Monday, September 19, 2005

How Will the Hipsters Get to Lansdowne?

Today we've got quite a story. This is a guest column from E-lo.
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From Haymarket to Kenmore:
The ride on the Orange line to Haymarket was quite smooth, though I did almost punch an old man in the face for littering.

I had to switch to the Green, and Haymarket Station is retarded because you have to walk up and down about five flights of stairs to get to the track. I decided to ride to Haymarket, rather than switching at North Station, solely because I didn't want to wait on the platform with the littering old man. Yes, my OCD got me into a rut, but the point is: while I may be stupid for not just switching where it was easy, the T f'ed up.

---Note: the transfer to the Green at Haymarket is indeed the most retarded ever. Plus, when you get to what you THINK is the Green, it's really the Orange, going the opposite direction, and once you're on that platform, the signs to the Green stop.
For those of you interested in transfer between Orange and Green Inbound, switch at North Station, where both lines share a single platform---TA

In the span of 35 minutes about 4 trains came, and I'd say three were E's and the other was a C. I had a book, so I didn't mind waiting and holding out for a B but after the 4th train, I decided that I'd just jump on the next C or D that came through (I haven't been taking the T for too long, but up until now, the Green Line has never failed me. This trust, apparently, got me into trouble.)
Unfortunately, the next train had lost power and was being pushed from behind by another. These two pulled through and stopped at the red light, leaving just enough room for a C train to come out of the tunnel and open its doors. I'd say about 30 people got on that train, including several groups that were on their way to BC for the football game and had also been holding out for a B. Well, we stood around inside that train for about 10 minutes before they told us it was being taken out of service.
Behind this train, in the tunnel, was yet another train. FOUR TRAINS backed up in ONE STATION. And who knows what was going on west of us? Saturday night (and a Red Sox game) and the Green line was basically completely out of service? I waited around for another 10 minutes before spitting in the general direction of the train and running out of the station and into the rain. It was quite cinematic.

I'll take this opportunity to mention that Sovereign Bank's lone ATM near Faneuil Hall was playing with my head and my creepy taxi driver screwed me over. And now he knows where I live.

Thanks a lot MBTA!

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

The B line does not run past Government Center. Therefore, you'll be waiting a long time at Haymarket or North Station for a B train.

transport avenger said...

That's a good point from ANON.
What that means, of course, is that you'll have to take another Green to GC and switch again, unless you luck out at NS or HMKT.
-TA