On Romney bandwagon

The images have haunted rail commuters for weeks: hour upon hour spent staring out the windows of buses and trains, late for work, stuck in gridlock traffic while delegates to the Democratic National Convention whoop it up in the FleetCenter.

Then Governor Mitt Romney floated the idea of moving the convention site to South Boston, away from the tangle of rail lines and highways near the FleetCenter. Democrats may have brushed off Romney's suggestion, but many commuters at North Station can hardly contain their excitement.

"I think it's a great idea," said Frank Walsh, a federal government worker who, according to current security plans, would have to get off at Porter Square on his commute from Concord during the convention and take the Red Line to get to the city.

Rail commuters have been grousing about the nightmare they expect during the convention in July since they learned a few weeks ago that security concerns may force the closure of North Station and a portion of Interstate 93.

Roughly 25,000 passengers who ride the four commuter lines at the station would have to get off the trains north of the city and take buses or the subway into town. They could also drive, braving the throngs of traffic that will surely choke the city that week.

"It would be bedlam to close North Station," said Lorri Seaver, a Newburyport resident who works at Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary. "It affects all the hospitals, everybody around here. It's like closing a city. How do you do that?"

Many commuters said they felt ignored, that officials glibly plotted station closings for the sake of the convention without contemplating the possible disruption to their lives.

"Had they asked people who actually commute. . ." one woman snapped last week, making it known that she would have opposed anything remotely like closing North Station.

On Tuesday, Romney spoke up on the topic, saying the FleetCenter lies "in the heart of our transportation system" and that "it would clearly be easier if this convention were being held in the new convention center" in South Boston. Democrats said the convention center would not suit their needs and accused Romney of weighing in too late -- just four months before the convention is to begin July 26.

But at North Station yesterday, many commuters sided with Romney. "Romney's dead-on," Andover resident Jeff Dennis said.

"He's right, of course," said Nathan Moore, who commutes two hours each way from Lynn to Fitchburg, via Boston.

By the time Romney interjected himself, rail commuters had already been complaining that Republicans are planning to keep New York's Penn Station -- near Madison Square Garden -- open during the GOP's convention in August while the Democrats are planning to close North Station for their convention.

"How come New York has fewer concerns than Boston?" queried Salem resident Gifford Campbell, a bartender who stopped at North Station yesterday for a cup of coffee. "It makes no sense to me at all."

Andover resident Tom Raymo has been weighing the injustice during his 45-minute rides, wondering why a major transportation hub could remain open in Manhattan -- the victim of a terrorist attack three years ago -- during the Republican convention while North Station would not.

"I think it's pretty safe to say people think it's pretty outrageous," Raymo said.

The reason, according to a security official familiar with planning for the Republican convention, is that 600,000 passengers come through Penn Station every day, about 24 times more than in Boston. Security planners have reasoned that so many disgruntled people pose a risk.

"It's not going to help with security if people are up in arms," said the official, who requested anonymity.

The Secret Service, which is leading security for the Boston convention, did not comment on the governor's suggested change of venue and insisted no final decisions have been made on North Station or I-93.

"We'll take into consideration the concerns of the people of Boston, and we'll attempt to minimize disruptions," said Secret Service spokeswoman Ann Roman. "An event this size will cause some inconveniences."

Unless Democrats act on Romney's advice to move the convention site, many commuters at North Station said they will just leave town.

Tiffany Clark, whose commute from Beverly would mean taking the train three stops to Lynn, where she'd have to get on a bus to complete the ride into town, has decided life that week would be better in Hampton Beach, N.H.

"Being bused in? No way," said Clark. "All the people I ride with are so aggravated. A lot of them are taking that week off too."

Some say they'll work from home or call in sick, anything to avoid the mess they expect will greet them.

"I am not even getting close to Boston that week," said Victor Hernandez, a state employee. He said he'll work from an office in Haverhill instead.

Bernie Ouimet, a medical-care management worker, said that working from home or taking a vacation are nice ideas but completely impractical for many commuters. "The balance of folks, we just can't take the week off," he said.

Donovan Slack can be reached at dslack@globe.com