By Dinah Alobeid
Well, here we go. Another year, another semester. I thought being a first-year commuter would be hard on my social life, but things have turned out fine. Quality friends and the freedom to stay on campus with them as often as I like has made my Northeastern experience more than bearable. But the one factor hindering my elusive bliss is something for which Boston is renowned for being crappy: the commuter rail and subway system.
Now don’t get me wrong. I am thankful to have public transportation on cold, snowy and foggy winter days here in the New England area where the weather can’t stay the same for one minute. But the commuter rail schedule is sporadic and the train times are hard to memorize since trains pull into my Norwood stop at times like 5:43. Now, by force of habit, I have memorized the entire morning and evening schedules.
Quite a nuisance, but here comes the best part.
The trains are never on time. NEVER. I am not exaggerating. I have missed numerous classes and have been excruciatingly late for others due to the train. This fall semester, I had an 11:45 a.m. Spanish seminar I found myself tardy for more often than not. I took the 11:15 a.m. from Norwood Central, which is scheduled to arrive at Ruggles – a rare convenience of the commuter rail is there’s a stop at my school’s campus – at exactly 11:39 a.m., giving me a good six minutes to walk to Ryder Hall. But no, not once has the Franklin Commuter Rail line delivered me to my destination, in a timely fashion. Usually the train will only be five to 10 minutes late, but I have been on a train which arrived at a stop close to being on time, but was required to wait an additional 15 minutes due to construction. I felt like calling the MBTA and giving them a piece of my mind, but I didn’t. I sucked it up and kept trying to tell myself if I changed, things would get better.
So now I plan ahead and go to bed earlier, wake up earlier and take the 9:33 a.m. train. I get to school early, I go to the library and, lo and behold, I study. But this causes another aggravation in my life, having to wake up early and force my poor exhausted body out of bed. And I know what you might be thinking. “Why don’t you quit whining and manage your time better?” The fact of the matter is that ever since I got to college, I have gotten to be incredibly good at managing my time, more so than I ever was in high school, but it’s still a pain.
Even when I do make it on to the train, there is no guarantee I will find a seat. I often find myself without a seat, standing in a hot, sweaty, dirty train compartment with annoying toddlers running around pointing at people and adults glaring at you when you ask if you can squeeze in next to them. The commuters are unfriendly, frustrated workers who don’t seem to care that the trains are making them late for appointments, their jobs and plans with family and friends.
The best part about the commuter rail is the last train to my town on a weekday is 11:58 p.m. and 11:38 p.m. on weekends. So if I want to go out and sleep in my nice, warm, queen-sized bed where a pile of clean laundry is happily waiting for me, I need to make this train, and alter whatever plans I have made. If I miss the train, well, I just have to spend the night. Now you may say, well there you go, you get a night in the city, but I like sleeping in my own bed, with the choice of my wide array of clothing, my toothbrush and my shower that I can walk in barefoot. Yes, all these little conveniences have not been wasted on me; I truly enjoy living at home feeling I have the best of both worlds.
Maybe I am making too much of this, because I have made it work for me. I am not miserable, I have friends and I do not suffer from panic attacks due to delayed trains and a horrendous schedule. But something needs to change and it’s nice to let off some steam.
– Dinah Alobeid is a freshman journalism major and a member of The News staff.
