The MBTA: The pride and joy of Boston…wait, is that right?

The MBTA has definitely been a work in progress in Boston since anyone can remember.  It seems that there are never enough things to complain about when it comes to Boston’s beloved transit system.  But what are other Boston blogger saying about out beloved T system?

One clever post by ‘Librarian on the Run’ got into the holiday spirit and used a familiar holiday carol to get across her feelings about the MBTA in a recent post titled “The 12 Days of MBTA”:

On the 1st day of Christmas the MBTA gave to me, 1 grimey pole!
On the 2nd day of Christmas the MBTA gave to me, 2 frost bitten toes!
On the 3rd day of Christmas the MBTA gave to me, 3 busses too full to stop!
On the 4th day of Christmas the MBTA gave to me, 4 medical testing ads!
On the 5th day of Christmas the MBTA gave to me, 5 blasting iPods!
On the 6th day of Christmas the MBTA gave to me, 6 red lights!
On the 7th day of Christmas the MBTA gave to me, 7 seats occupied by shopping bags!
On the 8th day of Christmas the MBTA gave to me, 8 seconds to read my monthly pass!
On the 9th day of Christmas the MBTA gave to me, 9 bottles rolling around the floor!
On the 10th day of Christmas the MBTA gave to me, 10 discarded Metros!
On the 11th day of Christmas the MBTA gave to me, 11 coughing passengers!
On the 12th day of Christmas the MBTA gave to me, 12 minute stall between South Station & Downtown Crossing!

I’m sure we can all relate.

How about those who are taking the T for its economical value?  Some bikers in Boston have been pushing for more bike cages at the T stops in Boston as stated in their online blog site.  Apparently they’ve made victories at Alewife station where a few bike cages have been installed, but most bikers are still forced to chain their cycles to iron fences around the city and risk having their bike taken.  Come on Boston, give our two-wheeled friends a break, will ya?

But in good news an article that came out in the Globe today stated that crime on the MBTA has hit a 30 year low in crimes occuring on their public transportation systems, preventing everything from shootings to stabbings to your occasional gropings (a major problem on the MBTA and one that keeps many residents, both male and female, from riding the T).

Adamg points out in his Universal Hub post that fare evasion has been one of the biggest crackdowns in the new MBTA crime reduction (with citations for fare evasion going up about 1000!).  This is the second biggest crackdown next to robberies, which are down 26%.

So it appears that Boston locals tend to keep their cynical attitude towards the T, but nevertheless are campaigning to make it an enjoyable experience for everyone.  And you got to admit, to quote the Beatles, things are gettin’ better…right?