Life in The Bowels Of Hell: I’ve Been There
Yesterday was 93 degrees and about as humid as scientifically possible without the benefit of refreshing rains (at least until evening). To avoid walking outside from my office to the Porter Square station as I normally do at the end of the day, I opted to walk the shorter distance to the Harvard Square station despite the fact that this would entail transferring from the red-line to the green-line. I just figured this would be easier than losing the 15 pounds of water weight that walking would have caused.
I got to Harvard Square station only moderately moist. I walked down the stairs to the turnstile level and it was slightly cooler than outside (though equally humid). I went down one more level to the outbound platform and it got a bit warmer (it always does). I went down the final set of stairs to the inbound platform and saw that a subway train had just departed the station.
However, the train was stopped halfway out of the station. After a few minutes of curious people gathering along the platform, the train starting slowly going backwards; returning to the station. Meanwhile, without any fans or fast trains entering or exiting the station, there was no air circulation and I started sweating.
Once back at the platform, the train driver ran from the front car to the back car, back and forth, a few times. Eventually, additional MBTA employees appeared and assisted with whatever this man was trying to do. This took place for another 10 minutes or so. There may have been announcements over the PA system, but I couldn’t hear them over my iPod.
Anyway, at this point I had gotten to the point of sweating profusely (as I’m known to do as a well-documented summer hater). Of course, the paranoia and embarrassment over sweating so heavily caused me to sweat even more and I was literally sopping wet – dripping like a faulty faucet onto the magazine I was trying to read (and occasionally used to fan myself).
The problem with the train appeared to be that the doors wouldn’t open and the people were trapped inside. Personally, I was jealous because at least those people were trapped in air-conditioned comfort. There wasn’t a bead of sweat on any of them. So here I am – just inches away from climate-control, but with no access to it. Life is cruel.
Finally, the MBTA opened a single door on two cars and made all of the passengers pass through them before pulling the train out of the station. Of course, this now meant the platform was packed with hot and cranky people and by the time the next train arrived (after having been on the hellish platform for 30 minutes) everybody flocked to board the air-conditioned subway cars. Suffice it to say, it was a very intimate ride.
I finally made it home over an hour after leaving the office.
So much for choosing the commuting option that would have been more comfortable. And why does this type of thing always happen on the worst weather days?
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What you just described would be my idea of Hell. Trapped outside the air-conditioned T, like some kind of postmodern Tantalus. Blech.
Ewww.
Karl you shouldn’t be so self conscious. I doubt people were going, hmm look at the guy with the ipod. Did he just walk through an open fire hydrant or something……..
That’s why I heartily support the 77 bus. It’s worth the short wait outside to not have to go sweat underground. And no walking required at all!
David,
that’s what I thought when I saw him. *snicker* Poor Karl. I told you public transportation sucks.
Good old Boston transportation! Gotta love it … except when it does this. We’ve got the right idea, but the execution is poor. I think we all need to move to Europe where they know how to do this kind of thing so much better.
What you just described would be my idea of Hell. Trapped INSIDE a subway car (who gives a f*ck about the A/C) and not able to get out. I’ll take the sweating on the platform any day!
Neurotic & Claustrophic in Chicago ;-P
Oh, and it RAINED here today. People were looking out the windows in amazement. An honest-to-G-d thunderstorm. Who knew?
I only spent 10 years trying to teach you that not only does mass transit suck — The T sucks even more.
…and, yet you’re always surprised.
You forgot the distinctive Boston T station smells that only come out on extremely hot and humid days. The one thing I hate the most about my trip home is walking down into the Boylston station – it’s always incredibly hot, they have a single fan blowing and it’s just so stuffy and gross.