bobquasit | A Letter to the Metro

Does someone at the MBTA hate the Franklin commuter rail line? I've been riding train 715 departing South Station at 4:10 PM for years now, and there have NEVER been enough seats - people are always crammed into the aisles. Six single-level cars are simply not enough for the ridership.

Strike up a conversation with riders on that line and you'll easily find dozens who've written in to complain many times. But the MBTA continues to ignore all customer complaints, apart from the standard kiss-off letter.

The Needham train just before the 715 has more than ample seating - often, nearly half the seats are completely empty. Perhaps some MBTA managers or Statehouse big shots take that line.

Yesterday (7/27/05) was one of the hottest days of the year. The temperature was in the mid-90s. So why did three out of the six cars of train 715 have no air conditioning? Passengers were jammed so tightly into the remaining three cars that entry was impossible. Meanwhile, in the cars without AC, temperatures soared to well over 100 degrees. It's a miracle that no one suffered heat stroke or a heart attack.

Perhaps that's what it would take to get the MBTA to put adequate service on the 715 Franklin train - a death, or a miracle.

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THe 70 bus line is equally ill treated with all the buses that lack air conditioning and never on schedule. The back door of the bus was also broken on the way out to waltham yesterday, which means no access for wheel chairs etc.

The T is very broken. It needs a budget an overhaul on operations and some major system repairs in every venue. Deaths won't solve it... they just ignore them as the main press outlets ignore it.

We also have the single WORST conductor in the entire MBTA system: William, badge #1810 (I've been told). It's amazing, but every time he comes through, people talk about how incredibly rude he is. I've talked to a dozen people at least who have told me that they've written in to complain about him - but it doesn't matter. He's still on the line.

I didn't mention him in the letter because A) it was already very long, and B) I thought that he might read the letter and beat me up. Really. He's that creepy and insane. I've seen him almost get into fistfights with passengers!

Busses...brrrr. I'm so glad that I don't have to ride busses any more. You have my sympathy!

Thought I'd add this post that I made on the MBTA Sucks Site (http://www.mbtasucks.com/):

I've been riding the Franklin commuter rail for years now, and I have to wonder: does the management of the MBTA have a grudge against someone on the Franklin line? The 715 train (departing South Station at 4:10 PM) NEVER has enough space - it's always six single-level cars. I get on at Ruggles, and there are always at least ten or more people standing in the aisles. There are times when it's so bad that the conductors can't even push through to collect fares.

Meanwhile the Needham Heights train just before the 715 always has an abundance of two-level cars, with more than half the seats free at Ruggles.

Yesterday (7/27/05) was one of the hottest days of the year. The temperature was in the mid-90s. So why did THREE out of the six cars of train 715 have no air conditioning? Passengers were jammed so tightly into the remaining three cars that entry was impossible. Meanwhile, in the cars without AC, temperatures soared to well over 100 degrees. It's a miracle that no one suffered heat stroke or a heart attack.

We also have William, who is almost certainly the most foul-tempered conductor in the entire MBTA. system. Often, after he pushes his way through the crowds, passengers talk about what a miserable, vile-tempered jerk he is. He's a legend on the line, and there's even graffiti about him. I've never seen a man who hates his customers as much as he does.

He makes a single pass through the train after Ruggles, and then he disappears for the rest of the trip. Rumor has it that he spends the rest of the time sucking up to the conductor in the lead car, although no one really knows.

I once saw an old lady fall off the train because William had done his usual daily disappearing act. She was trying to get off when the train started moving, and toppled into the crowd at the station. And it wasn't her fault: she was moving slowly, but not THAT slowly. A lot of us wrote to the MBTA about that incident.

In fact, I've personally talked to dozens of people who've written in multiple times to complain about the crowding on the 715 and about William in particular. I've written in several times myself. All anyone ever gets is the usual kiss-off letter from the MBTA.

What does it take to get the MBTA to respond? Does anyone know?

To reward anyone who actually reads this far, here's a link to an extremely funny response from the MBTA:

http://www.mbtasucks.com/messages/23/55.html?ThursdayDecember1120031149pm

It's actually the second post.

Well, the T has a number of problems. It's really not adequately funded to do all that it needs too, but state funding is likely crippled by the fact that a goodly portion of Massachusetts (most of the west) is not served by it and we have a governor whose consistant stand (as opposed to his stand on abortion) is "Tax Cuts! Tax Cuts! They cure all! We're getting a little more tax revenue, let's have tax cuts!" The Federal government helps some, but money spent on transportation tends to go to highways while mass transit is seen as a boondoggle. And of course with the Commuter Rail we get the addition fun that it's not run by the MBTA but by a private contractor.

Ideally, a goodly portion of gas taxes would be dedicated to mass transit both nationally and at the state level; I mean a big ol' chunk of it. It is far more efficent and less harmful to the environment to get people in trains and out of cars and planes. Won't happen until fuel costs double or so.

My one nit-pick with that post is, well, the Commuter Rail is not run by the MBTA but by The Massachusetts Commuter Railroad Company. Yes, the MBTA chose them and has (I suppose) ultimate responsibility but MBCR is the company that does the day to day operations.

Yes, I'm probably being silly.

A Letter to the Metro

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Not to mention...

Addendum

Holy cow, this was funny

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Re: Holy cow, this was funny