Trying to be Nice. Karma is a B*tch.

Friday on my way home, I went down to State to hop on the Orange line to North Station. I noticed these two older women with luggage that looked lost. They found a map of the T and were chatting back and forth about which way they should go and how they weren’t sure. I know how if feels to be lost in an unfamiliar subway so as I walked by I said “Where do you ladies need to go?” they stared at me blankly. I knew it wasn’t a language barrier because I just over heard them speak English! “I can try to point you in the right direction if you’d like.” I say thinking that if I rephrase it, maybe they will comprehend that I’m just trying to be nice so they don’t have to be lost. The two of them just stare at me. However, this time with evil eyes. What? Am I supposed to be afraid? You have evil eyes… I have pepper spray. Just sayin’.  

 I start to walk away and one goes to the other “Looking at the map, we should be able to get to North Station by going this way.” Since I was going to North Station myself, I figured they’d be right behind me. I turned around to see where they were heading. NOPE! They trotted off toward the wrong platform and ya know what? If I try to help you twice and I full well know you’re heading in the wrong direction after I tried to help… good luck to you and may you realize you’re heading in the wrong direction at the least opportune time, may you get off in the ghetto and may you miss your connecting train at North Station. Karma is a b*ch ladies isn’t it?

Find Your Babysitter at a Train Station?

I am not a mother. However, the other day while at the T Station, I waited patiently for my train to arrive and I over hear a conversation.

“Excuse me? Is this the T to North Station?” asks a sweet college aged girl to anyone that would listen.

A mother with her 6 or so year old daughter responds “Yes, this will bring you to North Station.”

“Oh, thank you! I am running late for work and don’t want to get on going the wrong way.”

There is a silence for a bit and then the mother says “This may sound odd but do you babysit? I need a sitter for tomorrow.”

The young girl pauses for a second “I do baby sit. I have to work tomorrow but it’s a catering job and I usually work 15 hours and only get 100 bucks so I can see about canceling so I can baby sit. I’d rather baby sit.”

The mother is excited “Great! When can you let me know for sure?”

“Tonight!”

The train comes and we all board.

“What’s your number? I’ll call you as soon as I know?” says the young babysitter.

The woman gives the baby sitter her digits and then says “Please let me know tonight. The sooner the better because otherwise I’ll have to make other arrangements.”

The kid is just looking back and forth between mother and new babysitter.

“I am glad we met. I’m a good judge of character and I think you’ll be great.” Says the mother to her new baby sitter as the train arrives at North Station and we get off the train.

So, I know there are good people in this world but I really don’t know that I would find a babysitter in the train station and then “interview” her on the T while riding two stops together and then hiring her for the very next day. I just don’t know… but then again, I’m not a mother.

Picture courtesy of DaftDaddy

Today, I'm Sharing

Today I am sharing with you a blog that I stumbled upon and thought was just great. It's a guide to Boston subways. The sarcasm is perfectly executed and if you ride the T ... ever... you will get a kick out of this Blog Post from Suldog. (Click Below)

a Guide to Boston Subway

Gephyrophobia- Fear of Bridges!

According to wikipedia, Gephyrophobia is an anxiety disorder brought about by the fear of bridges.

I have that! I am not horrified completely of bridges but if I am driving, I will drive extra fast over a bridge because I hate the thought of plummeting in my car into a ravine or water! So, my theory is that if I drive fast, there is less time on the bridge for error! (I know driving fast is not the answer though)

Yesterday, as we are leaving North Station on the commuter rail, we have to go over the bridge that is over the Charles. I go over this twice a day and try not to think about how the train could fall into the Charles. I burry my head in my book or update myself with my friends Facebook feeds and before I know it, I’m over the bridge and didn’t even know we crossed it. Yesterday was another story. I had my head buried in a book…for a while. I hear over the loud speaker that we are having problems with our “Ay-ah” (For you non-Bostonians, that’s Air). I look up from my book and look around. We are stopped dead on the bridge. I also make the realization that the air conditioning is on and blowing cool air so why on earth did we stop the train for 15 minutes… on a bridge due to “Ay-ah” problems.

Well, when they say “Ay-ah” it’s the “Ay-ah Brakes”. As in, we don’t have brakes to stop the train! Awesome! As we wait, other trains are coming by in the other lane and shaking the entire bridge. It’s not making me feel “sturdy” or “safe”.  We sit a little longer and then have to go back to North Station and change trains. We disembark the train and were directed to track number five. However, we get to track number five and there is no train buuut there is a train at track number six! Everyone starts getting on the train on track six. I have learned my lesson and don’t get on trains unless I know 100% where they are going so I stop to ask the conductor. This conductor is busy calming down a woman who was either robbed or lost something very important to her. So, I wait…and wait… and wait! There is a hand full of people waiting with me to verify the train’s destination. The rest of the group is just following like cattle on to the train. Finally, they get the lost item issue squared away and the train is verified. When I get on the train, the people that saw me standing by the conductor are coming up to me asking “Train to Lowell right?”

We finally all get seating and the woman comes over the loud speaker and tells us that our once express train is no longer an express train and will have to make stops at all the stops because we are now behind the train that makes all the stops. She also announces we have a problem with the “Ay-ah” and this time it was the A/C! It decided to blow hot air instead of cool air. It’s 82 degrees out, everyone is packed in and sweaty after a long day. No one is smelling pretty and now hot “Ay-ah” is being blown on us. Great!

We finally hit all the stops. No one get’s on or off at any of the stops until Anderson-Woburn! Finally, 82 degree’s feels cool to me and I’m off the train and ready to head home. What a long day! Who knew both of my trains coming home would have “Ay-ah” problems?

Cop a Feel Guy

Last night heading home, I had to make the 5:10pm train. There were no if, and's or buts about it. I had to make it! When the T pulled into State, it was packed but I had to get on because it was 5pm and if I waited for the next one, well, I didn't make the 5:10pm train out of North Station and I would have been screwed!

People pile out of the train at State which gives me hope that I will get on this T. Once everyone is out, I start boarding with the rest of the people with places to go and people to see. I pack my way on to that T and this one guy says to me "I'm not coppin' a feel." I flip around and look at him. He throws his hands up in the air and continues "See! My hands are up here! I just have to catch a bus and if I don't get on now, I'll miss it." I laughed. Usually on a sardine packed train, anything goes. You don't care who is touching you. You are just happy you made it on the T.

"No worries. I have to catch a train at 5:10. I know the feeling." Another guy chimes in. "I have to be at class in 10 minutes and I have a 10 minute walk ahead of me once I get off the train." As we are talking, people are still piling in and squishing us.

It's amazing what you put up with when you have to be some where. Each one of us had to be some where and were willing to pack on in and be cozy to complete strangers for 5 minutes in order to get there.

Cop-a-Feel guy made his bus, I made my train and I am assuming the School Boy got to class on time.

Dash to the Train with a Cat Carrier!

This morning as I am getting off at State, I see a woman frantically making a dash for the train. This woman is carrying a cat carrier with a sweet little kitty inside.

Ok, I'm not gonna lie, I am not a fan of cats. The whole litter box thing is just nasty to me and I'm allergic. Anyway, as I am a serial mad dasher in the mornings to catch my train, I know how jostled things get when you're running. My coffee splashes everywhere and if I'm lucky, I am wearing dark clothing so the coffee splashes don't show all day (Tide to go and Shout wipes often do the trick too).

So, needless to say, POOR FREAKIN' KITTY! Even though I am not a fan of cats, my heart went out to this poor cat who was jostled around in it's pet carrier while it's owner ran to catch the Orange line. That cat will NEVER want to get in a carrier again!

Rain Rain Go Away!

Wow! This morning was crazy in the rain. I left my house with no rain and by the time I got to the train, it was torrential down pours with some thunder and lightning. Absolutely soaked from the knees down. We all hovered underneath the over hang until the train arrived. When the train arrived, we all took turns running into the train car. Even though we had umbrella's this wasn't the kind of rain you could close your umbrella before entering so getting on the train was a little awkward as we had to board and close umbrella's on the train.

The ride in wasn't bad or soggy. However, going from Commuter Rail to the T and the T to the office, my goodness was it bad. The T was so soaked by all the umbrella's dripping on the floor that people were sliding all over the place when we went around corners or stopped. Luckily, I got a seat which never happens. So, I got to kick back and watch everyone else try to maintain their balance. One woman was instructing people to get into Ballet's second position to keep from slipping. Another recommending riding the T like it was a surf board. Crafty ways to stay upright on the T for sure.

So, stay dry my friends. I am hoping the rain stops by 5pm this afternoon! Crossing my fingers!!

And for the record, I'm not being a cry baby about this morning, granted, I didn't go to this station but the rain and puddles were insane. Check out this link:

Train Station under water!

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