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Third-grade teachers have a future on the Green Line
By adamg on Wed, 03/07/2012 - 5:08pm
When I got on on the second car of an inbound trolley at Hynes early this afternoon, it was fairly crowded, and the back half of the car was packed with high-school kids.
About halfway between Arlington and Boylston, WHAM, the train slammed to a stop. Some guy began yelling "Is everybody OK?" The operator got on the PA and asked the same question. Everybody was. And then the operator got back on and said "You kids back there better stop fooling around, somebody's going to get hurt."
A few seconds later, the train began moving again. WHAM, the train slammed to another stop. This time, we just sat there as the operator got on her telephone and began talking to somebody. "Excuse me, are we going to be moving soon?" one guy asked. "I have a bus to catch." Just then, a beefy inspector-type dude got on the train and made his way to the back. I couldn't hear what he was saying, but he was talking to the kids and pointing to the levers above the doors back there. A couple of the kids just shook their heads, as did some random woman back among them.
Inspector Dude strode to the front of the train and yelled: "This train is coming out of service. Nobody wants to admit anything, so we're taking this train out of service." The train inched into Boylston, the doors opened up and we all stepped out, as the Voice of the T guy's voice came on to apologize for the train being taken out of service.
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Comments
You have GOT to be kidding me!
Unless the emergency breaks had actually damaged the train, there was no call for taking it out of service. I would have demanded that inspector's badge number and made it clear I would be complaining as far up his food chain as I could. Somewhere in there I'd also suggest that he a) grow up just as those kids will do eventually, and b) grow a pair. There is not nearly enough service as it is without petulant inspectors stroking their own egos by inconveniencing as many passengers as possible.
Well...
I mean if no one knew why the train was stopping like that, why wouldn't you take it out of service?
Exactly my reaction
We are only assuming due to age and reported boisterousness that they were pulling the brake. Given that nobody said "yes, we were messing around" or "yes, I saw them pull that brake", and the possibility that they actually weren't doing anything and something was wrong with the train (VERY possible given the state of the T these days), taking the train out of service was the only logical safe alternative.
That is correct. If a Green
That is correct. If a Green Line train has an "undesired emergency brake application" and there is no evidence that an emergency brake handle was pulled, the train has to be taken out of service and the brake system inspected at the shops before it can go back into service.
Information so hard to share...
Okay, this makes a little more sense. And wouldn't have been too hard to explain. But rather than take the very short time to do that, the inspector made it seem like it was being done as punishment.
The MBTA's total inability to handle customer relations professionally is a constant irk to me.
And those handles should be designed to make it clear when one has been pulled. But again, that involves some level of intelligence and understanding of customer behavior than is usually involved. ;)
Pulling the brake
Years ago, I saw an older teenager do this on the Riverside Line outbound. We all had to get off because it was "MBTA Policy" after someone pulled the brake. The driver could not force the handle back in after the incident.
MBTA not consistent
If it is "MBTA policy" to evacuate the train after an emergency brake has been pulled (even if a prank) they are not very consistent about it. As if anyone is surprised that the T is not consistent about anything. Once I was on a very crowded Blue Line train on a Friday night, and two older teens kept pulling the emergency brake all the way from Government Center to Aquarium. Stop and start. The driver finally managed to get them off the train at Airport, andd the train continued on with all the passengers.
It is done on the Green Line
It is done on the Green Line because there has been a past problem of cars having unexpected brake applications and it can mean that a brake relay has to be replaced. The Red, Blue, and Orange lines have not had this problem.
How did you and the other passengers allow this?
When something like this is obviously happening on a "very crowded train," is everybody too afraid of a couple of teenagers to give them a good scolding? I can't envision this sort of thing happening more than twice before the passengers take care of the problem.
Ha ha , that's a good one! I
Ha ha , that's a good one! I thought the first time I read this you were serious.
It wasn't the taking the train out of service that got me
It was his announcement he was sending us all to bed without dinner because somebody did something bad that got me.
Grow a Pair
The inspector was doing his job. As to the comment he should grow a pair read the story about the Boston Cop who did the right thing on the train and was beaten and bit by the T-devil. A T-Inspector told me this happens all the time and they have requested help from the Police. It won't be a joke when trollies collide in the tunnels
A few years ago I was on a
A few years ago I was on a train when this happened, but the high school kids were all blaming each other. After pulling into Kenmore and evacuating the trolley, they announced that no one from Brighton High would be allowed on the train and would have to exit the station. Getting on the next train, the inspectors basically gave you a once-over to see if you looked like an adult and ID'ed or refused anyone who was (or so it seemed to me) young and black.
Taking it out of service is
Taking it out of service is the logical and safe thing to do. If, in fact the teens didn't pull the e-brake, then they should figure out why that is happening. -Mea www.hertrainstories.blogspot.com