Charlie

I have gripped for ages about the "old school" Boston T system. Granted it is an old system, but let's catch up with the rest of the century already.

Why can I not buy a card that allows me to swipe my way through? A card that allows me to carry a balance and skip all that wasted time trying to find tokens I bought on previous trips to “save me time” later.

Well, the MBTA gods have answered my prayers.

Enter the Charlie. Now those of you, like me, who were not aware of the cultural significance of “The Wizard of Oz”, might be wondering at the name.

Charlie? Who is Charlie? Turns out the name comes from an old song about a guy who did not have a nickel to get off the trains (payment was required at exit not entry), so rode about forever – while his wife handed him sandwiches for sustenance. Why not simply hand him a nickel? All I can say is that I do not claim to understand everything of cultural significance.

Those of you (and you know who you are) who relish Big Dig sagas, know that there is a catch. And it’s a big one. Only a handful of T stops can handle the Charlie. For most of the stops you still need tokens. So now, I’ve doubled what I have to look for on every trip – tokens and that card. (much shaking of head).