Last night, I ventured up to Salem on the MBTA Newburyport/Rockport Commuter Rail line to hear my friend Don Hammontree play a gig at the Lobster Shanty.
I've seen him perform there and at other venues in Massachusetts and Rhode Island on several occasions over the past couple of years. At first, the crowd was sparse, and it appeared to be a dead Saturday night. Then out of nowhere comes a large party of perhaps 25 to 30 people celebrating some fellow's 40th birthday and they practically take over the entire joint. And did I mention they had too much blood in their alcohol?
Now that kind of crowd can get ugly, but Don was playing covers such as "Wonderwall" by Oasis and Bob Seger's "Turn the Page" and they were singing along with him and didn't want him to stop performing. I had initially planned to catch the 9:41 p.m. back to Boston, but I was so happy to see Don getting such a positive reaction that I decided to stay until I had to catch the last scheduled train at 10:41 p.m.
Everything seemed to be going to according to plan. I left the Lobster Shanty at around 10:20 p.m. and arrived at the Salem Train Depot 10 minutes later. The electronic sign said the train to Boston was 10 minutes away, 9 minutes away, 5 minutes away, etc. Then the sign said the train to Boston was now approaching the station.
But the train never came.
As the clock approached 11 p.m. there were perhaps half a dozen or so people on the platform were trying to figure out what the hell was going on because there was no new information on the electronic signs nor was there any information on the MBTA website. Someone looked at an app (it wasn't clear if it was the MBTA app), but supposedly there was a boat accident in Saugus hitting a bridge the train passed over, but I have not seen any news to that effect.
Regardless of the reason one would think there would have been an announcement and the MBTA would have provided shuttle buses. Indeed, last year, I met up with Don in Lowell to see Fanny: The Right to Rock and on my way back to Boston we were informed there was a problem with the Commuter Rail train, and we would need to take shuttle buses.
Needless to say, I was annoyed. Fortunately, I contacted Don who was finishing up his gig and explained the situation. He was kind enough to pick me up at the Salem Depot and drive me all the way back home in Cambridge. While I was waiting for Don, a couple of the passengers who had been waiting on the platform said the train to Boston was now 26 minutes away.
But what if I didn't have that option available to me? What the hell would I have done? I don't have Uber because I don't have room for it on my phone because of the apps I use for work. Even if I did an Uber or a cab ride would have been outrageously expensive. I suppose I could have caught a bus to Wonderland on the Blue Line, but there is no guarantee I would have been able to make my connection to the Green and Red Lines before service ended for the evening.
I should mention that while I was waiting for Don, a couple of the passengers who had been waiting on the platform said the train to Boston was now 26 minutes away. I told them I had waited long enough. Let's also remember the sign said the train was approaching the station. Let's just say, the MBTA 's word did not inspire my confidence.
Above all else, what annoyed me the most was the radio silence from the MBTA. They have an obligation to notify riders of delays and to provide alternative means of transportation if service becomes unavailable - especially if it is the last train of the evening.
Under the circumstances, I am bit leery about taking the Commuter Rail train in the evening whether it is to see Don or for any other reason. While I'm sure Don would give me a lift if a situation like this arose in the future, I have no desire to put him out of his way. But more importantly, I want our public transportation services to be reliable and for the MBTA to be at the ready when things don't go according to plan. Unfortunately, things do not go according to plan all too often.
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