The Age of Charlie

In 1948 Jacqueline Steiner and Bess Lomax Hawes wrote a song called "The MTA Song", which was more commonly called "Charlie on the MTA". The song became a hit (#15 in the Top 40) in 1959 when it was recorded by an American folk group called the Kingston Trio. Charlie was a man trapped on Boston's subway system, which was then known as the Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA) before it became the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) in 1964. Charlie was forced to ride the train day and night, all because he didn't have enough money to pay the exit fares that were established to collect an increased fare, without changing the current fare collection equipment. All he needed to get off the train was one more nickel.

Now, you would think that with that kind of back-story, the MBTA would have taken a hint, right? Wrong. In May of 2006, MBTA passengers were greeted with an odd sight: new fair machines, and futuristic gates in place of the old turnstiles.

Gone were the fare collectors in the booths at the stations; now commuters were lucky to find more than two MBTA personnel at any given time.

Needless to say, chaos ensued.

People were outraged. What the hell were they thinking? How could the MBTA just impose these changes on us overnight, without the slightest warning? Well, there was a hint. CharlieTickets were being used on the Silver Line as early as February of 2005. But that's beside the point. Commuters began to panic, some bumping mindlessly into those 2001: A Space Odyssey looking gates, hoping for something to happen.

And then, something did happen. A lone MBTA official came waltzing over, took the hapless commuter gently by the arm and pulled them aside. They slowly explained the new system, in that calm, slightly condescending tone that kindergarten teachers use on their children. The commuter's blood pressure returned to normal. A light bulb had gone off in their head. All they needed to do was buy a ticket from that hulking fare machine in the far corner, and they would be on their way.

So, MBTA passengers were slowly weaned off of tokens and passes, and assimilated to the usage of CharlieCards and Tickets. That isn't to say that this transition was flawless. Anything but in most cases. On the Blue Line, where there is a large number of Hispanics coming into Boston from Eastie (East Boston), those with limited English had trouble figuring out the new system. A common complaint was that none of the MBTA personnel at the station understood Spanish. The suggested course of action, add more bilingual personnel.

Even that took a bit of time to catch on. But when it finally did, the abuelitas that were trying to get into the city to visit their grandkids were finally able to do so without raising holy hell. Gone (for the most part) were the shouts of "¿Qué carajo es esto? ¿Qué pasó? ¿Porque no puedo pasar? ¿Porque no hay nadie aquí para ayudarme?" Now the abuelitas simply pulled their CharlieTicket from their carteras, inserted it into the slot and "ding!", the gates opened (it's actually not even a "ding", it's a lot more menacing).

So, what does all this newfangled technology mean for the MBTA's loyal passengers? For one, it means that new fare increases will be easier to implement (a note here, starting January 2007, shuttle buses, that were replacing the high-speed trolley, from Mattapan to Ashmont were no longer free. Most people found that out the hard way). Charlie is slowly but surely dipping into our wallets. It also means that now commuters are encouraged to use the CharlieCard over the CharlieTicket or regular cash. Passengers that use the CharlieCard can avoid a surcharge. A subway ride with the CharlieCard only costs $1.70, but with a CharlieTicket or cash, riders can expect to pay $2.00. And bus riders will be hit with a $.25 surcharge with the CharlieTicket or cash. This may not seem like much, but when you have to take 2 buses and a train to and from work or school, it adds up. It also means different role for MBTA personnel. They are now Customer Service Agents (CSAs) and sit in windowed booths, observing the comings and goings of the commuters. And yes, some of them are bilingual.

Now there's a new aspect of Charlie that passengers may be unaware of. There was talk a few months ago, around October or November of last year, that commuters would be able to be tracked by their CharlieTicket or Card. MBTA officials, if needed, would be able to check what time a Ticket was used at a particular station. Not that this really meant anything as far as invading the commuter's privacy; the Ticket doesn't say where the passenger was going, or from where they were leaving. But still, the thought of Charlie being able to follow us wherever we go is a bit unnerving to most people.

So what is next for that sly, smiling persona that now controls every aspect of the MBTA? A surcharge just for going into the station? An exit fare at every stop (note here, three stops on the Red Line did require an exit fare)? Or maybe, just maybe, chips will be implanted that track the movements of the unsuspecting commuter just in case they're thinking about doing something sneaky. Who knows? In this day and age, who's to say it can't or won't happen?