T brass should take the ride, writer says
Like school buses, we've been away for a spell. It's not that we haven't had mail. But, you'll agree, following Milena Del Valle's death in the Big Dig tunnel in July, every cry about a noisy bus, hot train, pothole or bump, rude fare collector, even a malfunctioning signal light, has seemed unnecessary and almost too indulgent to air in this space.
So we took a break.
But now with many area schools back in session , Boston's population swollen again , and traffic up by as much as 25 percent, we thought we'd share with you two letters to ring in the post-Labor Day rush in the Hub.
These are from former area residents who were recently back for a visit and took a trip into Boston. They are both adults who took the trouble to tell of various things they found disheartening about our city's public transit system, in hopes someone would listen. We did, and we are going to let them have their say.
Normally we would use just the first names of folks who write to us with a complaint. These two have consented to letting us use their full names so anyone -- including the MBTA -- can challenge their opinions. If you have a contrary view (or have had a similar experience as our visitors), let us know by sending an e-mail to tan@globe.com or starts@globe.com.
From Tom Williams, a 25-year resident of West Bridgewater before moving to Florida in 1993:
``My wife and I return to Brockton each summer to visit children and for appointments at Massachusetts General Hospital. It was one of these appointments that took us to Boston on Aug. 1.
``Our plan was to take the T from Quincy Adams to the Charles/MGH station for my appointment, then to Government Center for a visit to Faneuil Hall, then back to Quincy Adams.
``We bought Charlie Cards at Quincy Adams thinking the T was finally up to date with modern technology, only to find we had to buy tokens to enter at Charles / MGH and Government Center. Why impose the burden on riders to carry both forms of fare instead of deploying the Charlie Card program systemwide?
``Our car inbound from Quincy Adams was a mess , with newspapers and other trash scattered throughout. Our car outbound from Park Street had someone's fast-food bag complete with french fries strewn on the floor. Are we raising a generation of people who have no pride in their surroundings?
``Our inbound train showed up at Quincy Adams with the destination sign showing Braintree instead of Alewife. For the first several stops, the automated announcement was, ``Next station Braintree." At Andrew, two older women heard the announcement and rushed from the car, thinking they were on the wrong train. The announcement was correct by the time we reached Charles / MGH. Don't employees on the train know what is going on?
``The conditions of the underground stations at Park Street and Government Center are deplorable. There is no apparent ventilation except that provided by the trains as they enter and leave. This has been the case since I first rode the T many years ago.
``The Ashmont/Braintree Red Line platform at Park Street was packed with people from the platform edge to the wall, and everyone was looking for a train when one finally appeared with about eight cars. As it entered the station, it turned out to be an out-of-service movement. The disappointment was palpable. What a thumb of the nose to all of those hot and frustrated people to have an empty train roll by. Another train showed up shortly thereafter packed with people. We and only a few others were able to board.
``I'm sure regular riders have many more problems than we had on our one-day trip. I believe that, as a condition of employment, the top administrators should be required to ride the T on a regular basis. Conditions would improve as they did when Governor Dukakis rode the T to work. Thanks for letting me vent."
Children can get lost with T system
From Karen Biastre of Middletown, R.I.:
``I lived in Boston for most of the 1980s and currently visit the city at least 8 to 10 times each year. . . . I had the displeasure of using the Charlie Card machines at Quincy Adams for the first time on [Aug. 26]. It was a disaster!
``I came into Quincy Adams with my 10-year-old son for the `Futures at Fenway' doubleheader. A sign posted at the QA stop informs all Red Sox fans planning on using the Kenmore stop" that it ``is not yet set up for Charlie. To my dismay, the sign did not inform us to what we were supposed to do instead.
``We waited for over 20 minutes in a very large crowd of people, while jammed up against the Charlie machines, for assistance from the one and only attendant at QA. I had to explain several times that I wanted one adult ticket and one child's ticket to travel from QA to Kenmore, then back to QA again. The attendant gave me all the wrong information, and at the end of the day, I realized I paid twice as much than I was supposed to for my ticket.
``In addition, I had to wait in line a second time to purchase a second ticket for my son in order to get him out of the QA stop later that night. Apparently, some adults are cheating the system by purchasing children's fares for themselves.
``The MBTA's way around this is to allow only one-way tickets for kids, which means those of us traveling with kids have to wait in line twice. I also had to prove to the attendant that I was purchasing a children's fare for a real live child by `presenting' my son to her. . .
``At QA, they have a separate gate for `Reduced Fare' riders. Kids ride at a reduced fare, so the MBTA makes children enter through a different gate from their parents. I lost sight of my son when I went through my gate with a large crowd of Aerosmith fans who were coming into the city for a concert. Thank goodness my son had the smarts to stay put . . . but for several terrible moments, I could not find him. The potential for a child to get lost or stolen is huge with the setup they have in place. The system should not place children in danger in order to save a few cents for the MBTA.
``It also has to be user-friendly with `walk-you-through-it' instructions on the Charlie screens. I learned the hard way that I cannot rely on the attendants. I'm driving in next time."
Starts & Stops runs every other Thursday. Your feedback and questions on transportation topics -- from road to rail, planes to pedestrians -- are welcome. Contact us at starts@globe.com or at Starts & Stops, 1165 Washington St., Hanover MA 02339. Please tell us your first name and hometown. 
