Stupid Subway Trick

[Rob562]

So I'm returning home from my trip to Orlando. I flew into Boston Logan, and was in the process of taking the subway (the MBTA, or just "the T") out to where I left my car for the week.

I'd just gotten on a Green Line train, which is a light rail streetcar-type train. They have bi-fold doors, and you climb a couple steps up into the train. A college age kid was getting on with his friends, and decided to hold the door open for another friend he thought was right behind them. So he stood leaning against one of the doors. The doors try to close, but recycle open. Again, they try to close and they recycle. Then a third time. (Note: the kid was kinda skinny, and the way that he was standing, the driver wouldn't have been able to see him in his mirrors, as the door would have blocked his view)

Then all the lights and AC in the car go out and come back on again, which from experience means the driver turned the train off and back on again to reset the system. Again, the doors try to close and they recycle open. It's been over a full minute that we've been sitting there, when the typical station stop is maybe 10-15 seconds.

Finally, I'm just about to yell at the guy to get the hell out of the doors when the driver, a very imposing linebacker-sized man, comes down the train to see why the doors aren't closing. When he catches sight of the guy in the doorway, his face goes beet red, and I can tell that he was using extreme restraint when he loudly tells the guy "Hey! You can't hold the door open like that!". To which door-holder steps up into the train and says "Well I was just holding it for my friend." The driver is just speechless. He's turned in my direction and I happen to catch his eye and I shake my head knowingly...

So as the train pulls out, door-holder is on his cell phone to the guy who he was waiting for (who apparently wasn't even in the station yet). He's going on and on about how "this huge train driver yelled at me for holding the door open. I was only holding it for like a minute!" (later repetitions of the story by him shortened it to 30 seconds...)

Eavesdropping on their conversation (they stood near me), it was quite obvious they'd already had a few that evening (and it was only about 9PM).

Though fate did get a slight revenge on them at the end of their journey:
When the train reached their intended stop, they didn't start moving toward the doors until the train had stopped and the doors opened. By that point the train was packed pretty full. Needless to say, they didn't make it to the doors before they closed again. They had to ride to the next stop, where they'd either have to walk back to where they'd meant to go, or pay $2 each again to ride one stop back. (When the doors closed, I actually half expected the guy to pull the emergency lever above it to open the doors again, which would have also put the train into an E-stop mode...)

-Rob

[Theme Park Where]

:D: At least they didn't charge him a nickle to get OFF the train. Poor Charlie...

[hobie16]

You can always tell a Harvard man,but not much.

[Rob562]

You can always tell a Harvard man,but not much.

Are you referring to me or to door-holder? ;)
(Harvard U is actually my employer)

No, he was more like the Boston College type.

-Rob

[turkeyham]

Rob,
My older brother went to MIT. He always took the green line and also the blueline. He lived in Cambridge at that time. I know how these students can be, their IQ's get left at the turn style.

[Mayonnaise]

They had to ride to the next stop, where they'd either have to walk back to where they'd meant to go, or pay $2 each again to ride one stop back.

Why they gotta pay again? Oughtn't they just be able to get off the train, walk to the other side of the platform and get back on going the other way without going thru the turnstiles again?

8^S

[hobie16]

Are you referring to me or to door-holder? ;)
(Harvard U is actually my employer)

No, he was more like the Boston College type.

-Rob

The ho-de-door.

[Syndrome]

Darn, when I saw the title I was hoping for a "stupidity at sub sandwich shop"-type thread.

Oh well, since going off topic is practically required, I'll toss one in myself:

I was at the Subway on 192 near Celebration and ordered a sandwich. At the cash register, the price quoted was much too high so I questioned it. The cashier said, "It's for a combo meal." I said, "No, I just ordered a sandwich." Cashier says, "No, you have to order a combo." I replied, "I only want a sandwich" and he tried again, "You HAVE to order the combo." That brought on a tongue lashing that convinced his lazy butt to re-ring the order. Maybe that crap works with tourists but NOT with a crabby local.

[Mayonnaise]

Uh... please ignore my above post... it's been explained to me offline, that the Boston Subway isn't like the NYC Subway. It's not flat rate for all the transfers you need to get there so long as you don't go above ground. I wasn't proposing anyone steal anything... I just thought that's how ALL subways worked.

8^S

[DisneyMom]

Darn, when I saw the title I was hoping for a "stupidity at sub sandwich shop"-type thread.

Oh well, since going off topic is practically required, I'll toss one in myself:

I was at the Subway on 192 near Celebration and ordered a sandwich. At the cash register, the price quoted was much too high so I questioned it. The cashier said, "It's for a combo meal." I said, "No, I just ordered a sandwich." Cashier says, "No, you have to order a combo." I replied, "I only want a sandwich" and he tried again, "You HAVE to order the combo." That brought on a tongue lashing that convinced his lazy butt to re-ring the order. Maybe that crap works with tourists but NOT with a crabby local.

Maybe he was pocketing the extra cash :mad: