Somerville with Townie Tim: Riding the T

Sooner or later you will have to ride the T alone. Be it for a job interview in Brookline or a shopping trip to get interview clothes in Downtown Crossing, you’ll have to figure out how to work the tracks without looking like a complete tourist. Now, you might be thinking, “Hey Townie Tim, I already rode the rails with my friends when we went to Felipe’s in Harvard Square, big deal!” Oh, dear reader, I am not talking about the time your crew took the red line two stops. I’m talking about you buzzing in your Charlie Card solo and joining the millions of commuters in that lonely, crowded, inbound trek on the T.

Before we get any further, I know the T, or the MBTA as it is officially known, gets a bad rap. Compared to some other, cleaner, international options, it definitely has some room for improvement. Yes, it can get nuts out there, and the delays seem to only be getting worse, but we are still able to get pretty much anywhere in about 45 minutes. Also, in true New England fashion, I ask, “What else are you going to do?” For better or worse you are stuck with the T until some Jumbo invents teleportation.

Now, this would not be the Townie Tim column if I didn’t dole out some advice from my ample, first-hand experience. First, and most importantly, no matter how easy it is to get lost in your phone or podcast, you have to continue to be aware of your surroundings when on the T. Especially if you are lucky enough to get a spot in the seats, you have to be ready to give it up for someone that clearly needs it more than you do. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen a handicapped person have to tap someone on the shoulder and ask them to move. Seriously, head on a swivel! Every time the train stops, just glance around and check if anyone in your vicinity might appreciate the seat.

Next, you want to make sure that you are being a good steward of the space. The big thing with this is to make sure if you have a backpack, purse or anything large that could whack an unsuspecting passenger, that it is secured. The absolute best thing to do is to take off your backpack and hold it by your legs, where there is far more room than up in the mesosphere of shoulders.

Last, and this one is related to the first one, it might be your first time on the T, but for the person next to you, it’s their 1,000th time. The T is always a combination of hardcore commuters and folks visiting Boston for the first time. That means you have to be respectful of where people are. It could be that you need to help someone who is lost, or maybe you just need to jump out of the flow when you are checking your phone for directions. The T is a liminal space for all of us, it is an in-between place that is necessary for our actual goal. Let’s make it a good ride for everybody!