WBZ Radio Reporters Roll With The Punches On The MBTA

BOSTON (CBS) -- With the warning that MBTA rail service would be limited yet again on Thursday, two WBZ NewsRadio 1030 reporters hopped on the T during the morning rush hour for a closer look at a commute described by riders as "actual hell."

Carl Stevens arrived at Wellington Station on the Orange Line before 7 a.m. Only one train was operating back and forth between Oak Station and Wellington because of the condition of the tracks.

Stevens waited a half hour with riders for the train to Boston, and could barely squeeze into one that arrived.

"I've been commuting into Boston for 35 years, and this is the worst it has ever been," one woman said. "Commuting has become a full-time job. If it takes me any longer, I might as well just sleep in my office."

Another woman said she waited two hours for an Orange Line train the other day and was fed up with MBTA leadership. Embattled T General Manager Beverly Scott abruptly announced Wednesday that she would be stepping down.

"They need to get their acts together because other cities are not like this," the woman said.

One man waiting at Wellington just started yelling out in anger.

"We're paying good money to commute every morning to save gas, trying to do right by the environment," he said, after apologizing to Stevens for his outburst. "But the past three days have been actual hell."

On the Red Line, reporter Karen Twomey found that tensions were just as high.

Shuttle buses are taking passengers from Braintree station to JFK/UMass through at least Sunday because of snow on the tracks and a frozen third rail.

Twomey said there was no charge to ride the shuttle bus, but that didn't make the commute any more pleasant.

The buses were packed before sunrise, and things got hot as the morning went on and shuttles got stuck in traffic. It took more than two hours for Twomey to get from Quincy Center to JFK/UMass.

At least one rider tried to look on the bright side.

"It's not that bad," one man said. "You've got to roll with the punches."

• Carl Stevens
• Orange Line
• Karen Twomey