Sigh

My computer has decided to die. So this blog is temporarily suspended while I figure out the logistics. Hopefully, more efficiently than the B line runs.

Evening Commute -- Feb. 12, 2010

Tonight I went out and got a ride home, so there was no evening commute! Hooray!

Morning Commute -- Feb. 12, 2010

I got to the stop at 8:08. The train arrived at 8:12. It was moderately crowded. And I witnessed something I'd never seen before: A man sitting down told the woman standing by his seat that she was blocking his view of his newspaper. Huh. That's a new one.

Anyway, at 8:21 I got off the train at Copley. Unusually, after raving about this technique yesterday, I had to wait a while for the trains to come through this morning. I ended up getting on the third train to come by at 8:29. From the outside, this train was crowded, because people were standing, and I only got on because I didn't want to wait any longer. But it turned out there were several seats that obnoxious girls were using for their bags. CommutingFail Tip for a Smoother Subway Ride(tm): Ladies, when people are standing because there are no more seats, your bag does not get its own seat. I am obnoxious enough that I walked up to one of these girls and just said, "Excuse me." She sighed heavily but she put her bag on her lap and moved over for me.

Boston Book Trends -- Feb. 11, 2010

We here at CommutingFail are pleased to announce an all-new feature, in which we bring you the books being read on Boston's subways. This evening, the following books were observed being read:

• Medieval Queenship
• The 9/11 Commission Report
• Sepulchre by Kate Mosse

Update from the Red Line -- Feb. 11, 2010

This just in: We have received this missive from Red (Line) Baron:

Imagine: You are standing in a crystal clear pool. Before you is a magnificent and terrifying waterfall, behind which is a cave containing a great treasure or your favorite actor or something else desirable of that nature.


Every day, every five minutes, like clockwork the waterfall stops abruptly for several minutes before starting up again with a roar.


You desperately want to get into that cave. If you try to go through the waterfall you will likely be crushed to death by the force of the water. You will also upset the delicate balance of nature. If you wait for the waterfall to stop you can move safely into the cave to collect your treasure unharmed, and you will, at most, have to wait a few minutes.

Which of these sounds like the better option?

Now consider: When you are waiting to get on the train at Park Street, could you just wait the one minute it takes people to GET OFF THE TRAIN before you try to shove your way on?

Evening Commute -- Feb. 11, 2010

I got to Government Center at 6:07, just as a train was pulling out of the station. This train claimed not to be in service, but it had people on it and clearly why. Guys, how difficult is it to change the digital sign so that those waiting on the platform know the destination of the train?

Anyway, a C line train arrived right behind it, and it was a rare uneventful ride home.

Morning Commute -- Feb. 11, 2010

I got to the stop at 8:22. A train arrived at 8:27. It was, naturally, quite crowded. At 8:35 we reached Copley, and I stumbled away from the claustrophobic sardine tin. Why? I hear you asking. Well. Here's a CommutingFail Tip for a Smoother Subway Ride(tm) that I almost hesitate to give you, because it's so simple that I fear the legions of people reading this blog will start doing it: If you get off the Green Line at Copley and wait for a few trains to pass through, you have a good chance of encountering one where you'll be able to sit down. During the morning rush hour, the trains fly thick and fast through Copley, and it doesn't add much more to your commuting time to wait for two or three (I usually give myself three chances) to see if you can come across a less crowded train. If you, like me, really hate having to stand on the train, trying to keep your balance, knocking into all the other people around you, then it is well worth your time. Also, it could be that your train is experiencing crowd-crushing conditions -- this is very likely, there's some ridiculous amount of space you're supposed to keep around your person, and there's no way it's maintained during morning rush hour on the Green Line -- then this simple move COULD SAVE YOUR LIFE.

Case in point: Today I got off a crowded train at, as I said, 8:35. At 8:36, another train pulled into the station. On this train? Me and a whole four other people.

Evening Commute -- Feb. 10, 2010

I got to Government Center at 6:10. The first train to arrive was a B line at 6:11. A C line arrived at 6:12, but it was only a one-car train. Why does this ever happen? I hate having to squeeze everybody into one car, and, even worse, if, like me, you tend to wait at the end of the platform, it means you have to make a mad dash down to where the one car is. I decided to wait and take my chances with the next train, which turned out to be another C line at 6:14. This train did have two cars, and I jumped on. Predictably, it was mostly empty, as it was right on the heels of the previous C line. Who is planning these things? Why should two trains from the same line ever come into Government Center back-to-back? Anyway, there may have been some kind of issue with the D line that was causing the profusion of C lines, because the driver made a fairly incomprehensible announcement about how people looking for D line trains needed to hop on and get off at Park Street. The workings of the Green Line are mysterious and not to be questioned by mere mortals.

Morning Commute -- Feb. 10, 2010

Boston was theoretically getting a snowstorm today. The forecast turned out to be wildly wrong, but, in anticipation of snow that never came, I actually moved my car to a parking garage. This meant that, rather than getting on the C line, I hopped onto the D line. I got to the stop at 8:26 am, and I timed it perfectly, because a train was just pulling in. It was only mildly crowded, and it was one of those rare, uneventful trips on the T...except that someone near me was a smoker, judging by their smell. Is this another example of me being overly sensitive?

Evening Commute -- Feb. 9, 2010

I arrive at Government Center at 6:02 pm, to a crowd of people on the platform. This is usually a bad sign, but a B line train arrives almost immediately, so I must have had unusually good timing tonight and come right at the end of the service gap.

A C line train arrives at 6:04 pm. It is fairly crowded, but there are two seats available, both being blocked by a woman standing right in front of them. People will sometimes stand next to empty seats. I don't understand this, (a) having terrible balance; and (b) being one of the laziest people on the planet. But, since every other seat is taken, I say, politely, to the woman blocking the row of seats, "Excuse me." She doesn't acknowledge me, instead steps to block my access to the seats even more, which I find perplexing, until I realize that she's saving the seats for herself and a friend coming from the opposite end of the train, who darts through the crowd in the car and scurries over over to where I am standing blocked by the woman. The friend slides into the seat, followed by the woman who had been blocking me, who then looks at me and smiles, like we're buddies.

I'm sorry, is this a thing we're doing now on the subway? "Saving" seats for people? I adhere to the rule that it's first-come-first-served on seats. Please let's not go down the road to anarchy that will result from saving seats. I give you this CommutingFail Tip for a Smoother Subway Ride(tm): If you are traveling with a friend, board the T together. Is it really that difficult to enter using the same doors? Really? Am I just irrationally angry about everything that happens on the subway?