Had you been aboard the noon train coming out of my transit-friendly city, you may have noticed an incredulous sight.
Two people chasing frantically after a train in motion, hoping it would stop to let them board.
My wife and I were in hot pursuit to meet a doctor’s appointment in Boston and didn’t care to drive. Who wants to be stalled in all that traffic leading into North Station which is usually bedlam, no matter what time of day it is?
Ever try to catch a train in motion, running on the tracks because we were facing the wrong side? A conductor might have blown the whistle and read us the riot act.
How we got into this dilemma is yet another story. Oh, we were there in plenty of time. A 20-minute advance is well ahead of schedule. I had my tote bag with plenty of reading material and so did my wife.
But wait! The whole parking situation now had turned into outright lunacy. Used to be, you crammed four $1 bills into a corresponding slot and that was it. Why the MBTA decided to complicate matters is beyond me.
What they thought would be easier suddenly turned into an electronic dither. It’s all predicated these days by a Smartphone. NO CASH! If you are not electronically sound and don’t own such a device, suddenly you’re in a quandary.
I found it strange, but was not bewildered by the fact there were just as many cars parked on the street adjacent to the train station as there were inside the lot. Could it be those owners didn’t wish to go through any such rigmarole during an earlier commute?
So here’s the deal.
“As of July, all MBTA-owned and operated unattended parking lots operate under an updated payment system. The Honor Box Payment system has been deactivated and PayByPhone is the only method of payment in advance.
“Commuters can sign up for PayByPhone by downloading the app or by dialing [said number] by phone. The payment system has been simplified into three methods: daily payment, monthly permit, and monthly invoice notice. Payment must be processed within 30 minutes of parking your car.
“You will need your license plate number, a PayByPhone location number (displayed in the parking lot) and a credit or debit card.”
We’re still talking a $4 charge. The earlier system might have encouraged commuters to drop a $5 bill into the honor box if they didn’t have 4 singles. I know I did.
My wife is the one who carries all these personals. Credit and debit cards. Her cell phone. And all else that would keep her electronically tuned. I’m a simplified ditz when it comes to all these gadgets.
She dialed the number found on the sign and was still on the phone 14 minutes later, pushing buttons and getting noticeably irritated in the process. I heard the train making its approach and tried getting her attention.
By the time she snapped back to reality, passengers were hopping aboard on the opposite side. We both began hightailing it along the tracks trying to go around an open end when the cars started moving.
With arms flailing and voices shouting “STOP!” we could only watch the train slowly disappear in the distance—with two aggravated passengers grounded.
The car trip into Boston wasn’t bad until we hit the exit and found ourselves behind a two-mile backup due to a bridge being down. Of course, it was not the time for nature to be making a call.
The parking garage by our doctor’s office was a hefty $30 charge. Pay it and weep or take your chances with a meter maid. We paid the price. But wait! More complexities.
No cash here, either. Pay with plastic. So you don’t know any better and submit your card, only to have it pop back at you. Maybe the ticket first? You stick the ticket into the slot and it comes back rejected. Wrong side? So you flip it over and hope it takes. It does. Then comes the card.
When you go to leave, make sure you have the bar code facing upwards or else you’ll be further detained. Paying an attendant always seemed far easier.
I have nothing against parking meters in our city. Feed it some quarters and you preserve your sanity. Now even these places are calling for plastic. But first you have to find the pay station, then push all the right buttons or hope somebody comes along to help you. Call if you have a problem and they’ll talk you through it.
Technology may fit the times, but it tends to mutilate the human system.
Tom Vartabedian
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