Letters

The T in Boston

How It's Used

“The strap's demise has been much lamented among commuters, according to Stan Dolberg, a management consultant in Boston. Mr. Dolberg, who relies on the 'T,' the city's public transit system, began to notice early this year that his fellow subway passengers—especially those of diminutive stature or with short arms—found the bars unpleasant.”

“In the campfire, singalong culture from which Blood comes, it's not how well you sing, it's that you're singing at all. My husband lives out this motto a few times a week. He's not so tuneful, but he sings a version of 'Charlie on the MTA' that Simon can't get enough of. This song has its logical fallacies. Written to protest a fare increase on the Boston T, its protagonist must 'ride forever 'neath the streets of Boston' because he doesn't have the fare to get off—never mind that his wife shows up every day at the Scollay Square station to hand him a sandwich 'as the train comes rumblin' through.' As Simon's older brother, Eli, likes to point out, she could have also handed over a nickel.”

Also Known As (AKA)

Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority

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