Wednesday, April 18, 2007

In Boston this week....navigating through the congestion

I'm in Boston this week for business. I've been here before but never had the pleasure of navigating the congestion, traffic, and confusing one-way streets on my own...generally, I'm here in a group where hiring a driver was allowed. Not this time, however. Maybe it's the combination of very bad weather (don't even get me started about my trip here from SFO...I've had enough gas fumes from sitting still for 3 hours in the jetway that I think I probably have lung cancer), Boston marathon + tourists, and the massive size of the tradeshows here this week, it has been very trying getting anywhere by foot or by taxi.

As for public transport, I do not even want to attempt to learn it. I've heard good things about Boston's public transportation but just looking at the intricate map routes confuse the heck out of me. That, plus freezing weather, made me lose my will power to be adventurous. I HAD INITIALLY intended to try it out and compare it with BART and MUNI, but not this time...maybe in my next trip.

Not much to say here except, I'm looking forward to going home and taking BART to work-- at least I know what to expect.

BARTed to SFO again- several first timers asked me questions about transfer, where it goes in SFO, how it works..etc. Do I just look like I know BART or something? Maybe I appear very approachable. Anyhow, I was happy to answer their questions and show them the way.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Riding from Pittsburg/Bay Point to SFO for nearly two years, five days a week, I felt quite comfortable when someone would ask for help to/from SFO.

Like you, I don't know why they approached me, maybe I looked like I knew what I was doing. Maybe I did look friendly and "approachable."

Even now after leaving that commute, I am still asked on a daily basis how to get to [insert station] in the BART System. I know the frustration one can have if they have never used the system.

I was like that the first time I rode BART. I got on at Coliseum and was headed to Pleasant Hill and made three transfers, at 12th Street, 19th Street and MacArthur. And damned I never once saw a train that said Pleasant Hill. LOL. I did finally learn the system...

Anonymous said...

Try the T -- you'll be amazed at how willing other riders are to help you. And you'll be amazed at the population -- everyone is down there in the MBTA, where BART riders are a distinct subset of the Bay Area population.

Boston logan is 3 transfers from anywhere, but you'll also be amazed that all of them actually work.