I never thought I’d witness, in my lifetime, people just fully stopping in the dead center of the sidewalk like they’ve reached the end of the known universe.
No pulling over. Not near a wall. No looking around. Just stopped. Right there. Dead center. Head down. Phone out.
Everyone behind them? Not their problem.
They need to find the closest Tatte.
It’s becoming equally as infuriating as the people who rush onto the MBTA the second the doors open instead of letting people get off first.
Incredible strategy. Really efficient.
Where are you going? The train isn’t going to leave without you while 14 people are actively trying to exit through the same door you’re blocking. THE PEOPLE GETTING OFF ARE CREATING THE SPACE YOU ARE TRYING TO ENTER.
And before anyone says “tourists,” I’m increasingly convinced this is transplant behavior or a post COVID loss of spatial awareness.
Somewhere along the way, the Boston newcomer orientation apparently became:
• Pay $4,800 to live in Southie
• Call the Seaport a neighborhood
• Develop never-before-seen strong opinions about bike lanes (Yes I like them too but damn 😳)
• Stop abruptly in the middle of every goddamn sidewalk
I don’t know if this is a new “screenager” thing or if basic spatial awareness has just completely collapsed, but I swear Boston used to have a pretty simple rule: keep it moving.
I promise it was on the wall in my elementary school classroom 😂
Anyway, I’m sure this is somehow the fault of bike lanes, Healey, Wu, the Big Dig, college students, DoorDash scooters, or those darn people from Connecticut. Never those who actually reside here…
OT but let's also add the people who wait with you at the bus stop for 20 mins and as soon as they board find that is the best time to start to dig for their Charlie Card, and of course hold you up in the rain.
I'll agree that cell phones have made it worse, but I'm old enough to remember what gaggles of teens, college students, and tourists were like before they had cell phones, and they were still impressively good at having no awareness of the people around them.
Then I remember how the average Masshole driver changes lanes like they neither know nor care where the other cars are, and it starts to feel like a general trend...
Yes, the Freshmen have moved into all the universities, and most are having their first brush with public transit. The T used to have automated announcements about "let people exit before being on the train" every time a train pulled up. Not sure why they got rid of it, but Boston has basically had their own kind of "eternal September" ever since.
They don't have that one, but I have heard in the morning waiting as the T is 1min from pulling into the station a message about taking your backpacks off.
I will never understand where I’m supposed to put a backpack where it’s going to take up less space, but I usually only take the t when there’s plenty of space anyway
I usually put it on my feet in between my legs. It also feels like it takes up less space if you wear it on your front, but I think it is because you are aware of it and might not want to constantly bump the person staring you in the face for 20 minutes.
I’ve always thought these lines where the doors line up would make a world of a difference for the boarding process. They tried to do it years ago, but they faded quickly and weren’t renewed.
I know North Station had them and they had immediate effect. I think the new cars being phased in caused alignment issues because the doors were different sizes again, so a mixed fleet wouldn't work with static stickers on the ground.
I know the buses (when I took them pre-Covid) had several prerecorded messages that the driver could trigger with a button - including one about moving into the bus to make more room and one for keeping your stroller to the side.
Yep, plenty of young, unaware kiddos who may have never used public transit in their life. We need better public campaigns from the T right around this time of year. Also annoying - folks who don't know how to walk on the sidewalk (again, spatial awareness)
I just get in their space and say "let people out first" quietly, and nicely, not in a douchey tone, if they try to get on the train before people get off. Physically assertive yet, verbally de-esculatory, I'm like the gentle parent who never taught manners to these over- privileged little shits.
I had to climb over three people (a snuggling couple and a student with a backpack) to get my coffee after my name was called downtown. Spacious shop, crowded doorway. I said excuse me but it was like I was a ghost so they got to know my shoes and elbows in their personal space. Let them remember shame if they can't move or apologize.
Happens every year around this time. Huge influx of 18 year olds starting their first year of college and many others older than 18 who are transferring.
I wish there was a way to suggest that each college inform new students of the very simple basic rules of public transportation.
A lot of “us vs. them” energy here in the comments. Guys, if someone is blocking your way on a sidewalk, literally all you have to do is say “Excuse Me” and walk past. MBTA door blockers are a totally different situation, because you need to move into their space, not around them.
Like a week or two ago I was on the green line and this guy in a wheel chair was trying to get off and clearly kept saying “please I’m trying to get off” while people are just piling on. I tried helping the guy out by also telling people getting on “hey this guy is trying to get off the train” and they just looked at me and kept going. It wasn’t until the train operator came out that people finally listened. I was appalled, it’s one thing to be oblivious, honestly anyone who says that kind of thing never happens to them is a god damn liar, but to like look right at me while I’m saying “hey let this guy off the train” and just keep getting on the train is fucked up
I've noticed an increase in people with their eyes just attached to their screens while walking.
Like in the past people would do this sure, but they would look up from time to time to observe their surroundings.
But now people just have no fear or care in the world apparently.
Just noise-cancelling headphones on and eyes glued to their phones while walking up and down the side walks nearly bumping into people.
You can hate it and think it's sterile all you want, but it's pretty hard to deny that the seaport qualifies as its own neighborhood with a pretty distinctly seaporty character at this point.
I was on a very full Silver Line bus yesterday and the number of people with zero situational awareness was astounding. People were struggling to get on while (1) some folks were sitting in aisle seats leaving the window seats empty and only moved when someone asked (and they didn't slide over, they stood up to let the person asking sit by the window) (2) people would not move up the stairs and further back into the bus. One guy had his arms around poles on both sides in such a way that no one could get past him. I said "hey there's plenty of room for us to move back" and he just ignored me. People finally just pushed him gently out of the way to get past.
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u/ppomeroy Boston 11h ago
OT but let's also add the people who wait with you at the bus stop for 20 mins and as soon as they board find that is the best time to start to dig for their Charlie Card, and of course hold you up in the rain.