Not Surprising in the slightest...


Here's my question, though.

continues to drive to work from Ipswich to Boston in the cool comfort of his T-owned SUV.

Why an SUV? Wouldn't some sort of sedan be a more cost-effective option if he does indeed need the vehicle to "respond to emergencies"? I doubt this guy is carrying any heavy equipment or tools when he's driving around. So why a big, gas-guzzling vehicle?

Nestea Plunge

Sadly, Grabauskas may be the best guy to hold the job in a while.

keylock71

Standard Massachusetts status symbol. Mayor Menino said he needed his to hold communication and emergency equipment. I guess city radios haven't been transistorized yet.

Also, what if a train goes way off course and derails somewhere in the Berkshires and he can't get to the photo op because he car can't ford a river and climb a mountain?

ZAZ:
Also, what if a train goes way off course and derails somewhere in the Berkshires and he can't get to the photo op because he car can't ford a river and climb a mountain?

Well, he won't have to worry about a T Train derailing here on the South Coast anytime soon despite all the lip service we've gotten for the last 15 years regarding linking us to Boston by rail...

Amateur. Where I live, he would have straddled two Hummers, one foot on each, and driven them like a team of horses off into the sunset.

It's like rain on your wedding day

A guess a few tags were on vacation, so "Ironic" had to fill in...

What a retahd.

keylock71:ZAZ:
Also, what if a train goes way off course and derails somewhere in the Berkshires and he can't get to the photo op because he car can't ford a river and climb a mountain?

Well, he won't have to worry about a T Train derailing here on the South Coast anytime soon despite all the lip service we've gotten for the last 15 years regarding linking us to Boston by rail...

But it's ok, they spent an assload of money tunneling under Hingham for the Greenbush line, so people can shop at overpriced antique shops in their precious main street without having to be subjected to looking at a train. Because, you know, it's not like trains ever ran through towns before. Better yet, instead of South Coast rail, they could turn the tracks into yet another bike path, so that everyone can commute to work in spandex

/Used to commute from the east bay
//Would have done all sorts of horrible things to have rail service back in Fall River, or *gasp*, Tiverton/Portsmouth
///Parking at Providence or Attleboro sucks

Well, yeah...can't go back to City Hall smelling like a commoner.

MD 38 and VA 39. Would people coming into DC to drink mess up the numbers? They wouldn't go up to Wisconsin (congrats btw - no seriously) but I figure they would be a bit higher.

/DC resident
//doesn't mind the UVA and UMD hotties coming to drink at all

keylock71
Why an SUV?

Have you ever been to Ipswich? Back in 1650 it was untamed urban.
John Updike sez there be rabbits there, running rabbits.

At least Grabauska hasn't been caught filling his heating oil tank with T diesel (yet).

keylock71:Why an SUV? Wouldn't some sort of sedan be a more cost-effective option if he does indeed need the vehicle to "respond to emergencies"? I doubt this guy is carrying any heavy equipment or tools when he's driving around. So why a big, gas-guzzling vehicle?

ZAZ:Standard Massachusetts status symbol.


Settle down, Francis. It's a hybrid Ford Escape.

fark Grabauskas. Since gas prices have gone up, the T at rush hour has gone from "packed, but never waiting", to "there's a good chance that I'll have to wait 4-5 trains to find space." This, coupled with the slow bridge over the charles on the red line (it takes 10 minutes to go 1/4th of a mile) means he's due for a good swift cockpunching. He hasn't done jack to improve things in the past month either. Only thing I've seen him actually do is put local sports people on the announcements telling us to be paranoid of each other.

//can you tell that I was suck underground on the subway for almost a half hour with no AC this morning?

They do this a lot around her in Norfolk. The HRT (Hampton Roads Transit) folks complain that no one is riding the buses, and then they climb into their professionally driven vehicles back to their office.

I, for one, WOULD take mass transit if it was designed as well as Europe. They know what they're doing. We, as a nation, are not only raised to be highly individualistic, but geographically we are very spread out. I can't take the bus while taking my daughters to school and daycare and also get to class/work on time, because I would have to leave at almost 3am because of the extremely poor design of the bus schedule.

Make it viable, people will take it, especially in this environment of extremely high gas prices. But you can't half ass a novelty transit system just to say you have one, and then biatch when no one elects to take an extra three hours for what used to be a twenty minute drive.

Edsel:keylock71:Why an SUV? Wouldn't some sort of sedan be a more cost-effective option if he does indeed need the vehicle to "respond to emergencies"? I doubt this guy is carrying any heavy equipment or tools when he's driving around. So why a big, gas-guzzling vehicle?

ZAZ:Standard Massachusetts status symbol.


Settle down, Francis. It's a hybrid Ford Escape.

oh. well, its all okay then.

Just left Mass, really enjoyed the T. I was amazed that fares were still 2 bucks for any trip. As someone who got used subways on the DC Metro, that's nearly free.

keylock71:Well, he won't have to worry about a T Train derailing here on the South Coast anytime soon despite all the lip service we've gotten for the last 15 years regarding linking us to Boston by rail...

Still waiting...........

Nope, it makes too much sense. It'll never happen.

In line with what P0e said above...

Have you noticed that since T ridership is up, T N00b ridership is up. If there's anything that makes waiting at Park Street more bearable, it's watching ignorant suburb-dwellers learn the hard way that you let people OFF the train before you get on.

TMBGfreak:Just left Mass, really enjoyed the T. I was amazed that fares were still 2 bucks for any trip. As someone who got used subways on the DC Metro, that's nearly free.

THIS!

Anyone who complains about the T should try living in another city for a while.

Now let me tell you a story
Of a big ole' skinhead
On a tragic and fateful day
He put 10 cents in his pocket kicked his wife and family
And went to ride on the M.B.T.A

Did he ever return,
No he never returned
And his fate is still unknown (Oi! Oi! Oi1)
he may ride forever neath the Streets of Boston
He's a skinhead who never returned

Skinhead goes down to the Kendall Sq. Station
And he changes For Jamaica Plain,
The conductor says skinhead I need a nickel,
Skinhead punches him in the brain.

Did he ever return,
No he never returned
And his fate is still unknown (Oi! Oi! Oi1)
he may ride forever neath the Streets of Boston
He's a skinhead who never returned

Now all night long
Skinhead drives through the station
Wondering who can I go and see
Can't afford to buy crack in Chelsea
Or a bundle in Roxbury

Did he ever return,
No he never returned
And his fate is still unknown (Oi! Oi! Oi1)
he may ride forever neath the Streets of Boston
He's a skinhead who never returned

Skinhead's wife goes to the Scully Square Station
Everyday at quarter past two
And through the open window
She hands skinhead a grenade
As the train comes a rumbling through

Did he ever return,
No he never returned
And his fate is still unknown (Oi! Oi! Oi1)
he may ride forever neath the Streets of Boston
He's a skinhead who never returned

Now you citizens of Boston
Don't you think its a scandal
How the skinhead stole the train
What's the big farkin' deal, he'll work for beer
Let the skinhead drive the train

Did he ever return,
No he never returned
And his fate is still unknown (Oi! Oi! Oi1)
he may ride forever neath the Streets of Boston
He's a skinhead who never returned

NewportBarGuy:keylock71:Well, he won't have to worry about a T Train derailing here on the South Coast anytime soon despite all the lip service we've gotten for the last 15 years regarding linking us to Boston by rail...

Still waiting...........

Nope, it makes too much sense. It'll never happen.

its not like we don't have a similar problem here. The DC and Baltimore public transits are linked only on weekdays during commuting hours by the Marc Train. For example, you can't get from BWI to DC, or the reverse except by Marc.

Katie98_KT:its not like we don't have a similar problem here. The DC and Baltimore public transits are linked only on weekdays during commuting hours by the Marc Train. For example, you can't get from BWI to DC, or the reverse except by Marc.

If these past 6 months don't make people step up and demand efficient public transportation that extends up and down states/regions, nothing will.

Katie98_KT:its not like we don't have a similar problem here. The DC and Baltimore public transits are linked only on weekdays during commuting hours by the Marc Train. For example, you can't get from BWI to DC, or the reverse except by Marc.

I used to use Amtrak on off hours, but yeah...same problem.

Katie98_KT:Edsel:keylock71:Why an SUV? Wouldn't some sort of sedan be a more cost-effective option if he does indeed need the vehicle to "respond to emergencies"? I doubt this guy is carrying any heavy equipment or tools when he's driving around. So why a big, gas-guzzling vehicle?

ZAZ:Standard Massachusetts status symbol.


Settle down, Francis. It's a hybrid Ford Escape.

oh. well, its all okay then.

Lots of jobs give you a company car, including a lot of government jobs, especially if your job requires a lot of driving. This isn't a particularly extravagant one at $26,000, and they even got him a car with good mileage and less emissions. I swear, people just need something to get butt-hurt about.

Message for Mr Dan G:

Please stop using the $25 fans you bought at Walmart to cool down Government Center station and install real AC. DOUCHE.

BoringNickName:

/Used to commute from the east bay
//Would have done all sorts of horrible things to have rail service back in Fall River, or *gasp*, Tiverton/Portsmouth
///Parking at Providence or Attleboro sucks

South Coast: The red-headed stepchild of Massachusetts...


NewportBarGuy:
Still waiting...........

Nope, it makes too much sense. It'll never happen.

Damn shame too. A rail connection to Boston, Sending Weaver's Cove and their LNG terminal packing, opening up the waterfront, and having the Taunton River designated as a scenic waterway would go a long way to helping Fall River (and surrounding towns) lift itself out of it's financial morass.

NewportBarGuy:Katie98_KT:its not like we don't have a similar problem here. The DC and Baltimore public transits are linked only on weekdays during commuting hours by the Marc Train. For example, you can't get from BWI to DC, or the reverse except by Marc.

If these past 6 months don't make people step up and demand efficient public transportation that extends up and down states/regions, nothing will.

I'm hearing a lot of movement on plans that have been in the works for years- including that link from DC to Baltimore. The problem is that the funding has to come from somewhere.

Edsel:Katie98_KT:Edsel:keylock71:Why an SUV? Wouldn't some sort of sedan be a more cost-effective option if he does indeed need the vehicle to "respond to emergencies"? I doubt this guy is carrying any heavy equipment or tools when he's driving around. So why a big, gas-guzzling vehicle?

ZAZ:Standard Massachusetts status symbol.


Settle down, Francis. It's a hybrid Ford Escape.

oh. well, its all okay then.

Lots of jobs give you a company car, including a lot of government jobs, especially if your job requires a lot of driving. This isn't a particularly extravagant one at $26,000, and they even got him a car with good mileage and less emissions. I swear, people just need something to get butt-hurt about.

sorry, I don't approve of expensive cars as company cars. there's no reason he couldn't have a tiny sedan, with better gas mileage.

TrickyPG:In line with what P0e said above...

Have you noticed that since T ridership is up, T N00b ridership is up. If there's anything that makes waiting at Park Street more bearable, it's watching ignorant suburb-dwellers learn the hard way that you let people OFF the train before you get on.

Stand in front of the train door at Govt. Center when a train you don't want shows up and I will knock you on your butt.

P0e:Only thing I've seen him actually do is put local sports people on the announcements telling us to be paranoid of each other.

That and the "Safety is our #1 concern" ... WTF? Isn't TRANSPORTATION your #1 concern? ... "please help us by (looking for potential terrorists, and if you find any report them to the never-on-site MBTA police who will completely and absolutely ignore you if you did manage to find them and try)..." I've always taken this as "while you're paying for crappy service, do more of our jobs for us too!"

//Express train from Harvard to Alewife --- at 10PM? --- no they're not scheduled - they happen when the Red Line is so hopelessly backed up that they have to skip stations to get to the other end of the line more quickly.

//Fuel prices are "causing" them to skip more bus runs too... usually this is caused by mass truancy among the drivers.

Demanding schedule? Wouldn't he be the one to schedule the event? Given that and the fine man's obvious intellect, I'm sure that he could have figured out the train schedules and set things up around those.

ursomniac://Fuel prices are "causing" them to skip more bus runs too... usually this is caused by mass truancy among the drivers.

buses are the worst. At least trains you're pretty much guaranteed they'll show up. Buses just never materialize, nor does anyone bother to tell anyone. they're just not there.

Edsel:
Lots of jobs give you a company car, including a lot of government jobs, especially if your job requires a lot of driving. This isn't a particularly extravagant one at $26,000, and they even got him a car with good mileage and less emissions. I swear, people just need something to get butt-hurt about.

Oh, as a life-long Masshole this doesn't make me butt-hurt at all...This is pretty far down on the list of governmental waste in this state.

You're right, 26 grand really isn't a lot (though it's more than a lot of people in this state make in a year), but why can't he make do with a smaller, more efficient vehicle?

Why does he need to drive it back and forth to his home all week?
Wouldn't it make more sense for him to take the T in and back and use the vehicle only in the case of an emergency?

Again, just seems wasteful to me...

Katie98_KT:sorry, I don't approve of expensive cars as company cars. there's no reason he couldn't have a tiny sedan, with better gas mileage.


Great! Then apparently you do approve of THAT car since $26,000 is nowhere near an expensive car.

Protip: Just because YOUR particular broke-ass (or just cheapass) can't afford it doesn't mean it's actually expensive.

mongbiohazard:Great! Then apparently you do approve of THAT car since $26,000 is nowhere near an expensive car.

I'm pretty sure there are cheaper and more reasonable cars on the market. In fact, I'm 100% sure.

Katie98_KT:I'm pretty sure there are cheaper and more reasonable cars on the market. In fact, I'm 100% sure.


I'm just as sure that there are much more expensive and less reasonable cars on the market than a $26,000 hybrid. Just because it isn't THE cheapest, doesn't mean it's not still pretty cheap for a new car.

Perspective - it's not just for paintings.

While we are complaining about the T; why does it stop running at 12:30-1 when the bars are open until later. I've decided the cab companies must give some sort of kick back for all the drunken cash they make. That or Boston is pro-drunk driving

Dr_luckyz:While we are complaining about the T; why does it stop running at 12:30-1 when the bars are open until later. I've decided the cab companies must give some sort of kick back for all the drunken cash they make. That or Boston is pro-drunk driving

It's the latter. Have you ever taken a look at the roll-call at the statehouse? Keenan, Kennedy, McCarthy, McMurtry, Murphy, Murphy, Murphy, O'Day, etal.

"mongbiohazard 2008-07-11 02:16:41 PM
Katie98_KT:I'm pretty sure there are cheaper and more reasonable cars on the market. In fact, I'm 100% sure.


I'm just as sure that there are much more expensive and less reasonable cars on the market than a $26,000 hybrid. Just because it isn't THE cheapest, doesn't mean it's not still pretty cheap for a new car.

Perspective - it's not just for paintings."

Stop making excuses. When you order a pizza does the delivery boy show up in a company car or does he use his own car?

If it is a T-owned vehicle it should remain with the T and should only be used by people who are on duty when it is required.

This moonbat accepted a very high paying job, if he has to occassionaly use his own vehicle to respond to emergencies, TOUGH! Let him get compensated 38 or whatever cents per mile that the rest of us do when we use our vehicles for work. He should be using his own vehicle to commute and he should not be getting paid to commute.

If he can't handle the responsibilities that come along with his job then he should either resign or move into the city.

Why do these creeps get special treatment just because they are employed by the state. What this guy needs is for someone to take the crown off of his head, knee him in the balls and humiliate him in front of a crowd.

And yes 25,000 is a lot of money for a state owned vehicle. First of all why is it a requiremen that the vehicle is brand new? Second it gets shiatty gas mileage, being a hybrid does not guarantee good gas mileage. Third, why can't he drive 10,000 kia or any cheap sedan?

This moonbat accepted a very high paying job

If you're using "moonbat" in the political sense, Grabauskas is not. He is a Republican. He was on a short list for Lieutenant Governor a few years ago. The current moonbat in chief wants to get rid of him and install a loyal Democrat.

"I do try to set an example by using the T within the city, but my schedule tends to be erratic. I need to be able to go anywhere at all times," he said.

Welcome to the club. Actually I don't believe that the MBTA boss really needs to be anywhere urgently. Would it kill him to ride the T once in a while?

Based on a farker's comment it might actually kill him waiting for an empty train. Course he doesn't know that not taking them.

/ a little tired of downtown express busses in Seattle being full
// add some more busses morans

To me, this is an overblown non-story. Besides, the SUV in question gets better milage than most cars.



/MA resident
//Loves the T, despite its flaws
///Now if only it ran until 3 am...