I am one of the many enthusiasts of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA), the rapid transit and bus system in the Metro Boston area. I enjoy learning about the history of the MBTA, riding on MBTA vehicles, visiting MBTA stations, and taking photographs of MBTA buses, trolleys, subway trains, commuter rail trains, and more.
My interest started when I was little with Thomas the Tank Engine and Shining Time Station, which inspired me to become interested in all things rail-related. Shining Time Station taught children the magic that comes with trains and train stations -- and indeed, there is just something about train stations and riding on trains (as well as trolleys and buses) that is unique and fun. Since then, I have been interested in the MBTA, as it is my real life version of Thomas the Tank Engine. Our childhood interests never go away because we apply them into our lives as adults in one way or another.
But one unfortunate fact is that we do live in different times. In the past, there was nothing suspicious about people taking pictures of trains and buses. Nowadays enthusiasts may get hassled by employees who think that people are not allowed to take pictures. Some of these employees may simply not want their picture taken, which I respect, as I try my best not to include them in my pictures. But using the "ever since 9/11" or the "ever since the Boston Marathon bombing" excuse for the reasoning as to why one cannot take pictures is absurd. Any sensible person (which a lot of people are not, especially on the Internet) would know that taking pictures has nothing to do with terrorism. In the end, know your right. There are cameras in stores, buses, train stations, and all over the place. You might not want these places to record you, but you do not have a choice. If they have the right to record you without your consent, you have the right to record too. I have had my share of experience from mean MBTA employees and security and other people who think they are right. After taking pictures almost every day and just about everywhere in the Metro Boston area for the past few years, I do believe a lot of MBTA employees and transit police officers recognize me as that Asian kid always taking pictures of buses and trolleys.
Even so, I try my best to take pictures and make videos discreetly. When I take pictures of a vehicle, the point is to take a picture of the vehicle, not the operator. The vehicle and the driver are two separate entities. Some operators may like it when people take pictures, some might not mind it, but there are some who do not like it at all. As courtesy, I try my best not to get the operator in my pictures. Unlike operators, who might not like being included in a picture, vehicles (such as buses, trolleys, locomotive engines) enjoy having their photographs taken. But it is not logical to ask the driver to get off a vehicle so that you can take a picture of it.
What happened to the days when a driver would actually wave when they saw someone taking a picture of the bus or trolley or train they were driving? I have had three or four drivers actually wave to me before, but that is not a lot...
If only the MBTA could hire more people that actually likes buses, trolleys, and trains.
I have been taking pictures since 2010, but I have not posted much of my work yet. Taking pictures is the easy part, but reviewing them and posting them on a website is the hard part. Fortunately, I have finally decided to have a go on creating this website, because having picture and video files stored away in a hard drive makes all the hard work go to waste.
"TheMBTADog" is the name I used for a dog puppet that I brought with me to host my initial MBTA videos. Although I do not use the dog puppet anymore, the name remains as the title of my explorations and website. And no, that does not mean I am the dog now. A new dog host (or possibly another animal) may be featured in future adventures.
This website will feature mostly pictures of Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) vehicles. We will look at all the different bus models and all of the bus routes in the MBTA system. We will also look at the Green Line, the Orange Line, the Red Line, the Blue Line, and the Commuter Rail.
We will also have "station inspections", which are thorough reviews of stations.
In addition, we will also explore the City of Boston and its many unique and diverse neighborhoods and sub-neighborhoods. We may also visit a few surrounding towns and cities too. See tabs above.
In addition, videos can be found at www.youtube.com/user/TheMBTADog. These videos will mainly be of bus rides, and of buses and trains coming in and out of stations.
This website will give you an overview of selected MBTA stations, MBTA bus routes, various places, etc. I will not go into small detail about every station and location. If you would like to learn more about any place featured on this website, links to other websites will be provided for further readings and self-research.
If you would like to contact me, send an email to thembtadog@gmail.com.
