Upon arriving in Bean Town, J and I traded in our car keys for Charlie cards. Having parked our cars in our respective parents' garages we rely on the "T" the bus, a bike, and our own two Gos given legs to get us to and from here and there.
My main method is the train or what we affectionately refer to as the "T" I get to pay $70 a month (that's right only $70 as opposed to the 140 or more I spent on gas per month in my mustang!) for a monthly pass of unlimited rides on my Charlie card. These cards are what you scan upon stepping into the bus that deduct fare.
It's very nice here for the color coordinators, they have the t divided by colors and letters within that color!We live on the green b line and it's about a thirty minute commute into the city. Boston university is right along this track too, so it's very convenient for Josh.
The green is known for being sloooow because it's above ground and rides along with cars on either side. This means it has to stop for red lights and such. The red and orange are mostly underground and cover more ground with fewer stops.The silver is a bunch of buses that go to the airport and more along the coast of the city.
There are rush hours beetween 7:30-10 am and 4-7 pm, where you surf the rails between someones backpack, a briefcase, and another person's art project. Otherwise, if you're lucky enough to have a seat, you just read a book, listen to music, talk to the person next you, people watch, catch up on your correspondences, etcetera.
There are times when you turn the corner to see your train accelerating away-bummer. Then the next train arrives, without a care in the world, even though it's 15 minutes later than the schedule google maps gave you. It's as if your time and your schedule are not the only one in the world (oh perspective, you can be a harsh friend) -bigger bummer.
However, public transportation has a sort of "Que sera,sera." feel to it, as your one and only job is to get to the stop on time and the rest is out of your control. It's much better than getting honked at in your car on the busy Boston streets.
Speaking of honking, don't get caught in front of a T when it's taking off; you will need a new pair of ear drums and everyone will know that you weren't paying attention to where you were going.
We do miss our cars but mostly it's the action of driving, the isolation and radio that we miss more than the "convenience." We are in better shape thanks to all the waking and it really helps us be intentional with our time and planning ahead.
J and I joke that we'll move back to Texas and hear "There goes that Methodist pastor and his wife walkin' to the iga. Never seen anythin' like it." :)
