Wednesday, January 26, 2011

Twittering on the T

Can you do that without it being a fine? 

Globe must have finally gotten the windshield thawed:

"Once again, delays leave MBTA riders out in cold" by Eric Moskowitz, Globe Staff / January 26, 2011

A day after equipment failures left thousands of people shivering on platforms in subzero weather, the MBTA stationed extra mechanics and supervisors throughout the system, ran trolleys and subways overnight, and idled commuter rail locomotives, so that they would all be ready to start in the freezing cold yesterday morning. But thousands of commuters were again left waiting.... 

[It has] already been a challenging winter for commuters, with above-average snowfall and below-average temperatures....

Scattered improvements provided little relief for customers who found themselves waiting again yesterday.

“There’s sort of a combination of frustration and disgusted resignation, and I think people are just sick of the excuses,’’ said Paul Massari, who rides commuter rail from Salem to Boston’s North Station and bikes the final leg to his job in Cambridge.  

That is what I typed yesterday.

Massari said he has not had an on-time train in two weeks. Monday and again yesterday he said he waited about 15 to 20 minutes beyond the posted time for his inbound train, a hassle made more frustrating in the bitter cold. His wait was further aggravated, he said, when neither online service alerts nor the countdown sign at the station gave accurate information.

“To have trains that come on time and get you to work on time doesn’t seem to be a lot to ask, but for some reason it doesn’t seem to be something that [they] can deliver consistently,’’ said Massari, who works as a writer for Harvard University....   

Isn't there that famous saying about Mussolini making the trains run on time? 

You can't even get that from your fascism, AmeriKa!

MBTA general manager Richard A. Davey said the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority has worked around the clock to try to keep its aging fleet running in frigid conditions and will continue to do as much as possible to maintain service through a winter that meteorologists say shows no signs of abating soon....

Blogs and social media such as Twitter and Facebook have given people an amplified and immediate voice for airing service concerns. The T has taken a pounding on Twitter lately....

--more--"  

Also see: Nor’easter could drop foot of snow south of Boston

Looks like I'll be busy again the next couple of days, dear readers. 

Thank you for visiting.