The T and Me

Posted September 22, 2013 by Jill Silverberg

I’m sure that this has happened to everyone at least once.

Picture this: It’s a school day and you have class at 9am. It’s 8:15am, and you have just rushed out of your apartment, running as fast as you possibly can to the T with high hopes that it will be pulling in just as you arrive. Instead though, the T is just leaving, the passengers all turning to watch you as the train leaves you behind in its dust. Now its 8:30am and the next train has finally pulled in. Hallelujah! But with only 30 minutes left and a number of T stops to go AND a lengthy walk separating you from the T stop and your classroom, the question remains: will you make it to class on time?

Well when the above scenario happened to me, I ended up making it to class with ten minutes to spare. Yes, I was out of breath and somewhat half crazed from worry, but I had made it to class on time. As I boarded the T back home later that morning, I had decided that from then on, I should always try to leave my apartment at least an hour before class, just to play it safe.

Although I know that not everyone relies on the T to get to school, those of us that do have probably developed a love/hate relationship with the thing. On one hand, this beauty of public transportation provides access to places all over Boston, making our commute just a wee bit easier. On the other, its not something you can ever fully rely on. Sure the Red Line has those nifty signs that let us know how soon until the next train arrives but that’s a luxury only Red Line commuters have. The moment you cross colors into another T section, like the Green Line, you are at the subway’s mercy. Given the unpredictability of the T, how do we all manage to live with it? Easy, with compromises. For example, as mentioned above, I have since made it a tradition to leave my apartment at least an hour before class. I do this for two reasons. 1). I know better than to take the T for granted and that it’s always better to be early then late and 2). I’m giving myself just enough time to get in line for my morning mocha or latte.  If my timing it right, I usually end up getting to Simmons with at least thirty minutes to spare. Although I could foreseeably sleep in a bit longer, I’ve made the conscious decision to leave obnoxiously early for school because I know that within the unnecessary forty extra minutes that I have given myself, the T will come and I will definitely get to class on time.  Not only do I get to school with plenty of time to kill, but I usually have first choice of where I want to sit in class and I come off to be a far more responsible student then I truly am (just kidding).

Sometimes we have to give a little to get a lot.