When I decided I was going to school in Boston I was so excited. When I told my family that I had confirmed my decision, my mother’s first question was, “So what are we going to do with your truck?” I hadn’t thought about this before then, and I was absolutely shocked to find out that almost no one who lived in the city owned a car. She explained to me that parking was scarce and expensive, and basically everyone used public transportation. “Like a bus?” I responded, thoroughly horrified. My mother replied, “Sometimes, but more often they use the T or the commuter rail.” Needless to say, I had no idea what the T was, or how to use a commuter rail. I almost reevaluated my decision for school right then and there; I was terrified.
It is inevitable that when you live in Boston you will be using the T or the commuter rail. I didn’t even get adequate time to adjust to the system, because the first night we moved into the dorm we needed to use the T to get to an event. I followed the big group of girls down a steep flight of stairs and into an underground world of fast trains and chaos. Now that I have adjusted and learned how to navigate the mysterious MBTA system, I want to share my knowledge on what to do, and what not to do while using the MBTA transportation systems.
1.) A one way ticket on the T costs $2.50. You can use a credit/debit card or cash. NOTE: If you don’t use exact change, you will get your money back in the form of another T ticket.
2.) If you’re feeling risky: if one person pays to go through, when the gates open, you may be able to sneak 2-5 people in behind the person who paid. It’s totally against the rules, but I have seen it happen every single time I’ve ever been on the T. NOTE: This WILL NOT work if there is an attendant working, and you could get in big trouble for it. There is a $50 fine if you are caught, and as a broke college student, you may want to avoid that at all costs, its better to pay the $2.50, than $50!
3.) There are different color lines that go to different places, in and around Boston. On the GREEN LINE, there are also respective letters within the lines to get to different places around Boston. There are giant maps, that look like a bunch of confusing lines, posted everywhere inside the subway system. So once you know which stop you’re getting off, you can locate it on the map. Follow the course back with your finger, and you will find out which color and letter T you need to take to get to your destination.
4.) It’s hot as hell in the subway! Very often it will be freezing outside, so you walk out of the building without a jacket on because we live so close to a T station. You run through the cold, get to the T, and sweat you’re a** off! If you don’t have a long walk to the T this is the way to go, because parties are generally really hot as well, and there isn’t always a place to put your jacket.
5.) The T stops running, for most stops, at 12:30 PM. If you’re not leaving where you are at 12:10 PM, you’re in trouble. It takes time to round up the girls, buy tickets (because there is almost always an attendant on late at night), and get down to the correct train. The train waits for no one.
6.) The T is always a photo shoot, no matter what anyone says. Boredom waiting for your train to arrive + a big group of girls with cameras = a fun, fantastic photo shoot. So work it girl!
So these are the most important things I have learned about the T in Boston. It’s a very inexpensive travel option, and there is always a designated driver, which, I’m sure, saves lives every single night. Love the train, respect the train, and have fun on the train.