Jeremy C. Fox for Boston.com
The setting sun shone down as an outbound Orange Line train approached Roxbury Crossing.
By Jeremy C. Fox, Town Correspondent
[View the story "Spring is in the muggy, fetid air on the MBTA" on Storify]Spring is in the muggy, fetid air on the MBTAStorified by Jeremy C. Fox· Fri, May 03 2013 12:32:56As April turned into May this week, the weather finally turned warm and sunny, which can only mean one thing: five months of overheated buses, subways, and stations on the MBTA.Like the first songbirds of spring, already a few commuters have begun to complain about the moving saunas ferrying them home from work: @mbtagm seriously, it's 65 degrees out and the heat is on on the commuter rail? So brutal. #mbtaannoyMichelleShould of had a really big drink before starting this commute! #hot #overcrowded #mbtaannoyRed Line CommuterBut don't people always say that it's not just the heat that gets you? With warmer weather come many changes, including a wider array of aromas:It smells like warm stale subway on this tube where's Febreze when u need it #mbtaannoyTeeshAs the city heats up, everything seems to move just a little bit more slowly, even things you thought couldn't get any slower:After half an hour of waiting... "The next red line train to braintree does not take passengers..." Passes empty #mbtaannoySweetadelinevt@mbtaGM If the B stands by at Park for a schedule adjustment EVERY MORNING, shouldn't you just permanently shift the schedule? #MBTAannoyChristopherThe red line made it a whole 8 hours into May before their first major delay! Good job guys! @mbtagm #mbtaannoyMike TremblayAlso, one of these days, my bus will arrive. #MBTAannoyKathryn Kinzel. @mbtaGM did you change the orange line schedule? What about the oak grove construction? No notification? WTF! #mbtaannoy #fail #latePatrick Mattson"We are experiencing delays blahblahblah..." #mbtaannoy @mbtaGMSammy GorinYou weren't in any hurry were you? Let's hope not, because there's no room for you: Red line inbound full at N Quincy station. 7-9 minute headway clearly not enough @mbtaGM #mbtaannoyMike TremblayAt least a few riders lucked out: Brand new double decker trains for the ride home #winning #mbtabragNatalie LeveilleThought I was going to be super late but the heavens opened and sent me an on time train right as I was coming up the escalator. #mbtabragRhiannon GorhamBREAKING NEWS: the 70A is running on time! #mbta #MBTAbragerodBut many weren't so fortunate, and some are too jaded to believe the MBTA's reassurances:"There's another train right behind me" - best mbta green line lie. Drivera never get tired of saying it. @mbtaGM #mbtaannoyDIn these days of tracking apps why do they continue to say another train is right behind? #mbta #mbtaannoyrev8056These next few tweets, all posted less than an hour after the one above, may show why the mysterious Twitter user known only as rev8056 has become so jaded: So @mbtaGM how many 43 yo trains disabled today? 3-4 so far and nothing ordered to replace them #mbta #mbtaannoyrev8056Parking @ Andrew & next train in Braintree Why? Another disabled of course! #mbta #mbtaannoyrev8056@mbtaGM sounds like this train will drop the last car at any minute Maybe that would get the T to replace decrepit trains #mbta #mbtaannoyrev8056Last train got to Braintree 20 mins ago so let's park @ Quincy Adams for a while Let me guess signal system broke again #mbta #mbtaannoyrev8056Still parked @ Quincy Adams @ mbtaGM will trains actually be moving today? #mbta #mbtaannoyrev8056This week Christina and Matt stood in the sunshine of their local bus stops, wondering just how they could get the drivers' attention: @mbtaGM #mbtaannoy Had to chase down bus # 2178 due to him driving by me, saying bc I was looking at my phone. I was, bc he 10 mins lateChristina M. SmithOnce again - a #1 bus blows by mass ave and beacon without stopping bus #2210 this time. Getting very sick of this!!!!! #mbtaannoyD. Matt BrothersNatalie opted for the Orange Line but was no happier with the level of service:Another slow orange line driver #killingme #mbtaannoy #idonothaveallnightNatalie LeveilleAt least Sonia found that she and her trolley conductor were on the same page:My #greenline driver just sounded so annoyed that he had to stand by for a schedule adjustment. We're with you on that. #mbtaannoySonia RoseAnd James got a driver who made his commute better, then had another good experience on the same bus line just three hours later: Tobin traffic sucked but our 111 driver sped up after the tolls to make up for it! #mbtabrag #idontonlymentiongripesJamesJust used my weeky pass to board the 111 via the Rear Door for the first time. And I got a seat. #mbtabragJamesKyle, though, had a bus ride that veered toward danger:My bus & a train almost had a head-on collision at Packard's Corner. Don't know who had right of way... @universalhub @mbtaGM #MBTAannoyKyle W. KerrAnd several riders had complaints about broken or malfunctioning equipment: @mbtaGM Any idea when countdown clocks will work at Harvard Station again? Going on 3+ weeks now of no arrival times. #mbtaannoy #mbtafailSteve@annnndkim Ih was told my pass exp'd 28(Mar) & went all the way to DWTN Xg only to be told it was fine. #mbtaannoy @mbtagm @universalhubStateless AnimaHey, @mbtaGM, how much extra cash are you making from people whose May passes didn't reload? #mbtaannoyKatie HamillOut of tunnel where you get 5 bars of 4 G & no available data how does the T connect Red Line to Internet ? Dial up? #mbta #mbtaannoyrev8056What, are Daleks making announcements on the #MBTA now?!? I expected to hear "Destroy!!" on the PA system. #MBTAAnnoyKen CuffeeSean pointed out that some equipment just needs a little help: The T @mbtagm really needs a door closing announcement like @wmata. Took six attempts for Red Line train to close doors. #mbtaannoySean SmythWhile several commuters said their fellow riders needed help with their manners: Seriously considered asking for the autograph of the guy who thought he was too important to move out of the door. #MBTAannoyMBTA Rider @RhiannonJulia: People that hug the poles, wear backpacks, have no sense of pers space should have their own train. #mbtaannoyRhiannon GorhamThere should be a sobriety check to ride the train during rush hour. #mbtaannoy.Sean FaheyDear Men on Public Transportation: Learn to put your knees together. #MBTAannoysnowgraylove when people stare at me on the T... not #MBTAannoyKyla McCabe-CorrowAt least some fellow passengers are amusing, or fun to be around, or thoughtful: "The destination of this train is Riverside" // Child on train: "Ugh I HATE Riverside!" #mbtabragArthur LiuGirl waiting for the bus with me actually told me to go first because she had cash and it would take her longer. #stunned #MBTAbragKyle W. KerrTo the boy playing air guitar on the green line - I play a mean air bass. Let's jam. #MBTABragJessica ChahanovichYoung people jammin to a street musician at Govt Ctr. So much fun. #mbtabragNeenah Estrella-LunaGot a compliment about my hair today on the T. Made my morning. We need more complimenting. #mbtabragNeenah Estrella-LunaBut no one was charming out Ellie or Mabel out of their frustration with unspecified issues: Unreal commute this am. Thanks orange line. #mbtaannoyEllie RoundsThe T is really grinding my gears today #mbtaannoymabel Are your gears getting ground by the MBTA? A tweet with the hashtag #MBTAannoy could be just the thing to grease those cogs and make you feel better. And the next time someone says, "Hey man, nice bangs," don't forget to #MBTAbrag about it.
Storified by Jeremy C. Fox· Fri, May 03 2013 12:32:56
Jeremy C. Fox can be reached at jeremy.fox@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter: @jeremycfox. Follow Downtown on Twitter: @YTDowntown.
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