The Jamaica Plain Gazette gets action - and dishes that bus drivers have a button they can press that automatically generates a report to MBTA Transit Police about bus stops filled with delivery trucks or other vehicles.
The state auditor's office today released a report that found a nearly $102-million discrepancy over five years between the cash the MBTA actually took in through fare boxes on buses and trolleys and the amount those boxes said they were fed.
The MBTA said that simply reflects software issues, not massive amounts of theft or money rolling behind driver's seats, and the auditor's office says that's possible, but there's currently no way to know for sure:
The Globe reports the alleged butterfingers was packing a loaded gun on an outbound trolley just before Newton Centre; a rider dropped a dime and police arrested him and three pals.
Seems not everybody's enamored with the idea of photos of drunks and snoozers on the T.
The Herald reports a Lowell man arrested as an unregistered sex offender at Forest Hills the other day after somebody complained about him taking pictures of little kids turns out not to have a record as a sex offender. As a convicted stabber and prison-guard attacker, yes, but he was released in April after having served his time for those, the Herald writes.
The MBTA reports Transit Police have issued 3,614 citations so far this year for fare evasion - up 59% from the 2,268 issued in the same period last year.
Melinda Green spotted a Sob Story Guy and two Sob Story Girls having a little chat this morning at the Mass. Ave. stop on the Orange Line. She reports:
I've been keeping track of the little blond one's tales of woe for over a year now. Wondering if this is their daily starting point? The little blond one must be the pimp-I-mean-the-brains of the operation. Sometimes she has to get back to Providence for 1-3 kids, sometimes age 7, sometimes age 16.
UPDATE, 9:10 a.m.: MBTA says normal service has resumed.
The morning started with signal problems at Wellington (remember when the T seemed to spend several years upgrading the signals north of Boston?). Now, there's some sort of flooding that's so bad the T is urging people who need to get downtown to get on the Green Line instead, which is great advice unless you're nowhere near the Green Line.
The Blue Line ran out of juice around 5:30 p.m., just in time for the afternoon rush.
Wheeze. v. To pull into a terminal station on the Orange Line. "The train wheezed into Forest Hills, emitted a loud sigh at its fate in life and then the doors opened."
The Globe's Eric Moskowitz tweets the state Department of Transportation unanimously named the head of Atlanta's public-transportation authority as the new general manager of the MBTA.
Beverly Scott beat out her second-in-command - Dwight Ferrell - to permanently replace Richard Davey, who moved up from the MBTA to transportation secretary.
A man was fatally struck by a train this evening on the Worcester Line by the Massachusetts Turnpike and Community Rowing. Lawrence Crook at WCVB tweets the train was the outbound P563, with 450 to 500 people on board.
Newton firefighters, Boston and MBTA police and state troopers are on scene. Police have shut the rail line down to allow for body recovery and investigation.
Stanley Staco reports it happened around 9:10 p.m. at Washington and East Newton streets.
UPDATE, Friday morning: The MBTA reports the driver was spit on, not pummeled, that one man was caught and that he will be summonsed into court.
MBTA Transit Police report arresting a Malden man on charges of indecent assault and battery for an incident involving a female Orange L
MBTA Transit Police report arresting a man they say exposed himself and masturbated in full view of a female passenger on a Red Line train in July.
The woman snapped Peter O'Connor's photo and police say tips from the public based on that led them to O'Connor, whom they arrested today at the Braintree Red Line stop.
Donut & Donuts, Sullivan Square T stop. Photo by Truck Stop Tea Party.
Brian Cummings reports via e-mail on the horsey set in Weston this morning:
Well, this is a first. Around 7:00 or so, going inbound to Boston saw a beautiful chestnut horse running toward Boston alongside the tracks, followed by a woman running behind, followed by a panting MBTA cop. Between Silver Hill and Hastings. Train delayed for 10-15 minutes. All three none the worse for wear.
At least we weren't robbed by outlaws.
MBTA spokesman Joe Pesaturo reports train 406 was delayed 11 minutes as Weston and Lincoln police corraled the wayward equine.
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