Take the T -- and coffee -- and let's be nice out there

Following the advice of Globe columnist Brian McGrory, the MBTA went public last week with a campaign to encourage a little courtesy.

The ``Courtesy Counts" crusade grabbed several days' worth of media attention as T employees distributed hundreds of $2 Dunkin' Donut gift certificates to passengers observed performing small acts of kindness: holding a door, giving up a seat, and the like. But last week's publicity was actually phase two.

The first part of the plan involved passing out 10,000 brochures to T employees, urging them to be courteous to passengers. While there are no specific instructions on how they should behave, according to T spokesman Jon Carlisle, the plan is to generally urge the MBTA's employees to show more cordiality toward their customers.

The second part of the courtesy campaign is targeted at riders.

Some 1,000 placards are set to be placed inside the T's rail cars, pleading with passengers to avoid littering, defer to passengers more in need of a seat, such as the elderly or the disabled, keep cellphone calls at a low volume, and so on.

While polite behavior is not something that can be enforced, Carlisle said, the campaign should be successful in alerting riders to some breaches of etiquette that they may not have previously noticed.

The effort ``is just a reminder, but a powerful one," said Carlisle. He notes, for example, that when an able-bodied passenger does not give up his or her seat to a frail or overburdened passenger, it is not likely a malicious act.

``I think it stems," he said, ``from a lack of awareness."

While this campaign has no set time frame, T officials are hopeful, Carlisle continued, that the ``message will resonate" even after the placards come down.

Some riders seem skeptical of the campaign's chances.

``The T has zero credibility in the courtesy department," said Michael Mennono of Dorchester, who has become known for his T-Rage blog on its shortcomings.

``It's a joke." .

MICHAEL CORCORAN