I live in a charming New England town in Metro West where on a good day my commute takes an hour and twenty minutes each way. The commuter rail segment takes approximately 50 minutes and I use this time to read or get caught up on work. It is “my time”, that is, if I get a seat. We riders of the commuter rail suffer many, shall I say, disappointments, but for me, it is usually better than sitting in traffic.
Gripe #1 Please forgive me, but I am using this morning commute of “my time” to blog about things that bug me about the MBTA. Okay. Here I go. I can’t understand how the MBTA can be so inconsistent with how they handle communications. Is it that difficult? You can subscribe to an alert system that sends a message to your phone if a train is delayed or cancelled. Seems like a great idea, however, often the message is late or never arrives. Why bother with the alerts? I know that I could unsubscribe, but I keep thinking it will improve.
Communication should be timely. “Oh. Hey. Look out for that hole! Oops. I meant to tell you sooner.”
Gripe #2 Typically, I ride in the “quiet car”. Occasionally, you’ll see a small card tucked where the tickets go. The card explains that you are seated in the quiet car and suggests that you should move to another car if you need to talk. Other times, an extra loud announcement at each stop says, “If you’d like to ride in the quiet car, please go to a car at the end of the train.” When a train is too crowded, sometimes the conductor will apologetically announce that due to heavy ridership, there will be no quiet car. Most often, they say nothing. I am sure that I am not the first person who has been shushed by a fellow passenger or even by the conductor.
Why can’t the MBTA be consistent with communication? Perhaps they spin a dial each day and depending on where it lands, they decide if, how, and when to communicate about the quiet car.
Gripe #3 There is another side to this commuter rail communication coin. I have learned to avoid sitting next to a particular woman who insists on chatting up a storm in the quiet car. As a matter of fact, there she is, across the aisle and three rows down and there she goes again. Hmmm. I see fellow passengers looking up from their reading, pausing, and then turning their heads to see who is violating the quiet car rule. I wonder how long it will take before someone tells her to pipe down.
A few weeks ago, I was unfortunate enough to sit next to Gabby Jo before I knew better. We started out whispering and I limited my participation to simply responding to her questions. Before too long, a woman in the seat in front of us turned and curtly reminded us that this was the quiet car. I was so embarrassed. Of course, I gave Gabby the benefit of the doubt and as we were getting off at Yawkey, I whispered, “I am so sorry. I should have told you it was the quiet car.” I was thinking that perhaps she didn’t know (see gripe #2 above). She stunned me with her reply – “I know it’s the quiet car. I just felt like talking.” I must ask – WHY ON EARTH DOESN’T SHE RIDE IN ONE OF THE OTHER CARS?! The fact is, I would have enjoyed chatting with her in any other car.
So this tells me that even if communication has been transmitted and received, it still may be ignored. What would you do? Would you say something to Gabby Jo?
Actually you may do yourself and your fellow passengers a favor if you do sit next to her and then choose not to talk! I’ve been on some silent retreats in which people who want to speak just don’t find anyone to engage. They are typically met with a friendly smile and a finger to the lips meaning “I can’t talk! Its silent time”. That’s a message you could give Gabby Jo without being punitive or unfriendly.
Seems she’d be an easier project than the MBTA management, LOL!
Good luck.
I used to take the commuter rail and was struck by how quiet it was. I come from a big city in Brazil, Rio, and everyone talks there. You talk to strangers all the time during your ride. Very few people read because it is a given that people will want to talk to you on the train. You make friends on the train, find the love of your life, and talk about how bad the government is, anything. I found it sad that people here don’t take the opportunity to meet their fellow passengers. A friend of mine explained that New Englanders value their privacy. I think New Englanders value their privacy to their own detriment. Gabby Jo may not be from New England. Who knows?
Hi Robson,
Thank you for your comment. I am not saying that you shouldn’t talk – just not on the quiet car. You are right about New Englanders valuing their privacy. At one point last year, I almost wrote a blog about what goes on in the other cars on the train – so many never look up from their smart phone where they are texting, tweeting, playing games, and reading email. I fear that the art of casual conversation is dying.