(Jeremy C. Fox for Boston.com)
Will these unsuspecting passengers be greeted by waves of heat once they board their bus? Many commuters were this week.
By Jeremy C. Fox, Town Correspondent
[View the story "A hot week on the MBTA" on Storify]A hot week on the MBTAStorified by Jeremy C. Fox · Fri, May 25 2012 17:36:58Aside from the occasional transit police officer sleeping on the job, this was a pretty quiet week on the MBTA. As Boston slides into Memorial Day weekend -- and with it, the unofficial beginning of summer -- it seems a lot of local commuters are feeling relatively good about their transit system. Not only were there no major disasters, there were a number of remarkably positive experiences, judging by the number of #MBTAbrag tweets and the surprisingly positive stories they tell. Just saw a MBTA employee be very polite and help a blind man off the train and down the Back Bay platform! #MBTAbragTodd JohnsonI feel like I'm in the Twilight Zone. Malden Center Station smells like fresh orange zest instead of pee and mold! #MBTAbrag @mbtagmAndy MallonYo, i think this morning on the otange line was by far one of the best i have ever had! #mbtabragJess Indeed#MBTAbrag I'm on a nice quiet train. AC works. No bad smells.La Eve!Commuter rail was very civilized this morning, since so many people are on vacation for the long weekend already. Nice change. #MBTAbragChris Faulkner#PiousPoultry on the last bus home. Only one on bus, getting dropped off at my door. Like a limo service, only a little less fancy #MBTABragPious PoultryAt least when you commute with your sister you have someone moderately tolerable sitting next to you #MBTAbrag #MBTAannoyVanessa Marie GatlinA good week on the MBTA? Does it seem too good to be true? Maybe it is.There were many more #MBTAannoy tweets this week (as always), and some of those tell tales that are just as frustrating as the tweets above are satisfying. Did the power really just go out on this train. #MBTAAnnoyConnnorWell I was early for work until the #MBTA completely moved the stop a few miles down the road without signage or warning! #MBTAannoyLukas AkerleyMajor Southie bus fail today #mbta #MBTAannoyDarren Mackiewicz@universalhub waiting for E train green line outbound for the past 20 min. 3 D's and 2 B's have gone by. #MBTAannoyJen#MBTAannoy guy in wheelchair just got crunched by doors several times at haymarket because orange line not adequately accessibleKenjimal@MBTA The 120 bus didn't show up to Webster St. at 11:20am. And it never passed me as I ran to Maverick. Fail. #MBTAannoyJennifer Briney#MBTAannoy signal problems weekly on the blue line 35 mins for three stops that usually take 10 minutes tops. Awesome!Dana LoveIt continues to amaze me how rain magically makes public transportation not function #MBTAannoyIlena RyanIt's good to know that Bostonians aren't alone, though, right? that happens in NYC too! argh!RT @ilenabeth: It continues to amaze me how rain magically makes public transportation not function #MBTAannoyBrittany KotaryIn an annual tradition, the MBTA this week ignored the warm spring weather and continued heating some train cars on the Orange and Red lines, as well as a few buses. Honest to god, Red Line. People are passing out on the T because it's still pumping the heat like it's Winter #mbta #mbtaannoyKristen WHY is the heat on on the redline? #MBTAannoy #MBTA #suffocatingAnneI am in #orangeline hell. #hotcrowdeddelayed #mbtaannoyMelinda C#orangeline Why is this subway car so hot. Feels like heat is on and its 70 degrees outside! #mbtaAnnoySweetz #MBTA crank the AC! #redline #comininhot #MBTAannoyAmy SBest time to blast the heat on the bus? Humid mornings in late May!?! #MBTAannoy (@mbtagm bus 0518, route 99, driver 2744)Andy MallonWHY is the heat on? Why. Just why. #MBTAannoy #MBTASarah PerkinsSometimes it's good to stop and remember that public transit is cheaper and more environmentally friendly than driving is that you share it with thousands of other people. It's worth pausing to acknowledge that because there are so many reminders that's also often what makes it miserable. How do I politely tell the lady next to me on the train that she smells like urine? #MBTAannoy #woofAmy SOf course I wanted to listen to your cell phone conversation, instead of reading, thinking, or experiencing peaceful rest. #MBTAannoysnowgray,beautywhiteEveryone on this train smells like dead fish #talesoftheredline #MBTAannoyAmy SBecause you are taking up more than your half of the two-seater, my ass is half hanging over the side. This hurts. #MBTAannoysnowgray,beautywhite“@YourCharlestown: How's your commute on the #MBTA today" sucks. Why can't people have loaded cards/money ready on the bus? #MBTAannoyMarco FalconeYou are listening to your iPod without headphones, *and* the music is terrible. Bring back the No Boomboxes signs! #MBTAannoysnowgray,beautywhiteDear tourist: If everyone else gets off the train and turns left, you do too. There's no Batcave private exit in other direction #MBTAannoyRobert D SullivanTell new why there are so many people getting on the orange line with giant suitcases at DTX. Just tell me why. #MBTA #MBTAannoySarah PerkinsYes, I would actually really love it if your bag could take up 2 seats on the T #MBTAannoy #MBTA http://twitter.com/sarahkperkins/status/205782085032615936/photo/1Sarah PerkinsAnd some of the most frustrating people are the MBTA's employees. @mbtaGM yourr conductor on trolley 3263 needs to COLLECT fares #mbtaannoyCommonwealthRecycleYou know it's bad when the train driver stops at JFK, gets out and starts running down the platform. Wtf. #mbtaannoyKristen Those may be valid complaints, but really, sometimes tweeters get #MBTAannoyed a little too easily. The one day this week taking public transit and nothing interesting has happened yet ...#MBTAannoy?KenjimalApparently it's not very hard to find reasons to tweet using the #MBTAannoy hashtag. If you're not already venting your frustrations that way, why not? But if you use #MBTAannoy, you should also use #MBTAbrag to acknowledge that once in a while the MBTA gets something right. Hey, even a stopped clock is correct twice a day.Happy Memorial Day weekend!
Storified by Jeremy C. Fox · Fri, May 25 2012 17:36:58
Email Jeremy C. Fox at jeremycfox@gmail.com. Follow Jeremy C. Fox on Twitter: @jeremycfox. Follow Downtown on Twitter: @YTDowntown.
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