Domino Effect

Yesterday was one of those days when nothing went right on my morning commute, and a reminder that one seemingly insignificant thing can have significant repercussions.

See, the bus arrived couple of minutes later than it usually does. There's been a different driver this week; I don't know if it's the seasonal route shuffle, or if our recent driver is just on vacation. But anyway, we rolled into Wellington just a bit later than we've typically been arriving, just in time to see a train pulling into the station. If the bus had been on time, those of us on the bus would likely have made that train, and everything probably would have been fine.

But we didn't, and it wasn't. The next train took much longer to arrive than is normal. Meanwhile we were hearing PA announcements that the next northbound train would be coming out of service, so that would end up affecting the southbound trains eventually.

When the next Boston-bound train did arrive, it was totally packed, so I didn't even bother trying to get on. The one after that had a little room, but only about half of the people on the platform were able to squeeze on. The third train had enough room for the rest of us. By that point I had been on the platform for almost half an hour, and I was a little chilly.

I was already late, but I was mainly trying to get to work by 9:30, because that's when we have our weekly group breakfast. When I'm late like this, I usually switch over to the Green Line at North Station, because it stops right in front of our building. As the train rolled into North Station I saw a Green Line train that was probably an E close its doors and pull out. I waited, and after several minutes a C train showed up. I don't usually bother with these, because then I have to switch again at Copley, but I figured some forward motion was better than more standing around.

But when I got to Copley, I got to stand there and watch multiple B, C, and D trains come through for another 20 minutes or so. When I finally made it to work, it was ten minutes to ten (and miraculously, there was still one everything bagel remaining). There's no way I can know for certain if I would have made it on time, but I think I would have had a better chance if I had made that first Orange Line train.