Green line, outbound:
Two small girls dressed in identical tennis outfits are riding with their hispanophone grandmother. For a while they talk and laugh in Spanish. Then the older of the two girls proceeds with an English lesson.
"Hello."
"Hello."
"How are you?"
"How are you?"
"No! Tienes que decir, 'I'm fine, thank you.' Otra vez."
This process repeats several times until the greeting is mastered. When I leave the train, they are again joking with each other in Spanish.
7 July 2010
Red line, outbound:
A man boards the train and sits in the last remaining seat in the car. At the next stop, the entire row except for himself and the girl he was sitting next to get up and leave. They exchange awkward glances as they find themselves—total strangers—sitting immediately next to each other with a bank of available seats nearby. Neither wants to remain (due to the awkward proximity) and neither wants to be the first to move (as if to indicate the one is repulsed by the other). Eventually, the seats refill. A few stops later, the girl exits the train.
6 July 2010
Kendall Square Station:
A man in a reflective orange vest strolls around the station, sweeping up trash. Between the slats of the tracks are unrecoverable bits of refuse: a cup, a water bottle, a piece of paper. Someone's cell phone has fallen down there and landed directly under the electrified rail. There's a green light flashing on it; someone has left a message.
5 July 2010
Blandford Street Station:
As the inbound train approaches, a woman with a suitcase stands up and prepares to board. The train creeps to the station, stops without opening its doors, and then departs without allowing new passengers to enter. Muttering under her breath, she pulls out her phone and dials.
"Honey? Yeah, I'm going to be cutting it a little close today, they're in "express mode" today. Yeah. ... Ok, love you!"
Ten minutes later, as the next train approaches, she turns to me.
"This one better stop, or we're really going to have problems."
It did. We didn't.
4 July 2010
Green line, outbound:
An extraordinarily large man proclaims loudly and several times in succession that he does not possess "super-intense T-skills" in reference to his ability to remain upright during transit. However, the large (and consequently empty) alcohol container he is holding provides a more probable explanation.
2 July 2010
Red line, inbound:
A group of five gets on the train; they're heading to the airport. Four of them have backpacks and carry-ons. The fifth carries only a pillow.
1 July 2010
Green line, inbound:
A girl with red sunglasses in her hair is nodding—too tired to keep her head up straight. With each renewed effort to sit up, her eyes again close and her head leans forward. Over and over again she repositions, trying to find a way to stay awake, but eventually she gives in and falls asleep against the window. As I exit the train I see that she is very protectively huddled over a frosted cupcake in her hand with a clear plastic cup over it to preserve the icing.
A girl with red sunglasses in her hair is nodding—too tired to keep her head up straight. With each renewed effort to sit up, her eyes again close and her head leans forward. Over and over again she repositions, trying to find a way to stay awake, but eventually she gives in and falls asleep against the window. As I exit the train I see that she is very protectively huddled over a frosted cupcake in her hand with a clear plastic cup over it to preserve the icing.
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