Wednesday, June 29, 2011

"Get in on slamming the T"

Whilst standing on my tip-toes trying not to let my clean skin come in contact with anyone or anything else for 8 minutes in a crowded red line train that had come to a stop on the tilted tracks outside the JFK station this morning, I saw the following article in the Metro. Naturally, "slamming the T" is a growing past time for the Metro's readership! Thank you to my caring coworker, Katherine, for cutting the article out of her Metro and leaving it on my computer at work.



As annoying as it is to have to stop and hang out every now and then to let a rude, slow Ashmont train catch up outside JFK, I hate the T for stopping where the track is lopsided so everyone has to stand on tiptoes or at strange angles to avoid tipping over inside the train. When the train is crowded, that means everyone is tipping over and leaning on each other, and the aggravation is exacerbated by the incessant complaining, huffs and puffs and calls to their bosses complaining about being late. It's fracking irritating and gross!

Wednesday, June 22, 2011

Do I look sketchy?


There are a lot of degenerates riding the red line.

Why then, do the MBTA police stop me to search my bag every time they are doing their checks at Wollaston? Do they think I'm insane for putting myself through daily red line exposure? I always smile and thank them but I'm sick of missing a train because of this. Why can't they pick on someone else?

Friday, June 17, 2011


I find myself in a dilemma. I hate the red line and all the nastiness/frustration/germs/curry fart odors/offensive conduct/loud talkers/annoying cell phone ring tones/bad music pollution/general fear and filth that it brings into my life, but at the same time I WANT these things so I have good stuff for this blog. Please be patient with me… it’s been an uneventful week on the red line but experience tells me that there are some real doozies on the way.

For now, my 5 followers, I wish you a weekend free of the MBTA. If you're going into town for the Bruins parade, be ready for a whole different level of frustration! Non-commuters/Tourists + MBTA = WICKED ANNOYING.

Go B's.

Wednesday, June 15, 2011

Oh you tease!!

I get to Wollaston this morning as a train is leaving the station. I think, "Damnit, now I have to wait another 10 minutes" for another Alewife train, but as I'm walking to my regular boarding spot at the end of the platform, I hear, "the next red line train to Alewife is now approaching." Sweet! A train so close behind the last one can only mean one thing -- not crowded!

The train rolls up and sure enough it isn't overly crowded. I foolishly think, "it's a sign -- it's going to be a good day!" But of course that tricky red line has fooled me again; the heat is BLASTING in the train. One June 15. On a sunny, warm morning. I walk on and my sunglasses immediately fog up so I can barely read the story in the Metro about how the MBTA might need to be concerned about a rash of bus accidents. By the time we reach Downtown Crossing, I have sweat dripping down my back and my face is glistening with sweat.

At least no one ripped a garbage fart that I could smell during the ride.

Thursday, June 9, 2011

From today's Metro. Lovely.



It's gonna be a hot, hot, hot...

It's gonna be a hot, hot, hot day... temps are expected to break the record and soar up close to 100 degrees. I love summer weather but the warmer it gets, the smellier and less tolerable the T gets.

Of course I get an overly crowded train at Wollaston in the morning and have a woman (who was wearing a sweater -- no joke) sniffling every 4-7 seconds. It's so annoying and I fear she has some tropical disease that I become instantly obsessed with counting the seconds between each sniffle. DAMN YOU IPOD FOR NOT BEING CHARGED THIS MORNING!! I won't get into much detail about the other chick behind me whose Metro was sticking in the back of my hair and kept giving me the willies.

We finally reach Downtown Crossing and the door is blocked by some strung out chick and a huge dude with a huge suitcase -- niether of them want to move and people start yelling at them. I do a little ninja jump around the suitcase and am freed from the serial sniffer and into the crowd bottlenecking the halls to the green and orange lines. As usual, people try to be annoying and cut around the lines, thereby slowing the herd.

Wednesday, June 8, 2011

First entry

I suppose a death at the Wollaston T station on Monday is enough for me to finally put pen to paper -- or is it fingers to keys? -- and start blasting the MBTA red line. Every day has a story and just when I think it can't get worse, the next ride comes along and I have more complaints. I know I am not the only one since there are over 200,000 daily riders on that cesspool on rails.

So far this week -- yes, just one week, and I am one person on one specific route:

Monday 6/6: Man is killed at about 4:50pm at the Wollaston T station after falling/jumping onto tracks and getting run down by an inbound train. Woops. Mechanical failure or unfortunate accident? Thank goodness I was home sick -- that ride home with bussing btwn stations can be miserable.

Monday Sidenote -- the helicopters thumping around above my house added some excitement and reminded me of my days in Southern California when there were daily high speed chases and helicopters flying around with each one. I also thought we may be under some sort of military attack. Fun!

Tuesday 6/7: Man is stabbed at Downtown Crossing at approximately 5:00pm, causing significant delays through rush hour. I finally get on a train, squished by the door with a sweaty person's exposed arm touching me and the corner of something hard in her enormous backpack digging into my kidneys. At least the ride in this morning wasn't miserable.

Wednesday 6/8: I'm happy for the Bruins but the fans everywhere are annoying as hell. My frustration today was actually not red line related. I just don't share the same excitement as the tourists about getting my picture taken outside North Station. Get me on that train and get me the hell out of there as quickly as possible, please.

Note to tourists on the T: Don't block doors when they open -- get out of the damn way or be ready to get knocked over by angry commuters who are jealous that you're on vacation while we're stuck going to work on the nasty ass train. And by the way, you're going in the wrong direction, but since you annoyed me I'll let you figure that out on your own.