Monday

So Teri and I were driving around an old-fashioned neighborhood when we saw fire licking up out of some of the storm drains. It turned out there was some sort of building with an internal fire pit nearby, and the flames sometimes traveled along the sewers and came out in other places. The sewer grates looked like barbecue grills.

As we drove past the flaming grates, Bruce Springsteen's "I'm On Fire" came on the radio.

Then we parked and walked a bit. There was a ten-year-old kid who was operating a three-card monte game. We watched for a while, Teri lost a few bucks, and then all of a sudden the kid got very nervous and told us that she could keep her latest loss - a five-dollar bill. I was puzzled until I realized that there was a street cop walking towards us. So I went over to a set of display shelves that the kid had up, showing money that you "could" win from him, and grabbed a five and a few ones - the money that he'd just won from Teri. Then we walked on.

And then I woke up.

Yesterday the three of us were at Stop & Shop, getting some coffee at the internal Dunkin' Donuts. Sebastian couldn't resist playing with the plastic coffee cups they had on display: he grabbed one and ran away from me, down the laundry detergeant aisle. When he saw that I was catching up, he turned, laughing like crazy, and threw the cup behind a row of bleach bottles. I grabbed it and him, and brought both back to the Dunkin' Donuts line.

He immediately started grabbing more plastic cups, but as he did, one of the little shelves came off its supports and crashed onto the next one down. Which promptly fell off its supports. The cups flew everywhere. Sebastian got scared.

I held onto him while I picked up the cups, and then I explained to him that these weren't OUR cups, and this was why I didn't want him to play with them - they could make a mess. Then I gave him a big hug. A guy standing behind me in line was apparently fairly impressed, because he told me several times that I was a very good father.

A dream, and a memory.

Monday

So Teri and I were driving around an old-fashioned neighborhood when we saw fire licking up out of some of the storm drains. It turned out there was some sort of building with an internal fire pit nearby, and the flames sometimes traveled along the sewers and came out in other places. The sewer grates looked like barbecue grills.

As we drove past the flaming grates, Bruce Springsteen's "I'm On Fire" came on the radio.

Then we parked and walked a bit. There was a ten-year-old kid who was operating a three-card monte game. We watched for a while, Teri lost a few bucks, and then all of a sudden the kid got very nervous and told us that she could keep her latest loss - a five-dollar bill. I was puzzled until I realized that there was a street cop walking towards us. So I went over to a set of display shelves that the kid had up, showing money that you "could" win from him, and grabbed a five and a few ones - the money that he'd just won from Teri. Then we walked on.

And then I woke up.

Yesterday the three of us were at Stop & Shop, getting some coffee at the internal Dunkin' Donuts. Sebastian couldn't resist playing with the plastic coffee cups they had on display: he grabbed one and ran away from me, down the laundry detergeant aisle. When he saw that I was catching up, he turned, laughing like crazy, and threw the cup behind a row of bleach bottles. I grabbed it and him, and brought both back to the Dunkin' Donuts line.

He immediately started grabbing more plastic cups, but as he did, one of the little shelves came off its supports and crashed onto the next one down. Which promptly fell off its supports. The cups flew everywhere. Sebastian got scared.

I held onto him while I picked up the cups, and then I explained to him that these weren't OUR cups, and this was why I didn't want him to play with them - they could make a mess. Then I gave him a big hug. A guy standing behind me in line was apparently fairly impressed, because he told me several times that I was a very good father.

A dream, and a memory.

A letter to Romney

So I wrote a letter to Bob Stoetzel, the person in charge of the commuter rail at the T. But he's ignored the problem routinely over the years, so this time I CCed the letter to Mitt Romney.

Does it take a lot of chutzpah to write to Romney after I recently slammed him in the Globe? Not really. He's a public servant. It's his JOB to take care of this stuff. Just because he's not DOING his job properly doesn't mean that it's not his responsibility.

Governor Romney:

I and many other riders I have spoken with have written numerous letters of complaint to Mr. Stoetzel over the past several years. Still no action has been taken to remedy the uncomfortable and downright dangerous conditions on the 715 Franklin train. Below is a copy of my most recent letter.

Sir:

The Franklin 715 (departing South Station at 4:10 PM) train has become an ongoing topic of outrage among riders on that line. I have spoken to dozens of people who have written in to complain - many of them having written more than once - about the service on that train. So far, all anyone has received in return has been a standard response letter, but no action.

In the years that I have been riding the line, there have never been enough cars on that run. Six single-level cars are provided, and EVERY car has ten or more people who are forced to stand in the aisle, making fare collection difficult and conditions extremely unsafe. At multiple times every year year the train has been so crowded that people are jammed even into the spaces between the cars, which is extremely unsafe.

I regularly have to stand for half an hour or more each day. Fortunately I'm healthy and can manage; I have seen elderly people and pregnant women who've also had to stand for just as long. This is not acceptable.

And yet the Needham train just before the 715 has more than ample seating - often, nearly half the seats are completely empty. The Needham train always has at least three double-level cars on that run, and I have never seen it more than 75% full.

The most recent incident was particularly unpleasant: July 27th 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.

What will it take to get this problem addressed?

--
Peter Maranci

I'll post any replies I get from either recipient here.

A letter to Romney

So I wrote a letter to Bob Stoetzel, the person in charge of the commuter rail at the T. But he's ignored the problem routinely over the years, so this time I CCed the letter to Mitt Romney.

Does it take a lot of chutzpah to write to Romney after I recently slammed him in the Globe? Not really. He's a public servant. It's his JOB to take care of this stuff. Just because he's not DOING his job properly doesn't mean that it's not his responsibility.

Governor Romney:

I and many other riders I have spoken with have written numerous letters of complaint to Mr. Stoetzel over the past several years. Still no action has been taken to remedy the uncomfortable and downright dangerous conditions on the 715 Franklin train. Below is a copy of my most recent letter.

Sir:

The Franklin 715 (departing South Station at 4:10 PM) train has become an ongoing topic of outrage among riders on that line. I have spoken to dozens of people who have written in to complain - many of them having written more than once - about the service on that train. So far, all anyone has received in return has been a standard response letter, but no action.

In the years that I have been riding the line, there have never been enough cars on that run. Six single-level cars are provided, and EVERY car has ten or more people who are forced to stand in the aisle, making fare collection difficult and conditions extremely unsafe. At multiple times every year year the train has been so crowded that people are jammed even into the spaces between the cars, which is extremely unsafe.

I regularly have to stand for half an hour or more each day. Fortunately I'm healthy and can manage; I have seen elderly people and pregnant women who've also had to stand for just as long. This is not acceptable.

And yet the Needham train just before the 715 has more than ample seating - often, nearly half the seats are completely empty. The Needham train always has at least three double-level cars on that run, and I have never seen it more than 75% full.

The most recent incident was particularly unpleasant: July 27th 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.

What will it take to get this problem addressed?

--
Peter Maranci

I'll post any replies I get from either recipient here.

One more sacred grotto violated by degenerate pimps

MacDonalds is apparently in the process of taking over the planet. I recently saw this on the marquee at the Woonsocket Library:

August 10th: Ronald MacDonald

"Could it be HIM?" I wondered.

And yesterday I found out that, yes, it's him. Ronald MacDonald is making appearances in local libraries all over the country, doing half hour story time for the kids.

God only knows what he's reading. Can you imagine?

The Little Hamburger That Could
And to Think That I Ate It On Mulberry Street
Big Macs for Sal
Goodnight Mayor McCheese
Make Way for Fries
Harold and the Purple McNugget
Buy, You Little Bastards, BUY BUY BUY our CRAPPY FOOD until you bloat out and DIE!!!!

Okay, I may have lost it a little bit there at the end. :D

One more sacred grotto violated by degenerate pimps

MacDonalds is apparently in the process of taking over the planet. I recently saw this on the marquee at the Woonsocket Library:

August 10th: Ronald MacDonald

"Could it be HIM?" I wondered.

And yesterday I found out that, yes, it's him. Ronald MacDonald is making appearances in local libraries all over the country, doing half hour story time for the kids.

God only knows what he's reading. Can you imagine?

The Little Hamburger That Could
And to Think That I Ate It On Mulberry Street
Big Macs for Sal
Goodnight Mayor McCheese
Make Way for Fries
Harold and the Purple McNugget
Buy, You Little Bastards, BUY BUY BUY our CRAPPY FOOD until you bloat out and DIE!!!!

Okay, I may have lost it a little bit there at the end. :D