Boston's cuckoo

August 18, 2005 11:20 PM

BostonFilter: After spending a few days visiting Boston, and having very, very little city experience, and having never been to the east coast before, I have a few questions.

1) Everyone said to go to Mike's pastries in North End. I went. I asked for a couple biscotti at no particular spot in the counter. People were paying right there, not going down to the cash register. I had money on the counter. The woman behind the counter tossed the bag of biscotti at me, ignored the money, and went to the next person. After being very confused, and seeing no way to pay, I left with the biscotti. What the hell happened?

2) Coming back from the Green Line T to Boston College, a group of maybe 5 or 6 people walked on (above ground) without paying. Everyone else had been paying up until this time. I am aware that going out, above ground, it is free, but this was coming in. Also, later, a man walked into the car, sat down, waited at least a stop, then got out money and paid the 'driver.' The driver seemed completely unconcerned, and there were no words/signals/cards that I could see.

3) For the Green line that goes to Riverside (D I think?) fare is $3. How is the extra $1.75 paid? I was able to take cars going to Riverside between Govt Center & Copley without paying anything extra.

Any light that could be shed on these things for a non-city person would be very much appreciated.

posted by devilsbrigade to society & culture (20 comments total)

1) You pay at the end of the counter. If you left the money, you should be okay too, as Mike's gets crazy-busy and the counter is treated almost like a lunch counter at times. The folks who get your order also take your money, so if you left the cash without going to the register, you should be fine. But Mike's is a locus of insanity and sometimes no rhyme or reason stands.

2) You can get day or weekend T passes that don't require a swipe card, cash, coins, or tokens. They likely flashed passes. Also, when an inbound T is crazy busy, they'll just open all doors and let folks on without paying to help speed the route up. But the Green line is a locus of insanity and sometimes no rhyme or reason stands.

3) You can pay in cash, extra tokens, or even in dollar coins. Two tokens and two quarters will do the trick. But the Green line is a locus of insanity and sometimes no rhyme or reason stands. Well, no. They're usually pretty consistant about this.
posted by robocop is bleeding at 4:19 AM on August 19, 2005

Having lived in Boston for almost a decade I think I might be able to fathom an answer for question number two.

Regarding the group who didn't pay: unlike when you are below ground, at the Boston College stop there is nothing to block a passenger from direct access to the train, i.e., turnstiles, watching police, or a toll booth attendant. The group basically "bum rushed" the train. The only person blocking them from access is the driver and he probably didn't want to bother forcing them to pay. He has to stay on schedule and probably figured it wasn't worth the effort. (The group was probably college students from nearby Boston College.)

Regarding the guy who sat first: frequently, passengers will sit before taking money or tokens from their pockets. It's just a way to gather yourself and not lose your balance. It happens on New York City buses all the time. Why did he pay the driver? Could be asking for change, could have had a transfer of some kind, I'm not sure.

Hope this helps.
posted by captainscared at 4:20 AM on August 19, 2005

3. You can also push three dollar bills into the slot down on the token recepticle (on the side tha faces into the train). The drivers hate it, but it's kosher.

I live near Eliott and I try to get coins from the machine, but if the machine's broken or the train's coming, don't wait for the next one if you have three bills.
posted by Mayor Curley at 4:47 AM on August 19, 2005

And Mikes has decent pastry, but, as you discovered, it isn't worth the hassle to patronize the place. Nothing's THAT good. There's an acceptable level of bruskness here, but that place goes way beyond it.

Modern Pastry across the street is almost as good and it's got a nicely policed queue.
posted by Mayor Curley at 4:50 AM on August 19, 2005

Next time you brave Mikes be sure to get more than a couple of Biscotti. Get at least two cannoli. Better yet, a whole Ricotta Pie. It will be worth it.
posted by sol at 5:41 AM on August 19, 2005

To correctly answer your second question...after Kenmore, the OUTBOUND B line is free. Also, next time, go to Modern Pastry instead of Mike's and get your pastry like the locals do.
posted by dagnyduquette at 6:48 AM on August 19, 2005

But the Green line is a locus of insanity and sometimes no rhyme or reason stands...
posted by whatitis at 7:11 AM on August 19, 2005

Metafilter: a locus of insanity.
posted by LilBucner at 7:20 AM on August 19, 2005

It's been years since I lived in Boston, but up in North End I was always a fan of Bova's Bakery. Especially for a three in the morning whoopie pie.
posted by scallion at 7:40 AM on August 19, 2005

Thanks guys. I loved Boston, & am thinking pretty seriously about heading there in a few years. I just get really confused with city stuff sometimes.
posted by devilsbrigade at 8:29 AM on August 19, 2005

dagnyduquette's answer for question 2 is the correct one. Nobody "bum rushed" the train. It's free outbound on all aboveground Green line stops. (Although I've seen plenty of people pay anyway, out of ignorance I assume, and nobody, drivers or other passengers, bothers to tell them because, you know, that'd be considerate, like they do in Iowa or what have you).

For question 3, you used to pay a surcharge on exiting the station (which is still the case on the distant stations on the Red Line like the Quincy stops). I think now you pay extra to enter the station at Riverside but nothing extra on the way back, as you discovered. (And passengers only going a few stops after entering at Riverside can get a kind of rebate coupon so they don't pay the "long distance" fare). I haven't travelled the far reaches of the Green line in a couple of years so that may have changed.
posted by tiny purple fishes at 8:56 AM on August 19, 2005

This was inbound from BC on the Green line, not outbound. I know past Kenmore you don't have to pay. My question should have been "Coming *back* from BC on the green line..."

my bad.
posted by devilsbrigade at 8:59 AM on August 19, 2005

A quick check at the MBTA trip planner confirms my answer for question 3. It's $3 inbound from Riverside, the regular $1.25 outbound.
posted by tiny purple fishes at 9:02 AM on August 19, 2005

...and I missed your response. So, yeah, they were bums.
posted by tiny purple fishes at 9:05 AM on August 19, 2005

I just moved to green-line-area and I am in a perpetual state of confusion. My previous Boston experience kept me on the red line most of the time, which always seemed sane and predictable. I'm sure I'll get the hang of it eventually, but yeesh. Locus of insanity indeed.
posted by Marit at 9:37 AM on August 19, 2005

I'm glad its not just me.

On the other hand, the fact that all this can actually go on is what makes Boston appealing to me. Oregon/the west can be pretty rigid sometimes = /
posted by devilsbrigade at 9:43 AM on August 19, 2005

Yeah, but I thought Portland's 'fareless square' was the only place you could ride the bus or tram for free. According to this thread, there's segments of the Boston T which are also fareless?
posted by Rash at 12:13 PM on August 19, 2005

Seattle also has a fareless downtown. You pay when you get off if you travel from the fareless area to somewhere outside it (like the airport).
posted by smackfu at 12:19 PM on August 19, 2005

Rash, only a small part of the T is free, and in only one direction. No fare is collected at aboveground stations when traveling on the Green line heading away from downtown (outbound). On the map you'll find those stations on the Green line past Kenmore (B,C, and D trains), or past Symphony (E trains). It only effects a tiny percentage of the T's ridership.
posted by tiny purple fishes at 1:19 PM on August 19, 2005

tiny purple fishes writes "a tiny percentage"

i.e., college/university kids.
posted by jenovus at 5:59 PM on August 19, 2005