.
In my experience, many of the people who pull the chain (cable, string, whatever) for the next stop after 16 announcements have been made that the train is being expressed have come out of a conversation in a foreign language. I just don't know what you can do about that, but you can rest assured that someone blamed Grabauskas for it.
You could get those LED displays in all cars, and have them indicate "*EXPRESS* TO ___" concurrent with the voice announcement.
I often cannot make out the voice announcements, so I'm assuming they're even less intelligible to people who are non-native speakers or who are just starting to learn the language.
I actually thought of that, but decided not to opine. Since you mentioned it, I guess I will.
Many of the "foreign language" conversations to which I referred seem to me to be in Asian languages (but I cannot be certain). That's why I didn't mention the LEDs - I am not too sure that LED characters would help speakers/readers of Asian languages, given the different alphabets and all.
This morning, I was waiting at JFK for an Alewife train. One was coming on the Braintree branch track, and then there were announcements that the train was going express to South Station. The announcements were repeated continuously in the station for two entire minutes, and then about 7-8 times by the train conductor.
Maybe this train was making up for the lack of announcement on the Green Line.
The thing I love is how the trains always go express at the stupidest times - say, 4:00 on a Sunday afternoon, when another train won't come by for 20 more minutes. Why do they never go express during rush hour, when we're packed on there like sardines & the next train is 2 seconds behind and practically empty??
Comments
Why do I have a feeling that
Why do I have a feeling that headphone or general inatentiveness is involved?
I dont know how many times Ive ridden the T with friends, an anouncement is made, and theyre oblivious to it.
I've seen instances where
I've seen instances where the intercom is broken, so the driver sort of "calls back."
On a crowded train, people not within 3 feet of the driver don't hear it.
I agree...
May not always be the case, but I've certainly been on many trains where an express announcement is repeated several times and someone still dings for the next local stop.
To be fair, sometimes the intercoms don't work that well and it can be hard to hear the express announcements.
I was on the E line last
I was on the E line last week headed towards Brigham Circle. The driver made the announcement several times that we were going express to Brigham. As we were stopped at the MFA because of a red light, several passengers walked up to the front to ask why he was not opening any of the doors. They got very angry, and he finally opened the doors.
That's when you pull the
That's when you pull the e-brake...not that I'd advocate such a thing, but this guy I know, he advised an irrate T rider once to do so. The rider pulled the brake, the driver started yelling, and the rider jumped out the doors and made it to his destination.
That sounds like a criminal
That sounds like a criminal offense
The MBTA not having audible
The MBTA not having audible announcements is also a violation of the law. Pick your poison.
Audible vs Ignorance
They only have to be audible. They don't have to remove your headphones, wake you up, pull your head out of your book, or any other such nonsense to make sure every little snowflake hears the message.
There are usually visual clues too, like all the other passengers getting off the train and standing on the platform.
On the green line, the
On the green line, the screens also scroll about the express change.
Ive been on the green line when they decide to express it...they do everything possible to inform you that the train is going express, without actually going to each person and making them sign a memo of understanding.
People don't pay attention
Whenever I'm on the red line and it's going express from Harvard to Alewife, there are about 10 announcements. Then approaching Porter people get up to stand near the door, thinking it's going to stop.
English speakers?
I always wonder how many of those people don't speak fluent English. That's one issue with Boston's habit of switching trains from local to express midroute. I just spent the weekend in Manhattan, where certain routes are always designated as express. I'm not sure if any local trains still change midroute.
right on
In my experience, many of the people who pull the chain (cable, string, whatever) for the next stop after 16 announcements have been made that the train is being expressed have come out of a conversation in a foreign language. I just don't know what you can do about that, but you can rest assured that someone blamed Grabauskas for it.
LED displays
You could get those LED displays in all cars, and have them indicate "*EXPRESS* TO ___" concurrent with the voice announcement.
I often cannot make out the voice announcements, so I'm assuming they're even less intelligible to people who are non-native speakers or who are just starting to learn the language.
LEDs
I actually thought of that, but decided not to opine. Since you mentioned it, I guess I will.
Many of the "foreign language" conversations to which I referred seem to me to be in Asian languages (but I cannot be certain). That's why I didn't mention the LEDs - I am not too sure that LED characters would help speakers/readers of Asian languages, given the different alphabets and all.
That's why I put in the asterisks.
I bet they'd learn quickly. :)
Red or Green?
Are you speaking of the Red Line? I know they already do this on the Green.
This morning, I was waiting
This morning, I was waiting at JFK for an Alewife train. One was coming on the Braintree branch track, and then there were announcements that the train was going express to South Station. The announcements were repeated continuously in the station for two entire minutes, and then about 7-8 times by the train conductor.
Maybe this train was making up for the lack of announcement on the Green Line.
Express my a%*
The thing I love is how the trains always go express at the stupidest times - say, 4:00 on a Sunday afternoon, when another train won't come by for 20 more minutes. Why do they never go express during rush hour, when we're packed on there like sardines & the next train is 2 seconds behind and practically empty??