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September 14th, 2005
12:57 pm - To our Civic-Minded Friends at the Davis Square Station
It is perfectly fine and well within your boundaries as a citizen and individual to take umbrage against a feckless youth casually puffing away on a cigarette while waiting for the T. Smoking is not allowed on all MBTA vehicles and property and it can cause much discomfort to other passengers and train-waiters-for, especially if this is happening underground. The youth should not have lit up in the first place, that much we all can agree on, and he should have extinguished his smoking material when requested to do so, if not as a matter of courtesy then just because.
However, when said feckless youth responds as you would expect one with a lack of feck might respond (including gestures and/or street vernacular) it is not advised to counter with "I'm telling!" and run up the stairs to talk at the token vendor. This is impractical for several reasons:
1. The token vendor is safely ensconced in his cozy token booth and is not about to leave his post to go and wag his finger at the feckless smoker for you. Besides, he's too busy keeping an eye out for terrorists.
2. Once he realizes his livelihood might be in peril, the feckless youth (who is not without some form of self-preservation) will extinguish his cigarette and hop on the next train to arrive in the station, regardless of its destination. This might mean he'll run to the other side of the platform and catch the Alewife train.
3. Your arguing with the token vendor will almost cause you to miss the inbound train, though you will indeed catch it but only by running pell-mell down the stairs and nearly wiping out the banjo busker at the bottom.
4. You'll loudly complain during the entire ride and I'll have to put up with it.
I do not envy any blog-type posts you yourself may make to describe the events of today. But hey, it could've been worse. You could've had to ride to Alewife.
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I agree that running up the token clerk is pointless, but what *is* the right thing to do? In my fantasy, I "accidentally" spill a beverage on the offender, putting out the cigarette in the process, and then of course apologizing profusely.
I'd like to think that if anyone did do such a thing and the offender tried to make a scene of it, assorted bystanders would do more than just stand by, but this is Boston, so I expect nothing.
(Just a beverage? Not a firehose, wielded Opus-style? :) )
I'm not sure what the right thing to do was. However, judging from the fact that the kid quailed at the first mention of backup and/or authority, the Civic-Minded should have just stuck to her guns. Running to the ineffectual token dood just compounded her frustration and ire. Just an ugly sight all around. ![[User Picture]](https://l-userpic.livejournal.com/23143447/872872) | | From: |  acsumama |
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| Date: | September 14th, 2005 06:32 pm (UTC) |
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Hey, don't knock Alewife. ![[User Picture]](https://l-userpic.livejournal.com/48080630/1344165) | | From: | muffyjo |
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| Date: | September 14th, 2005 06:44 pm (UTC) |
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It sounds like both dudes were looking for an adversary and each one found one. How convenient. I agree it is unfortunate that you had to listen to the battle, blow by blow. It sounds like it was a non-event of enormous proportions.
I get that people "need" that cigarette. Me, I have an almost fanatical dislike of them and what they do, but I wouldn't want someone to come up to me and say "I hate krispy kreme donuts and how they interact with the human body. I want you to throw that thing out right now" so I try and remember we all get to make our own choices. But in spaces where the common agreement is not to engage in that activity...yeah, he was looking for confrontation, or at least looking to see if he could push the line.
I think the guy who bitched about it on the train should be hung out to dry as well and should have been sent to Alewife. I agree to get on a train and spend parts of my day with my fellow man on the express (perhaps not well posted) understanding that before I reach the office or after a long day there, I expect to NOT have to do more than smile in the general direction of any other human I happen to bounce off of. His invasion of your morning space seems equally egregious to me. So if we were standing in line somewhere with no signs saying otherwise, you wouldn't mind me flicking the Krispy Kreme powder at you between every bite? | | From: | muffyjo |
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| Date: | September 15th, 2005 02:23 am (UTC) |
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Well, it's probably one of the most unusual ways to pick me up, but I might be inclined to step over and ask if you had a spare. Oops, I read you backwards - I thought you were fine with cigarettes but had a fanatical dislike of Krispy Kreme.
Better drop my plan to seduce you with smoke rings, then. Sadly, I can't use Krispy Kreme for the purpose - I despise them myself. | | From: | muffyjo |
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| Date: | September 17th, 2005 12:37 am (UTC) |
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You had plans? Aw man!
I think they are heavenly when hot. When cold, I think they are too sweet and too greasy. But I was going for the image, the drama, the metaphor...and the easy joke. You need to buy yourself a set of headphones. |
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