The Weekly Ramble

So, time for this week's bit of lunacy. Today, I went on a now relatively rare trip on the MBTA. This was some time around the early then late-middle afternoon, so I didn't really experience the glory of the Orange and Green Lines at rush hour. Anyway, the Orange Line was fine, a bit slow through the Wellington tunnel (both times), and each stop featured the now-customary lag between the train stopping and the doors opening. On the plus side of the OPTO switch, last trip it seemed that the announcement chimes were identical to the door chimes, a slight problem which seems to have been remedied. Just like the slight problem with 3247's electrics were fixed, so I got to see that old Geep up close today, as it was right near that annoying overpass near Sullivan Square. At North Station I switched to the Green Line, naturally, and elected to skip the waiting E Arborway Heath Street train, as like all Huntington Ave trains, it was crowded. Fortunately it was promptly followed by an empty C Cleveland Circle train led by Breda Type 8 3841, with a hideously worn-looking Type 7 trailing, still in the peeling green scheme. I rode uneventfully to Park Street where I got off, but I did notice that, oddly, the Brattle Loop was completely empty. Really, totally, completely empty. Usually at that time it's full of off peak stored E Line trains, but maybe they're all out at Riverside getting their ACs fixed. Park Street itself was hot, with a lot of rude, impatient people, and not enough fans. On the plus side there was a Type 7 sitting on track 3 above the pit, just like last time I was there. After leaving the subway I eventually made my way down to South Station, which contained MBTA Cab Car 1700, which looks terrible, with many chunks of purple paint having come off. There were also some other (T) trains in, and what has to be one of the last unrefurbished Acela trainsets, led by AMTK 2026. Later I saw more MBTA stuff, namely some buses and then a ferry. Even later I went home, beginning that trip at Government Center. After getting to the platform I again elected to skip the waiting train, a (you guessed it) crowded E Lechmere train. The Brattle Loop was still empty, but I didn't get to see if it was in use, as another Lechmere train arrived shortly, with less people on it. At the oddly-lit North Station, I switched to the Orange Line with only a short wait, and got a seat on the somewhat crowded train near the beginning of rush hour. A Commuter Rail train led by a noisy Geep passed us, slowly, at Sullivan, and then stopped just past the station, maybe due to a fire causing a large plume of smoke near the power plant near the tracks on the Newburyport/Rockport Line. Or, maybe it was just waiting for something else, I really don't know. Eventually I got back to Oak Grove (no thanks to the again-slow Wellington tunnel) and proceeded out of the station. And, as always, someone a few people in front of me stopped and stood on the left side of the escalator. THAT'S JUST WRONG PEOPLE! In four years of leaving that station every day not once has there been a completely clear path up the side of the thing meant for walking. Then, if that wasn't bad enough the stairs out were filled with slow, touristy people who didn't know how to walk quickly, get out of the way, or understand what the words 'excuse me' meant. It cannot be that difficult to NOT take up the entire staircase. Such rude people. Anyway, that's about all of my ramblings for now, so bye.

And so it goes, another week riding forever 'neath the streets of boston.