Let's be honest: No one likes the Green Line. Having lived on it for three years, I have heard -- and probably dished out -- more complaints than I can count about its characteristic lack of reliability. If you ask me, or any other NU student who lives in this area, the E branch is by far the worst -- I have, at times, waited twenty to thirty minutes for an E to show up at Park Street, while at least two of each other letter rolled on by. Just today, I left the Brigham Circle area on foot just as an inbound E was picking up passengers there...and that same train didn't catch up to me until I was at my own front door -- three-quarters of a mile and almost 15 minutes later!
In an online community of Bostonians that I frequent, I've seen complaints from residents on all branches of the Green. My boyfriend moved to Allston last month, and now that I've spent many a Friday night and Saturday morning inching along Comm Ave in a car sardine-packed with BU kids, I have my qualms about the B branch as well.
The cardinal rule seems to be that whichever train YOU are waiting for at any given time is the one that simply will not arrive.
But almost as annoying to me as the Green Line's erratic schedule has always been the fact that most of the Green Line stops are only about two blocks apart...and that people do actually wait around to board the train and ride it only ONE stop. Do they not realize that they could have walked that two-block distance ten times in the same period of time they spent standing in one spot waiting? This is where this post becomes relevant to its own topic, I promise.
I have often heard Boston referred to as "America's walking city." It's an appropriate nickname when one considers how small Boston proper is in comparison to some other cities, along with the fact that almost the whole city is flat. Boston is a very easy city to walk around, and I like to walk -- fast. That's why, within days of moving to Boston, I gave up almost completely on the idea of waiting for the E line. Most of the E line stops are within easy walking distance of an equally useful Orange Line station, or a Green Line station with more potential.
I rarely use the Northeastern T stop, because I know I will wait an unnecessary amount of time there. I almost always walk up to Hynes Convention Center, where I know I will have a much shorter wait for a train, as it is serviced by the B, C, and D lines rather than the lowly E. Sure, it takes a few minutes to walk there, but I would much rather spend a few minutes burning calories than spend many-more-than-a-few minutes standing around waiting for the train.
Please, people, don't be lazy. Just because the T is there doesn't make it your only option. The Surgeon General has recommended that everyone aim to walk 10,000 steps per day. (Don't believe me? Then trust PBS.) I don't expect you to count your steps, but you have feet for a reason...please use them. Unless you have a spinal injury, walking is a perfectly viable option for transportation, not to mention a great opportunity for easy, gym-free exercise. Instead of waiting around for the T to take you where you want to go, get the trip started yourself, even if it's just walking to a busier station. If you're only planning on taking the train a few stops, try walking to your destination instead. Want to save some time? Walk a little faster; you'll burn more calories and get there more quickly. Think it's too cold? That's not really a valid excuse; this is Boston, and it's COLD here. But if you are cold, you will feel warmer while walking than you would while standing still.
The bottom line: Don't spend so much time complaining about the long wait for the T. Shut your mouth and move your feet. WALK.
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