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Warning: Rant enclosed
Here's the letter I just sent to the MBTA:
[This is the second draft of this letter. The first was too full
of profanity, which, while it delivered the correct emotional
tone, seemed less likely to actually be read. I am very angry,
but I want my points heard.]
First, some background. My wife is blind. She goes to school at
MIT, so takes the MBTA from Shawmut quite often.
When it snows, it is my habit to walk to the T with a shovel,
doing some touch-up on the sidewalks and street corners. I don't
begrudge my neighbors that I have higher standards for safety
than they do, as long as they do the basic path clearing. This
morning, I went out to do this. All the way down Melville Ave,
the neighbors had done pretty good jobs, and there was little I
felt I had to do.
Until I reached the MBTA right-of-way passage between Melville
Ave and Mather Street, that is. On this long, heavily-traveled
pedestrian walkway, NOTHING had been done. It was a block-long
stretch of dangerously uneven ice. I don't have the stamina to
clear such a large region by myself, but I did take it upon
myself to spread some sand around to hopefully help it melt. I
was, however, furious that this had been left undone.
When I got to the T station itself, there was considerable snow
and ice on the patio in front of the doors. Again, I took it
upon myself to clear at least some of this. My T fares and
tax dollars are supposed to cover this -- why do I have to
maintain the MBTA's property?
Shawmut Station services a large and diverse community. There
are three blind people that I know use the station on a regular
basis, and I have seen others there from time to time. Countless
elderly people rely upon Shawmut as well. If one of them slipped
and fell due to the negligent lack of snow and ice management,
I would hope they would sue for a hefty sum of money. My work
today may have saved the T from such a lawsuit. But doing so
is not my resposibility. How would you feel if your own mother
was injured in such a way?
Please, find out what oversight let this shameful state of
affairs come about, and take steps to ensure that it doesn't
happen again.
Sincerely,
Alexander Kay
12 Melville Ave
Dorchester, MA 02124
[copies sent to the Dorchester Reporter, and the Governor's office.]
[This is the second draft of this letter. The first was too full
of profanity, which, while it delivered the correct emotional
tone, seemed less likely to actually be read. I am very angry,
but I want my points heard.]
First, some background. My wife is blind. She goes to school at
MIT, so takes the MBTA from Shawmut quite often.
When it snows, it is my habit to walk to the T with a shovel,
doing some touch-up on the sidewalks and street corners. I don't
begrudge my neighbors that I have higher standards for safety
than they do, as long as they do the basic path clearing. This
morning, I went out to do this. All the way down Melville Ave,
the neighbors had done pretty good jobs, and there was little I
felt I had to do.
Until I reached the MBTA right-of-way passage between Melville
Ave and Mather Street, that is. On this long, heavily-traveled
pedestrian walkway, NOTHING had been done. It was a block-long
stretch of dangerously uneven ice. I don't have the stamina to
clear such a large region by myself, but I did take it upon
myself to spread some sand around to hopefully help it melt. I
was, however, furious that this had been left undone.
When I got to the T station itself, there was considerable snow
and ice on the patio in front of the doors. Again, I took it
upon myself to clear at least some of this. My T fares and
tax dollars are supposed to cover this -- why do I have to
maintain the MBTA's property?
Shawmut Station services a large and diverse community. There
are three blind people that I know use the station on a regular
basis, and I have seen others there from time to time. Countless
elderly people rely upon Shawmut as well. If one of them slipped
and fell due to the negligent lack of snow and ice management,
I would hope they would sue for a hefty sum of money. My work
today may have saved the T from such a lawsuit. But doing so
is not my resposibility. How would you feel if your own mother
was injured in such a way?
Please, find out what oversight let this shameful state of
affairs come about, and take steps to ensure that it doesn't
happen again.
Sincerely,
Alexander Kay
12 Melville Ave
Dorchester, MA 02124
[copies sent to the Dorchester Reporter, and the Governor's office.]