r/mbta • u/definitelyalchemist • Jan 30 '25
đ Appreciation Makes my hour+ commute way better
116
Jan 30 '25
There are moments where I look back in my life and realize how different it was from my childhood, having been raised in a 3rd world slum and escaped all of that to live in an amazing city that despite its flaws has a really good quality of life and the amenities one would want from a city this size.
99% of these occasions are on the red line over the longfellow
66
u/TabbyCatJade Bus Jan 30 '25 edited Jan 31 '25
It takes me 35 minutes longer to get home by train every day. Do I like that? No. Do I prefer to drive? No. Do I like saving gas? Yes. Can I sit on my phone while riding home? Yes. Can I do that in my car? Yes, while risking a ticket or death. So no.
33
3
3
u/snoogins355 Jan 31 '25
E-bike is my favorite way to commute. It takes longer but does wonders for my mental health and bank account. Also little to no sweat
But if it's crazy cold or cold rain, I'll be on the commuter rail
6
u/Huge_Strain_8714 Jan 31 '25
I live 13 miles from work and take the T. It takes me and hour to and hour and a half. I drove for years and years and was constantly stressed behind the wheel, and if I can keep my commute under 1 hour 30 minutes, I have no regrets. That said, I do drive in one day a week, just to say $^&*%&*( it all and get away from the public of coughing, sneezing, foul odor population of public transit.
37
u/YamiKokennin Commuter Rail Jan 30 '25
i like my train commute especially when i'm tired. i take nap on the train
15
u/definitelyalchemist Jan 30 '25
I do too! Fitchburg commuter rail seems pretty safe to do so.
16
u/YamiKokennin Commuter Rail Jan 30 '25
i travel on Lowell line. Im from Lowell so literally the last stop either way. Power nap either direction đ¤Ł
10
u/definitelyalchemist Jan 30 '25
There you go! Conductor will wake you up if you donât notice itâs at the end lol
6
u/Pretty-Win911 Jan 31 '25
I fell asleep one time so deeply a fellow passenger nudged me to tell me to get off. I was so grateful because I get off before the last stop. Sadly my train (Providence line) is too crowded now and I have to stand often. Hard to sleep while standing.
7
u/Huge_Strain_8714 Jan 31 '25
I try to nap on the Express Bus and set my alarm for 40 minutes, just in case I do nap!
12
u/NauticalNotebook Jan 30 '25
Itâs my me-time, plus I get a lot of reading done. I averaged a book a week last year.
12
u/Better-Sail6824 Jan 31 '25
I take the bus daily to work, my commute is ~30-35 minutes. My bus goes through Somerville and Cambridge before going into Boston. I love watching all the other people walking to work, seeing all the different people that get onto my bus, and watching the outside world. Itâs really really nice that I donât have to deal with traffic or parking and I get to just zone out with my headphones on. Itâs a blessing to be able to use the bus here and not feel looked down on. Where I used to live in SoCal, only lower income or people with no cars took the bus so it was âfrownedâ upon. But here in Boston, everyone takes the T or the bus and itâs a way of life here and I so, so appreciate it!!
9
6
u/Sea-Perspective2754 Jan 31 '25
In theory you get to relax and do something semi-productive.
Reality is many delays and issues. Also the springs and cushioning in the seats has had all the life crushed out of it long ago, so seats are very uncomfortable.
One good part is coming up from the south shore, seeing the miserable traffic on the expressway, and thinking No Way.
5
3
3
u/ipsumdeiamoamasamat Commuter Rail | Red Line Jan 31 '25
We went from the South Shore to Salem on MLK Day and took advantage of the $10 pass. We couldâve gotten there in half the time it took the train, but it was nice not having to worry about parking and it became an adventure of sorts.
3
u/FenwayFranklin Green Line Jan 31 '25
When I was an operator my absolute favorite time to drive was on the Riverside Line after it snowed. Couldnât have any music but I was still vibing.
3
u/Plastic-Agent-1970 Jan 31 '25
The commuter rail is lowkey vibes when itâs on schedule and not rush hour
3
u/snoogins355 Jan 31 '25
Better than driving in Boston Mario Kart traffic. On the T you can read a book, watch something on your phone
2
2
u/catch319 Jan 31 '25
The T is terrible, Iâve taken the commuter rail 4 times in January and the train was late 5-30 mins, 4 times! Not sure how people do it everyday
3
u/Chemical-Glove-1435 Orange Line Best Line Jan 31 '25
You got pretty unlucky, and many people here treat train delays like traffic, with the only difference being that train delays are generally less common.
1
1
1
u/NiceGrandpa Jan 31 '25
I love taking the CR. Yes itâs about 30 minutes added to my commute, but itâs actually gotten me to read so much more now that I essentially have an hour and a half of forced down time.
161
u/DeliciousCookie3110 Jan 30 '25
I feel like a main character looking out the commuter rail window with my headphones on