The unicorns of the MBTA

It's particularly amusing when you check the T website for a Lechmere train, head to the station 5 minutes before it says it's gonna come so as not to miss it, only to wait another 15 mins for the next one.

Maybe they ARE invisible and only Big Bird can see them...

they could get away with it, current MBTA managers would like nothing better than to totally abandon the Green Line east of Government Center.

It's bad enough that they don't run service to and from North Station and Lechmere frequently enough. It's even worse when they intentionally delay cars coming from North Station to 'reposition' BC and Riverside cars that are either turning on the GC Loop or have short turned at Park Street.

One of their latest tricks during rush hour is to short turn C cars at Government Center, run them around the GC loop in front of LOADED C cars arriving from North Station, and then HOLD the second C car (the one with all the folks who got on at North Station) for a 5 minute 'headway adjustment' at Park Street.

Almsot as bad as their standard practice of looping empty BC trains directly in front of loaded E trains (either at GC or Park Street), then holding the BC train for 'headway adjustment' - thus delaying the E train, which can't berth until the BC train has left. NEWS FLASH TO MBTA DISPATCHERS AND MANAGEMENT - the station platforms at Government Center and Park Street are at least TWO two-car train lengths long!!!!!!

It makes no sense to me why the two branches with the lowest ridership are the ones that offer service to Lechmere and North Station. At first glance it might seem logical, but when you consider:

a) the fact that these trolleys come less often (don't remember the exact stats...anyone?), and:

b) that once they hit the central subway they all generally pick up lots of people (furthermore, I'd argue the Lechmere/NS trolleys end up picking up MORE people than GC ones both because of 'a' above and because they stand around, gathering on the platform, waiting for these specific trains),

it just seems wonky and makes for unnecessarily overly-packed trolleys carrying a bunch of necessarily crabby commuters. Add to all this that two of the major Central Subway stations aren't serviced by Lechmere trains.

Perhaps the T uses the argument that the E line is the shortest, so naturally goes the farthest east. That does seem to fit in with their mantra of "our #1 concern is for the safety and convenience of our employees."