Actual photo of Dan Grabauskas on a trolley

1) It is probaly photo shopped, he doesnt look like he has ever seen a train, let alone been on one.

2) When was this taken??? I havent been on a green line train with that many open seats and open space for a LONG time.

3) Of course he would be that annoying jerk who, even though there are many seats open and many spaces open, chooses to stand RIGHT in the doorway. I thought the T told us to go all the way into the train. Grabby, why are you blocking my exit?

4) What is he looking at?

General Manager Daniel Grabauskas defends his tenure, saying, "We are moving the ball in the right direction."

Of course, they are not in the business of moving balls, they are in the business of moving people. Balls don't care when the service sucks, transportation is delayed and workers are late for work, drivers are non-responsive to questions, the MBTA moves in court to suppress free-speech to provide cover for a poorly engineered ticketing system, which it procured and installed.

At least Grabauskas has gotten the message that they must improve. Will we learn about his priorities for improvement? And will his staff be held accountable for executing the plan?

From the Globe:

He built a reputation as a manager there and was asked three times by former governor Paul Cellucci to fix the Registry before he accepted. He started by setting clear goals, putting managers to work on the front lines so they could understand motorists' problems, and turning over some staff, said Kimberly Hinden, his top deputy at the Registry, who later replaced him.

God, what unmitigated bullshit. No! He 'transformed the registry' into a profit-maker for the state at the expense of customer convenience; he eliminated weekend hours, for starters- if you're a working stiff, the only time you can get to the registry is the ONE DAY when it's open until 7pm.

He also did nothing to fix its incompetence- I once got a call from my insurance company saying "we're cancelling your insurance, as you're no longer licensed." "Whaaaa?"

So I call the registry, ask why, and after a lot of button pressing, the guy tells me, "you're all set now." What? My insurance agent verifies things on their end, and says "oh, yeah, this happens ALL the time. A lot of people's first notice that their license has been suspended, comes from us. That's why we call people."

But, back to the MBTA:

He points to his efforts at communications, such as newer sound systems and digital signs. He fortified the call center so operators answer more calls, speak more languages, and report back to him with more consistent feedback. Stations are generally cleaner, he said. Employee overtime costs are down.

Of course overtime costs are down; Danny did the same bullshit he did at the registry, and cut back service. And despite claiming that he's ended the practice, evidence is otherwise.

So, that would be the sound systems and digital signs which repeat endless, annoying lectures about safety? And announce, in case you're a moron, that a train is arriving? (okay, so telling people WHICH train is arriving is mildly useful for the tourists...but amusingly, at Downtown Crossing, the speakers are in "stereo", and the wrong way- each platform gets the opposite's announcements!) Or when there is a delay, repeats a bullshit lie about what's wrong, and doesn't give a time-to-restored-service estimate?

And...what's this about stations being "generally cleaner"? I haven't seen a clean station floor in years. Downtown Crossing's tunnels are disgusting. The T still hires contracting companies that have someone visit the platform occasionally with a litter-brush-and-box. How about some of those machines that scrub and dry floors? How about taking a power-washer to the walls once in a while to remove the piss, gum, spit, and permanent marker? How about cleaning the trains every once in a while? (the orange line trains are disgusting and filled with trash.) Cmon! You've got 4-5 hours when all the "civilians" are gone, to do this stuff!

"customer service improvements such as...the beginning of cellphone service on subways"

God save us from anyone who thinks that's an improvement.

Somehow getting the platform at Government Center UNDER 167 degrees, now THAT would be an improvement.

The jump photo on page A8, not reproduced online, is captioned:

"T General Manager Daniel Grabauskas visited the Kenmore Square stop on the Green Line last week. Construction there adds to the impression that the T is unable to complete its tasks."

He is standing on the paid side of a Charlie gate, with no construction anywhere in the photo. An overhead sign clearly visible just beyond the gate reads: EXIT TO BOSTON COMMON.

Looks to me like Park Street station, or possibly Boylston. Neither of which are under construction.

The Framingham line from Fenway Park to Downtown feels like driving through a garbage dump.