It never ceases to amaze me that the folks who run the MBTA can’t seem to handle the simplest aspects of running a working public transit system. Over and over again, I’ve found myself complaining to them about things that just shouldn’t come up, because they should just be handled properly to begin with.
My wife recently took a three-day trip to New York City with our daughters, and she spent a day touring the city with the girls on foot and by public transportation. She said that every “Walk” signal worked (not so in Boston!), drivers actually stopped for pedestrians (not so in Boston!), the subway signs were clear and accurate (!), the fare collection system didn’t have people lined up waiting to board the buses (!), all stops were announced (!), and every time she asked a transit worker, other city employee or even a stranger on the street for advice, they were helpful and knew the information she needed (!!).
Everything about Boston is smaller than New York City. One would think that it would be rather easier to run Boston to the same standards as New York City. So why is Boston instead run like a dump?
In any case, here’s the complaint, which I just sent to the MBTA, which prompted the rant above:
The other night, I was riding the B Line outbound, intending to disembark at a stop I rarely use and with which I am unfamiliar, Sutherland Street.
I noticed when boarding the train that it was making its automated stop announcements, both audibly and on the LED displays, so settled down to get some work done on my laptop while lending half an ear to the announcements so that I would not miss my stop.
A bit later, I realized with a jolt that at least one stop had gone by with no visible or audible announcement being made. I rushed to the front of the train as it pulled up to the next stop and said, “Is this Sutherland Street?”
Driver: “No, this is Chiswick. The last stop was Sutherland Street.”
Me: “Why didn’t the train announce Sutherland?”
Driver: “It never does.”
There are at least two things wrong here.
First of all, obviously, the automated stop announcements should be working.
Second, your driver was apparently unaware that the driver is obligated by Federal law to announce all stops, and thus that if the automated stop announcements aren’t working, the driver is obligated by Federal law to announce all stops herself.
Some stop announcements is rather worse than no stop announcements. If there weren’t any announcements,I would have been paying attention to every stop, and I wouldn’t have missed mine. Luring people into a false sense of security by announcing some of the stops and then just stopping is unacceptable.
Interestingly, the same thing happened to my wife earlier the same day when she was traveling to exactly the same stop. Worse than that, before boarding the train at Park Street, she checked a B Line map there to confirm which stop she should disembark at, and the map she reviewed didn’t even have Sutherland Street on it; it showed Mount Hood. It seems to me that the maps in Park Street should reflect the actual stops the trains are making.
Sincerely,
Jonathan Kamens
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Tags: MBTA
Just got this response:
Dear Mr. Kamens:
Thank you for your email regarding automated stop announcements on the Green Line. I appreciate your taking the time to write and I apologize for any inconvenience during your commute.
The MBTA maintains a firm commitment to serving our customers with courtesy and consideration and does not tolerate the conduct described in your email. Green Line Supervisors will be interviewing this employee and the necessary corrective action will be taken. You are correct stop announcements are federally mandated and should have been made by the train crew if the automated ones were malfunctioning.
Again, I apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused you.
I appreciate your bringing this matter to my attention and hope to serve you better in the future.
Deborah Gies
Chief of Green Line Transportation
That would really irk me too, jik. It amazes me, the things you run into.
Hi, I just had a very similar issue: the C line was running express from Kenmore to Coolidge Corner: they announced it, but without the microphone turned on, so the majority of the people in the train didn’t know. When people started yelling after the train ran through two stops (inexplicably), they stopped at the third stop to let everyone off.
I had to walk back the 4 blocks to my stop, loaded down with lots and lots of packages. I may not have been as upset if I hadn’t just waited 1/2 hour for a train, and was loaded down, but their comtempt for the experience of their passengers was really awful.
I’m glad you have this site: I’ll add a link on my blog (on yahoo 360).
the buses they dont run on schedule,i think the driver have their own schedule,and their attitude about it,i always be at time selon schedule but unfortunately theres no bus, also theres nobody to talk to,even if theres they respond you with attitude,or i dont know,this things going on on malden center,also,i seeing alot driver they use cellphone while driving,is it law to do that, be honest with you buses ,and orange line especially its mess,its has been like this long time,why the orange line its too old,and seats are discasting to sit on,why we dont have a new train,like green line,very nice, bcs peoples who take orange line are foreign,and middle class,bottom line the mass mbta its stressing and depressing, the only thing you guys care about is increase the fair,god watching you as you torture as
This has happened on the Fitchburg train line also — stops sometimes not announced.
Today, the 6:40 am train was more than 1.5 hours late due to:
1- the train in FRONT broke down.
2-My train stopped at an intersection, the lights went out, and alarm screeched in our ears for 1/2 hour!!
3-the train inched into North Station, because it had to PUSH the broken down train
4-it stopped twice at every single stop
5-the train was freezing cold, even though I am wearing a sweater and coat.
It is a cattle car at best!
And what’s more, I never have received any reimbursement for my funding requests through the MBTA website.
UNACCEPTABLE!
Where did you make the Mbta complaint? on their site?
last week i was walking up to a bus at the base station (it waits there for anywhere from one min to 10 mins). the door closed as i approached the rear of the bus so i ran up and knocked. At this point the bus had pulled 1′ from the curb and was surrounded by cars and a redlight – so it was stopped. the driver pointed in the direction the bus was going and screamed “just go to the next stop!” as if i had annoyed the heck out of him. The bus didnt get around the corner for another 3 mins. we waited for the next one.
I lived in the NYC area for over 10 years and i agree with you. The MBTA is the worst run organization, but i feel this is a reflection on another poorly run organization- the boston leadership and goverment. This is one rundown town especially considering the tax rate.
dont even get me going on the cops (or lack thereof).
This morning one the Green Line, E train, the driver flat out refused to let passenger off at the Mission Hill stop. Just flat out refused and forced us to stay on board to the next stop, some 3 blocks away. Isn’t that kidnapping?
Posting your complaints here gives them visibility, which is good, but you should also be sure to complain to the MBTA! When you encounter one of these issues, write down the train or bus number (not the route number, but the number of the specific vehicle) and the time of day, and then go to http://mbta.com/customer_support/write_to_top/ to find out where to send your complaint. In this case, it would be Deborah Gies, the MBTA Green Line Chief, at greenline@mbta.com.
I am quite disturbed at the foolishness and unprofessional attitudes of some drivers. Let me first say, many, many drivers are caring, professional drivers and this comment should not reflect on the majority of the drivers that do care.
Recently, I have met a few just willing to make your life difficult.
Currently, on selected weekends the Redline that runs to Ashmont has been rerouted. After the JFK/UMASS stop on the redline the passengers are shuttled to FIELDS CORNER along Dorcester Ave.
On two different occassions I have taken the shuttle which runs along Dorcester Ave after 6pm in the evening (which by the way NO SERVICE exists for me) and the driver would not stop the bus for me at a marked bus stop. As I had said this had happened at least twice.
I also want to note other drivers have been very considerate and left me off when I have alerted them to stop by ringing the bell.
Please what is your policy? Is it if the driver wants to be nice he will stop or if he want to be nasty he says, “screw you” and he makes you walk back when he could have easy enough let you off.
I approached at number of MBTA-employees wearing the Yellow Jacket driven by Customer Service? C’mon is this a JOKE? When I mentioned this to them I think they tried hard enough to hold back the chuckle.
Please if you are going to reroute passengers due to on-going construction. Please be aware there are older/disabled passenger who can use a little consideration and kindness and let them off on Dorchester Ave so they don’t have to walk back because you don’t provide any evening service.
regarding the govt green line crash..well what about the front car driver conversing-chatting to rear car driver? I often sit up front and hear them chatting to each other and not paying attention to their responsibility.
2.
last qwwek on B line the train approaching a curve and slow down sign suddenly the driver applied the brakes..very sudddenly. I grabbed the elder lady next to me as we were being force propelled-were we on foot we would fall. on these Breda trains i also note a slight sharp brake propellison> passengers compared to older japanese comfy well engineered models..it is ever so slight but Noticeable, nonetheless!the new busses also are a horror of engineering..the front of older versions had seats up front for weak elderly to sit comfortably etc.these new versions have a huge over wheel box long area so when bording often the bus acellerates> before weak fragile folk get> seats..i notice also the buses lean or the shock absorbers are differently engineered to older comfy to ride busses..
baby carriages on crowded busses should be folded so as to not inconvenience passengers in these narrow areas.
? why are folks allowed to board T vehicles with liquids in hand like hot coffee etc? as i described the jerking/braking makes these liquids spill over..I cannot fathom why this is allowed.
3.B-line bouncing to expressing.
On B -line four criticsl stops were removed 2006.We commuters at a meeting we were over 500 there protesting this decision.I live on the highest hill over boston corey hill of which summit ave N.b.! SUMMIT is a high sholder of this hill from which at the summit ave stop you see for miles distance.We Summit ave folk have to walk summit ave are frankly,so so neglected..the rason at the time was delay supposedly..well the seconds to stop -desembark at one of these 4 stops was minimal compared to the delay at the time( pre charlie pass) of painstakenly getting bills> fare box where the problem of delay occuired.they simply had decided to close and not hear us at all really blind folks were ignoored folks wh bought condos on B line strickly to avoid driving-ignored.elders ignored..etc.etc.
now with charlie cards so speedup b line well frankly from harvard aved. bc stop now 8 out of ten trains go express making the 85-90% riders mostly elderly frails to be booted off cars going express.it i very very frequent and the inspectors ordering the expressing often order the large amount of passengers boarding at very used Harvard ave stop where they come from bus> B-line going home to senior citizen places on b-line well a stop after or 2 stops after we get told”going express so we have to climb down with bundles and re-board..so folks the closing of these 4 stops wasnt at all the cause of delay as NOw delay is WORSE ..so Please reopen our very needded original stops..yes the early commute hours with read door borderng helps..
next time sirs: consult commuters regarding suggestions to T engineering/and t commuting.we know the nitty gritty not the consultants.
If you think that is bad try being on the Blue line with the new trains.
Seats might as well be greased.. and the frackin drivers totally slam on the
breaks! They drive like my grandfather start stop start stop..
They should realize that they don’t need to pull on the controls so hard!
I saw an elderly lady slide onto the floor from her seat one day!
The following is the complaint that I lodged with MBTA on their website and by phone this morning for what happened this morning. The worst of it is that the handful of bad employees give the many good, polite, decent, hard-working ones a bad name.
Hello,
This complaint involves driver number #### of bus route 39 on 12/3/09 at 8:55am. I boarded a very crowded 39 bus at Riverway at approximately 8:54am, preceded by a few individuals. I was the last passenger to board. A middle-aged woman with a cane was just in front of me and thickly crowded by students, but with space to move back into the bus. Instead of moving back into the bus, she chose to fiddle with her handbag or something or other in her hand. I was stuck standing on the disabled persons ramp by the door. The driver said, “You need to move back. You can’t stand there.” I responded, “I’m trying but there’s no room to move.” I certainly did not wish to jostle a woman with a cane. He insisted. I explained again that there was no room. INSTEAD OF ASKING PEOPLE TO MAKE ROOM, most especially the woman with space in front of her, he merely insisted on my moving again and said, “If you don’t want a ride…” and started to pull over. I was on my way to work and didn’t have time to lose. I tried to push past the woman, who thereupon gave a yelp of annoyance and said “Hey there!” I looked at the driver and said, “See?” He responded, “This conversation’s over. This conversation’s dead. Move back.” It was fortunate that my having inconvenienced the woman prompted her to move farther back in the bus, thereby affording me room to move back myself. I sat peacefully and quietly for the entirety of my commute to work, whereas the woman (who seems to have known the driver) walked up and talked to him AS HE DROVE THE BUS all the way to her destination about 5 stops away. At my destination, Clarendon St. stop in Back Bay, I requested the driver’s badge number. He grumbled “####” and just looked at me with a sour expression while I informed him briefly as I stepped out of the bus that “I’ll be reporting you today.” He thereupon audibly called me a “mother-f***er.” I am disgusted by the way I was treated this morning. Not only was I offended by the sheer rudeness and foul-mouthedness of the driver, but I’m also disturbed by something a bit more fundamental. I was publicly embarrassed by the driver, and I am inclined to feel that it was based on age-appearance and perhaps even race. I am a 32-year-old (supply any race) professional. However, I live in a college neighborhood and have a youngish appearance. As soon as I boarded the bus, the driver made me feel like dirt and as though I had done something wrong. I seriously feel as though I was perceived and treated thus because the driver has negative perceptions of (supply any race) and/or young people. Also, the driver’s failure to encourage the woman (of the same race as himself) to move back to make room for me to move while publicly embarrassing me reinforces this perception. Nothing explicitly racist was said, but I was made to feel extremely extremely extremely uncomfortable and I feel that this was due to my being (supply any race) and having a youngish appearance. Regardless of my perception, the driver shouldn’t treat anyone that way for any reason. All I want to come of this complaint is an apology. That’s all. A sincere apology from the MBTA for the treatment I received.
Thank you.
You may get an apology, but I doubt it’ll be a sincere one.
The most interesting aspect of this is the (supply any race) aspect of things. I made that change to make the material suitable to a public readership. However, it’s instructive for all readers to supply various combinations and really get in touch with their own responses to said hypothetical combinations.
This morning (December 21, 2009) at the Randolph/Holbrook Commuter Rail Station commuters were left stranded without parking or access to the platform.
Why?
The MBTA did not plow snow from the parking lot.
No parking was available. None.
MBTA buses could not even access the lot to get to the bus stop.
There was not even a path plowed to the platform. Commuters had to walk through large snow drifts just to get to the train. Horrible mismanagement. Shame on the MBTA!
I live near the Commuter Rail Station in Randolph and use the train. There is a robotic Public Address announcement that is played randomly and loudly and redundantly. It is very annoying and I can hear it from my house and is annoying and unnecessary and insulting to be aired more than once particularly like right now on a quiet Sunday morning when there is no one at the station to hear it.
I am amazed when I go to other cities to find how clean, pleasant, and user friendly public transportation can be.