Judging from these photos, visitors to Saturday's 2011 Boston Freedom Rally, or the Boston Hempfest, at the Boston Common, ahhh, enjoyed themselves. Fans of hemp included musical performers, basketball aficionados, a guy with a tattoo, and a gigantic eye. We believe a good time was had by all, even the the guy who enjoyed too much of the weed and ended up way too close to the Red Line's third rail at Park Street station. A Brockton teen headed home from the Hempfest admitted he smoked too much, fell off the platform and was rescued by MBTA Red Line Inspector Roberto Russell.
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There is one less Chinese restaurant open today as a fire shuts down the Hong Kong near Quincy Market. [WHDH]
Someone calls "Bullshit" on Gallucio's toothpaste-fail defense. [Boston Herald]
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Former FBI agent John Connolly says Whitey Bulger called him about surrendering. On the other hand, the Connolly character in "The Departed" was a conniving liar. [Boston Globe]
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Results tagged “redline”
A breakdown on the Red Line, or really any MBTA line for that matter, isn't a surprise. It happens often. UniversalHub posted a great photo that reported today's glitch and noted it was apparently repaired quickly. What makes this temporary interruption compelling to Bostonist is another news item from the Boston Globe. Congress has to extend funding for transportation before the end of September to keep countless infrastructure projects running. The Globe said Massachusetts could lose 5,000 jobs and $500 million.
Several hundred passengers were evacuated from a broken down MBTA Red Line train a tunnel near the Porter Square Station. Passengers were stuck in two, six-car trains for about an hour before getting out. Cambridge emergency workers helped with the evacuation and set up a medical triage treat for possible heat stroke. The T was not aware of the cause of the breakdown to the lead vehicle, or how many passengers were on the trains. Commuters were shifted to buses to go from the Harvard Square and Alewife stations. The T expects "significant delays." [Globe], [WCVB]
In a sign that the MBTA has embraced technology, Boston is one of six cities included in Google Maps' new arrival times prediction application rolled out yesterday for MBTA buses. The Hub joined San Diego, San Francisco, Portland (OR) Madrid, and Turin.
-- Sterlynn Robbins, 23, of Connecticut allegedly threatened to blow up Stonehill College and kill two staff members. Robbins was kicked out of Stonehill in 2009. Robbins sent multiple text messages to a female student last week that contained the threats. He said: "Yea do me a favor. Be at Stonehill the day I blow it up...It’s not hard to get on campus and do what I need to do. The school already stripped me of everything...I don’t even care if they do kill me in my attempt. At least my pathetic life will be over.” Robbins is charged with transmission of a threat to injure the person of another and faces up to five years in jail and a $250,000 in fines. He'll be arraigned on Monday. [WHDH], [Globe]
Massachusetts General Hospital and the McLean Hospital celebrated their 200th anniversary. Mass. General has to pay the federal government $1 million for “potential violations” of HIPAA. Remember to follow Bostonist on Twitter and like us on Facebook.
Roofs are collapsing. We found the Red Line snake. Remember to follow Bostonist on Twitter and like us on Facebook.
The weather created a somewhat complicated commute for the MBTA today and yesterday. It got worse on the Red Line thanks to a small trash fire at the Park Street station. Firefighters extinguished the fire. The MBTA said there are delays of 25 to 30 minutes. Also, the Massachusetts Bay Commuter Railroad Co. canceled 14 MBTA shuttle services.
A 26-year old Massachusetts Bay Community College student was arrested on one count of indecent assault and battery for allegedly groping a woman on the MBTA Red Line. He pleaded not guilty today in Boston Municipal Court and was released on personal recognizance. The suspect was tracked through his Charlie Card. [Globe]
A southbound Red line train struck and killed a person at the Kendall Square station in Cambridge today around 11:30 a.m. today. MBTA shuttle buses are taking passengers between Broadway station in South Boston and Harvard Square station in Cambridge. The T advises riders to seek alternative routes. [Globe]
About one-quarter (58 of 218) of the Red Line's subway cars are being spruced up after 23 years of service thanks to a $46 million overhaul the MBTA will complete itself, and not using contractors. Work is underway and will continue through April 2012. It's a complete makeover, from propulsion to paint to new seats. MBTA General Manager Richard A. Davey calls it a "marquee project."
A 59-year Haverhill man was arrested on Thursday for the second time this year for open and gross lewdness after exposing and trying to "manipulate" himself at a Green Line station in the Back Bay. Lawrence F. Maguire, 59, was arrested after a hearing at Boston Municipal Court for an August arrest for basically the same thing on the Red Line that was reported through Twitter.
MBTA Transit Police removed 100 high school students from two separate Green Line trains in Allston today after someone reportedly pulled the emergency brakes. Since the specific "prankster" - Globe word - couldn't be identified, they were put off the train. MBTA spokesman Joe Pesaturo said "Those responsible were not indentified, but now the students need to find another way to get home."
-- A Greyhound bus in Portsmouth, New Hampshire was the focal point of a "bomb" scare Thursday. One passenger overheard another passenger, a native of Burundi here legally, allegedly discussing a bomb and alerted police via 911. The Burundi man faces no charges. Two other passengers who allegedly refused to cooperate with police are charged with crimes. [WCVB]
- State Rep. David Torrisi (D) showed off his potty mouth in an e-mail to WTKK's host Michael Graham’s producer yesterday over an appearance about illegal immigration. [Boston Herald]
- Siobhan Magnus of Cape Cod appeared on the "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" today after she was eliminated from American Idol on Wednesday. She said she is okay. [Cape Cod Times]
- Forty kids from King Philip Regional High School will be in Boston today to take part in Oprah Winfrey's No Phone Zone safety campaign. [Attleboro Sun Chronicle]
It's a leaky death trap. It derailed last night, causing fifteen-minute journeys to soar into the hour-plus realm for many. The power went out this morning. And now there's a disabled train at Kendall. Could it get any worse? At least the Red Line (between Harvard and Alewife) will be closed January 2 to 4 for improvements, which we hope will avoid the need for additional headaches and shuttle service. Update (2:30pm): Kendall disabled train alert removed from MBTA site. (What will go wrong next? Our bet: disabled train at Broadway.)
Red Line train service originally disrupted by Tuesday afternoon's derailment at Alewife Station in Cambridge may still be affected on Wednesday. The MBTA said buses will replace rail service between Harvard and Alewife stations until the derailed car is moved. State transportation secretary Jeffrey Mullan said a "random mechanical failure" caused the incident. The fourth car of a six-car train derailed around 4 p.m. All 65 passengers were evacuated safely. MBTA spokesman Joe Pesaturo said riders should check mbta.com for information on service. [Boston Globe, WCVB]
Okay, we might be exaggerating a little, but this sentence from the independent review of the MBTA that was released yesterday caught our attention:
So, the T saw two fires last night, just as rush hour was winding down. Bad wiring at South Station closed the Red Line, and, minutes later, a commuter threw trash on the third rail at Chinatown, starting a fire that closed the Orange Line and filled both Chinatown and Downtown Crossing stations with smoke. (Don't do that again, commuter!) Sections of both lines were closed for hours as the T put out the fires and repaired the damage. Shuttle buses were hard to find or, in some cases, completely non-existent. It was a frustrating night.
Lots of people say that MBTA stations look old and dirty, but Brian Matiash has a way of really bringing that to life. This shot of the Davis Square station makes us feel gritty just looking at it (in a good way).
Know how the T says to alert a crew member in case of emergency? Apparently that doesn't apply to medical emergencies, or if it does, T protocol is to have non-medically-trained employees assess a person in need of medical attention as a drunk, then keep the train rolling for more than 20 minutes while that person remains unconscious. In an extremely troubling case, T riders report attempting to get help for a collapsed fellow passenger, only to be completely stonewalled by T multiple officials. Even after T police finally conceded to call EMTs, the train took off without waiting for the EMTs to arrive, or removing the collapsed man from the train. When drivers finally stopped for the emergency at South Station, the man was taken to Tufts-New England Medical Center. EMTs at South Station described the man's situation as "minor."
Those living across the Charles in Cambridge and Somerville might want to think twice about any brunch plans within Boston proper. We're not seeing a service alert on the MBTA website, but Bostonist had a fun time of it making the trip into the city around 8 a.m. today. Track problems between Kendall and Charles/MGH prompted that good ol' shuttle service, and things were a mess. In related news, the website lists snow-prompted delays on the SL2 Silver Line and the 78, 99, 112 and 24 bus lines. So before you head out into the winter wonderland (of terror and aggravation), be advised.
Bostonist didn't make it out in person yesterday for the 2009 installment of Boston's annual pantsless subway ride, but our lovely reader Chris Andrews has provided us with a stack of photos from the event. The event, known across the country as No Pants Day, is sponsored locally by the Boston Society of Spontaneity.
"We made room," the MBTA is proclaiming in advertising for its brand new seatless car approach to subway travel. Boston's transportation system will take out seats in Red Line train cars, seemingly with the thought process that riders are so content with the cattle car approach to rush-hour commuting that cramming more people into the T each day will make people even happier.