ear.to.ear

The orange line T is not the safest branch of the Boston subway system. While this is a known fact, I've never viewed it as so dangerous as to forgo the perks of public transit (ie- cheap rides) in favor of the more extravagant taxi option. However, recent events have caused me to reconsider my frugal impulses.

Sunday May 7th, 6:45pm. *tm* and I head over to the Forest Hills end of the orange line to catch a ride downtown to see Wicked. Usually there's a T hanging out on the tracks just waiting for people to board, but today we have to wait for a few minutes before one pulls in. It's decently full (for the end of a line at least) and we wait as people exit the car. An older women pushing a cart full of crap was one of the last people to disembark, followed by her husband. At first glance, I thought she was homeless, but after noticing the mans shirt and hat (a Matty in the morning Kiss 108 freebie) I realized that they had just finished the Walk for Hunger, and were returning home. (Or maybe they were homeless, but had scored some freebies anyway.) The man was saying something to someone on the T, but I wasn't really paying attention. So, *tm* and I hop on just as they make the announcement that the "doors will close and reopen momentarily". As the doors close, a man in our car gets up from his seat, and says something to the older man like "Watch yourself old man. I'll slit your throat from ear to ear". (Actually, both *tm* and I thought he said "here to here" instead of "ear to ear" (and thus the name of this blog) but after further consideration, we decided that he must have said "ear to ear" since he was making the motion with his hand.) To top this off, he was tapping a razor blade on the T window- you know...the kind where the blade is pushed up from the handle. I was about to get up and run for my life (after all, we all know what happens when you're forced to testify against a crazed gang murderer) when he packed his stuff up, got off the T and was questioned by a T official.

Needless to say, we took a cab home.