Taking the Bus on The Red Line!!

We arrived at Downtown Crossing en route to JFK/UMASS and the station was full, shoulder to shoulder from the platform's edge to the exit stairs. The announcement came that train service was closed due to a fire at South Station and buses would take passengers to thier destinations. The announcement didn't say where the buses would be but my companion and I are quick on our feet and we hightailed to the light of day. There was no sign of a bus on Winter Street.

We decided to head to Park Street where there were already buses headed toward Kendall/MIT for some regularly scheduled bridge maintenance. Unfortunately, this was just as the Gay Pride Parade was ending and Park Street was crowded and clotted with celebrants as well as disgruntled T passengers who had been disgorged from that station. We could see this from the corner of Macy's. We conferred and decided South Station would be better equipped for a speedy, less congested escape from downtown.

We got to South Station and there was a crowd but no buses. I went to the turnstyles and was told the buses would be directly upstairs. They weren't, so we went into the station to see if we could cadge a ride on a regularly scheduled bus headed down Dot Ave. There were no schedules in sight and no indication where that bus may be found, if it indeed exists. We headed back to the crowd across from South Station's main entrance. There were four buses there by now and we got on board number four.

All in all, it was a speedy trip from South Station through South Boston to Andrew Square and then JFK/UMASS. One woman even ate a cup of ice cream while straphanging for the full T experience. When she got off at Andrew, some wag commented that at least she hadn't been eating pork lo mein. It was very speedy and the MBTA performed admirably. I am sure this dispatch of little inconvenience will be in the minority, but as usual, I think the MBTA did a good job, all things considered. It was a lovely day to walk back to the Dot, but I didn't have to. Dare I say the bus driver looked like a halibut?