Today was a lovely spring day in Boston, with mild temperatures and beaming sunshine. I went to the gym in Watertown, which requires an earlier than usual "awake" mode for my person in order to make it to the Davis spot in time to get to work. While exercising, I watched a news story of a T electrician who had fallen in a 30 foot hole between the tracks at the Charles/MGH station. So sleepy was I that it took me a few minutes to make the connection. "They're busing passengers from Kendall to Broadway? Wait a minute--that means me!"
Upon leaving the gym, I heard that the firefighters had, in fact, freed the man, who had suffered severe trauma to his legs. Still, I thought, the Red Line will be a mess. I acted decisively, and drove to Watertown Square to catch the 504 express bus to downtown.
The MBTA express bus is a beautiful thing. I took an express for many a year in my younger days. What worried me was not knowing if I'd find parking. Imagine my joy when I pulled into the Watertown Yard and found it only half full--at close to 8 am!
Not knowing how much the parking cost--or how much money and what denominations I had on me, exactly--I had the foresight to pull my roll of quarters from my stash in the car. My luck was doubled when I found a $5 bill in my wallet, the exact cost of parking. The bus was waiting, and I marched on, T pass in hand.
"It doesn't take that," the driver said.
"It doesn't take it?" My heart sank. As it turns out, the subway/local bus pass is useless on the beautiful, glorious express bus.
I had the money, so I paid. In quarters, much to the disgust of the driver. And the Watertown Yard had my car, so I paid to go back to it tonight. But at least I didn't fall in a hole and break my legs. And I didn't ride the Red Line today.
Is it really $5/day to park at Watertown Square now? When I parked there it was under $2. Wow. But it is nice being above ground, isn't it. It's a Combo Pass that you need for that bus, not much more than the T pass, I think.
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