In Massachusetts, our public transportation system that serves the Boston area is called the MBTA (Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, also known as the "T." I'll be calling it the T for the rest of the article, just to let you know. I remember taking the T when I was younger but I didn't start taking it on my own until probably middle school age. Our public transportation system consists of bus, subway, and ferryboat. What I find to be unique about the T is that there are some buses like the silver line that are electric and go underground and that there are different types of trains such as the Commuter Rail and trolley cars. With this variety in types of transportation, you of course may have different experiences compared to others when taking the T but I do feel we have probably have had some similar experiences.
Running For the Bus and Everyone Sees You Miss It
Okay well pretend we could see the passengers on the bus staring at you as you run for the bus as it is pulling off. I know I can't be the only one that this has happened to! When this happens the struggle is real, especially when it's cold outside and the next bus is not coming for awhile.
It's Always a Struggle to Get on or off the Train if Your Morning/Evening Commute Matches With Everyone Else's
I have found that if I'm trying to get on the orange line between the hours of 7-9 a.m. or 4-6 p.m. on weekdays, it tends look and feel a bit like this until you get towards the last stops inbound to Oak Grove. I've heard the same for the red line as they even have train carts that are designed to fit much more passengers by not having as many seats as a typical cart would. Maybe this morning rush of commuters is the same across every form of transportation for the T but that is what I have observed on the orange line. There's not really a solution for it. It's similar to the morning and evening traffic you would experience if you drove to work or school.
Getting Lost
If you're new to Boston, the T can be quite intimidating. Like any public transportation system, it can get quite confusing. You might be too ashamed to ask someone for directions and although we have smartphones now, they might not always provide the most efficient way to get somewhere than an actual person familiar with the city could. Even now, after taking the T for quite sometime I get lost. I struggle the most with finding things on the green line especially and I know I'm not the only one! Unless you live near one of the green line stops, it gets some time to get the hang of.
And last but not least...
Delays!
Yes, of course delays happen with any form of transportation but these delays on the T always happen at the most inconvenient times it seems like! Then don't even get me started with the shuttle buses that take place of trains and take forever! It's always something right?
Hope you could relate to my MBTA struggles!
