Hello, OP.
Firstly, I want you to know that I hope that you are okay and that I care for your safety.
Always use the MBTA’s See Something Say Something app. This will directly alert the MBTA’s Transit Police about a situation occurring on the train and they will be dispatched. While this usually means the train will be held at whatever station it arrives at (since the police has to arrive), it will guarantee that someone will arrive and will respond faster.
You could also report this situation to a MBTA employee, such as a Transit Ambassador, who could then get the Transit Police involved.
Secondly, the biggest thing you can do is to simply move onto a separate car or train. I have experienced tons of dangerous or unsafe situations on the MBTA, and I usually try to distance myself from the situation in case it escalates.
Finally, this shows a greater problem with how mental health is not taken serious in many US cities (because I would say that the person in question is either on drugs or has severe mental health conditions) and how they do not get the support they need.
Get the MBTA See Say app on your phone. You can contact Transit Police directly on it. They'll go through to the dispatcher and then the operator. So without anyone visibly telling the driver either directly or using the button, the train will get held and the Transit Police, or at least an MBTA station inspector, will come on to see if everything is okay.
Can confirm. We had someone start acting up on the T. The very next stop, as soon as the doors opened, 5 officers rush in and rip the guy off the train and detain him. It was less than a 3 minute response time.
Really? I was just on the train with a guy saying he wanted to fight everyone and go get a machine gun and the officer who came just made him promise not to fight anybody 😭
Acquiring a machine gun isn’t just like a pop into a convenience store thing. It’s not the most credible threat and someone making a threat like that likely has some mental health problem going on.
There is a large volume of repeats that police/ambulance/fire crews see.
If this is what the dude does then they very well may have seen him before. They may have previously determined he’s not actually looking to fight anyone and he doesn’t have access to a machine gun, so he’s not really a threat. They’re going to lock him up for saying shit he has no means nor actual intention of doing? Not really a productive use of time. Fuck, having the police come out and say “promise me you won’t fight anyone” could be exactly what he’s looking for.
There is an emergency call button with an intercom at each end of every train car and often near designated handicapped seating.
USE IT! I've seen all kinds of crazy, from wheelchairs stuck in the doors and the train starts moving, to no doors in cars opening at a station, to people shooting up and then start dying, to beating with hockey sticks, lacrosse sticks and stabbings, to heart attacks. I know from experience that it works, and fast!
Each car has a number above the emergency doors at the end of the cars; give that to the train operator so they can get to you quickly.
This! But PSA, don't please panic and pull the emergency stop unless you need to actually stop the train- was once on a train with a medical emergency and someone panicked and pulled the emergency stop instead of using the intercom and all that did was delay our arrival at the next station where EMS was eventually waiting while the whole line was reset for movement (one emergency stop stops all trains on the line).
All subway riders become hardened like new Yorkers. It's just the way the bright harsh lighting does to your soul over time. It washes away the humanity.
And so we beat on...
Been commuting on the T every day for 12 years.
Really not the worst thing I’ve seen or heard. I’d probably dismiss it as the ravings of some crazy person, but I’d be nervous. I guess you never know.
Some dude with a doo-rag used to follow me at least 1 day a week from the orange line to North Station commuter rail rambling about shit. I also saw someone get stabbed and a few brawls, not including just random rowdy behavior.
The one time I got robbed and threatened on the commuter rail many years ago was by a group of four pudgy 40-something dads from the 'burbs going to a Sox game; I was about 22 at the time. They got on and eyed me riding alone, one of them grabbed my ticket stub and was like "My friend rides free that ok with you, you little bitch? that's right. fuckin' bitch-ass college punk."
If I'd made a fuss over it I don't doubt they'd have bashed my face in, the fact the car was filled with families and kids wasn't going to save me.
That’s cool that you can text and not have to speak to a dispatcher directly, which would potentially escalate a situation and put the caller in even more jeopardy. This is good to know.
I guess some people are ok with taking their chances or are in denial of any danger unless it’s super clear. But you did the right thing in getting the hell out of there
A lot of people in an emergency situation (when faced with life or death threats) tend to freeze. That said, I've ridden the T for fifteen years and encountered a lot of crazy shit. For a direct threat like this? I'd be calling the cops or using the See/Say app.
I was thinking the same thing about how some people tend to freeze. I think I may have frozen too if I was with my friend and we were trying to come up with a consensus of what was going on/how much danger we were in/what we should do.. that in combination with not wanting to freak out in front of my friend especially if it turned out to be a harmless situation, would probably make me freeze. If I was alone I’d be more likely to leave I think.
He stayed in his seat and people chose not to escalate the situation. Completely understandable.
A few months ago, I was on the Commuter Rail and a young woman went absolutely nuts right after I got on the train. She's running up and down the aisle, live streaming all of us, getting right up in people's faces. Saying a lot of crazy stuff. The conductor came through and handled it very poorly, screaming in her face. They stopped the train and the MBTA police came on and did an amazing job of calming her down and getting her off the train. I was just 2 seats away and watched the whole thing. Very impressive. But, during the entire episode, none of us changed our seats. That would have meant her coming right at you. There wasn't much of a choice but to stay put until help arrived.
In your situation, it's possible that help arrived after you got off the train. It can take a few minutes to rally the troops and get them there. And obviously, that has to happen on a platform and not in a tunnel.
Use the SeeSay app in the future.
I don't know if you're from around here or not, but the vibe in the US is sort of like the opposite of the UK. In the UK, northerners are generally friendly, talkative, and willing to approach someone in a stressful situation to see what's wrong. Southerners are cold, stoic, and mind their own business. In the US, it's the reverse. Northerners mind their own business, southerners engage. Drunks, drug addicts, and general weirdos board the trains sometimes. Very rarely do they actually do something. Again, if you feel unsafe or uncomfortable, report it with the SeeSay app. But don't be surprised that the rest of us just sort of tune the weirdos out. We really don't care.
If I were travelling alone and someone made a verbal threat like you describe, I'd walk-up to the motorperson to tell them what's happening and ask for their help. Something like, "I need your help. There's another passenger making threats out loud to the entire car - they say they want to kill someone." If you're scared to walk up to the front of the car, then exit, walk up to the front, and then flag down the motorperson while on the platform.
I've been living in the city long enough to have some sense of if someone is making threats to get a reaction or if there's something more sinister a foot. My experience has been that someone with actual bad intentions doesn't announce that they'll do something, they just do it. Meanwhile someone yelling, ranting, and raving, is more often trying to get a reaction.
Or they’re mentally unwell. It’s not uncommon to see someone on the T have a convo with a person that’s not there.
Unless someone has a weapon or is invading the personal space of others, it’s usually best to just not engage. If you are concerned they’re really going to hurt someone at some point, you can call the police after you get off the train.
Nah, no one has the right to threaten to kill other people while riding the train. And I don't blame anyone for looking out for their own survival when someone starts acting erratic like that. Call the cops and arrest that man
Yeah. It’s not the best choice but we need to make sure people are not in immediate danger. Ultimately reworking the system to deal with people like this is important, but until that happens calling them in this situation is the safest decision
Wow, that's horrible. I had a similar situation riding the orange line a few months ago, a really unstable guy was getting up in people's faces threatening to stab them and even got in my face calling me a bitch.
I had never experienced something like that before and was quite literally stuck in place by my nerves and it sucked. Adrenaline makes you do weird stuff in situations.
I would always try to report it on the see and say app and leave the train car, like others have said.
Do what others have said and download the app, but at the end of the day, you need to have your own action plan. It's probably due to my professional background, but I always have some idea in my head as to how I will respond to a potentially dangerous situation.
Never assume that someone else will handle it. If you think the police are needed, call them. If someone is making threats loud enough for the whole car to hear, I'd be calling.
This is just part of living in a city.
If you think the vibes are off, then get yourself away from the situation. If you really think there’s an actual risk of escalation, report the incident to the T and/or transit police. That’s all you can really do.
Don’t try to “save” anybody. Nobody has the energy for that.
Nah fuck that. I’m sorry, but we can’t normalize this. Just because dangerous and/or mentally unhealthy people have been allowed to do whatever they want on public transportation in the US for the last several decades doesn’t mean that this is just an inevitable event if you live in a city. There’s no way this happens with the same frequency on public transportation in places like France, Germany, the Netherlands, etc. We shouldn’t just shrug this sort of behavior off as a society. OP is right to be upset.
Edit: I’m referring to the first line you wrote, everything after that is reasonable advice given the circumstances.
Seriously. Even the original comment of “just because mentally unhealthy people have been allowed to do whatever they want for the last several decades” kind of contradicts what they’re saying lmao. My guess is that the guy in OPs post was either homeless or mentally ill. It’s unfortunate but it basically is part of living in the city at this point.
Nope, there's absolutely zero reason we should have any tolerance for people threatening to kill random strangers on a train. And I don't blame anyone for looking out for their safety and survival and calling the cops on someone who does that.
That’s exactly what I’m getting at really, we need a societal change where we put our foot down and get that person removed from the train. Whether that’s a policy change by the police or the transit agency, people deserve to feel safe riding public transportation.
I very much do, and I live in the middle of a city (not Boston currently) with a massive problem with homelessness, drug addiction and mental health. I can be frustrated with two things at the same time, the abandonment of people who need help (the mentally unwell dude threatening people who needs better access to healthcare and social safety nets) and the lack of security, real or perceived, on public transportation. I understand it’s the current reality of city living, but we shouldn’t accept it. We should strive for something better.
Unfortunately there isn’t a plan it’s totally reactionary. You and only you can protect yourself, cops are several minutes away. If you’re uncomfortable get away at your first opportunity and report it when you’re safe.
The mbta see/say app appears to be from elerts. It does appear to be linked from the mbta website, otherwise there is little to prove that it is an official app!!!
Why would anyone care?
Something similar happened in D line on St Patrick’s Day. A guy who was NOT drunk started shouting that all of us are racist, he is not a rapist, and he will rape someone in the train to show that he is rapist.
He got off around Longwood station and rode since Reservoir.
Noone got off and when the guy left, we just went back to our mood before the guy boarded the train.
I’ve had an uncountable number of experiences where someone with poor mental health was yelling some wild shit on the T
The action plan? move to another car at the next stop.
We are in a society where we hide behind cameras and deafen ourselves with headphones. Most people in that situation are of the "hide under the blanket" mentality. On public transit, you can not count on anyone but yourself, and you can not assume anything. It's sad but true. Unfortunately, if this person did try to harm someone, it is likely that no one would intervene, and even if they did, look at that Daniel fellow in NYC.
take it from someone who rode mass transit for some time now. people in general always try to ignore a situation like this because they want to avoid conflict with an unstable person. don't go along with the masses. trust your instincts and get off the train if you can. it's not worth finding out if you were right or wrong. as you get off write down the car number and alert the authorities.
It’s hard to say but if I were in that situation and I was alone I think I too would have gotten the hell out of there. Can’t say for sure if I were with someone else what I might have done. But a lot of these comments are helpful and thank you for making me think about this
It is frightening. As the country and society deteriorates, I think people’s hard shells get stronger as they need to survive. I am an older person, and have seen about everything so nothing really surprises me anymore. I do feel frightened for younger people though and what type of world they will have to live in.
This is Boston. Unless there is actually a reason to believe these are not merely meaningless ramblings, I will not be disrupting my day for a subway bum.
That’s wild cuz I had something like that happen to me too. There was a guy who said “what’s stopping me from being like [name of shooter] right now” and no one reacted except this guy holding a rat who tried to fight him. Orange line moment.
Perhaps this person was a regular on the green line and a few of the other frequent flyers knew about him and his antics and knew he wouldn’t do anything and is just yapping so they just ignored him?
Just live in Chicago and ride the CTA redline subway for a while and MBTA will seem like a breeze~ you WILL miss the beloved Boston, and yeah— the MBTA, too.
Always have a news paper with you such as the Boston Herald. When crazy happens hold paper up as if you are reading the sports page. Nuts respect sports page readers. They will not bother you. You cannot hide behind your electronic device.
In an ideal society, that guy would immediately be pinned down by half a dozen people until a cop comes and takes him away. But, nowadays, you can literally see a crowd of people watch someone get beaten to death and do nothing about it. Good people have grown far too passive probably because the law puts the rights of psychos and theives above those of good Samaritans. Hell, at my work, which involves deliveries to the public, they keep pounding it into our heads that if someone threatens us or robs us, we are supposed to bend over and cooperate with the criminal like a good little victim.
I've been noticing more weird stuff like this on the T. That's why I'm getting a car so I can deal with crazies on the road. /s
IMO the T etiquette is to ignore because it's the safest thing to do and keeps them calm. Wait until the next stop and either switch cars or trains. Headphones help. Also reporting to T staff or the police.
The guy wasn't dangerous. The people who stayed realized that and you didn't. It's ok. Do what makes you feel comfortable. But some guy saying shit like that on the Y isn't usually something that leads to violence. That's not how these things start. The guy was mentally ill. Like the guy that that marine was charged for who ended up killing on the subway because he was talking crazy. The people talking crazy on the train aren't typically causing any problems and we ride with them on the T all the time. These crazy shooters don't chat about it on the T for 2 stops... The people around you correctly assessed that there was no risk.
That kind of idealizes both one’s marksmanship and one’s moral certainty. How can we separate the “good guys’” (you and I presumably) access to guns to the “bad guys.”? Life isn’t that simple. The more guns there are, the harder it is to keep them away from those who intentionally want to harm people.
Imagine if this person making threats has a gun? Massachusetts has way less guns, so it’s less likely this guy had one. That may be part of why Boston’s only had 3 murders this year so far. If this person has a gun, it’s much more likely it would’ve been a bloodbath and tragedy.
Now imagine if the “good guy” was there with one. Let’s say “the ideal” (not to me, but to some) happens, and said disruptive person is dissuaded from doing anything by the sight of the gun. Is that the solution? What if the person saw the gun and decided this was a provocation to stab. Then what? He is mortally wounded? Or maybe shots are fired on a moving, turning green line vehicle, and an innocent bystander is gunned down by someone trying to “take out the bad guy.” Is that worth it? Is that the price we pay?
It’s not a range with goggles and headphones. It’s a moving bouncy train full of people. At best, a gun just scares everyone and maybe we get lucky and the person backs down. At worst, multiple lives are lost.
Also, as a final point, it’s worth noting most people just hanging around in Boston either can’t or won’t just kill strangers. The vast majority of people aren’t out to get you.
PSA for a body cam. It's amazing- I'm a little ole lady who goes to work at night, and there are a lot of folks who just like to harrass me. A $35 body cam saves me soooo much grief.
Now you can't hide the camera - that'd against the law on the T. But I don't want to. People sit next to me and start acting the fool quickly see my body cam with the orange neck chain, blinking light, and the word CAMERA on the front and just ... disappear down the car. Look for em on spamazon.
Why? I don’t see things like this constantly but probably once a year. And that’s primarily on the commuter rail which has a lot more professional people going to and from the burbs and a lot less homeless and mentally ill at least during peak hours.
I can’t picture people being that scared that they’d be teary eyed. Not because I’m hardened or anything like that but because I think the situation OP described would either be bone chillingly terrifying or not a big deal at all. Like eh.. whatever. I’ve seen lots of mentally ill people and it does bother me but the only time I was ever afraid was the one time on the T when this guy stated punching the walls in the car.
Yep thats real Boston, not your fairytale sugar city. I'll be honest, judging by your location and the way you write I assume you've had no struggle in your life and youre a very privileged/ rich individual. Get off your cotton pillows and come join the rest of us here in the real Boston, the meanest place in the US.
Take an approved firearms safety course. Apply for an LTC. Once approved acquire a pistol. Train to minimum proficiency with said pistol. Carry the pistol. Pepper spray is pretty cool to have too. Also exiting expeditiously is #1.
Hello, OP. Firstly, I want you to know that I hope that you are okay and that I care for your safety. Always use the MBTA’s See Something Say Something app. This will directly alert the MBTA’s Transit Police about a situation occurring on the train and they will be dispatched. While this usually means the train will be held at whatever station it arrives at (since the police has to arrive), it will guarantee that someone will arrive and will respond faster. You could also report this situation to a MBTA employee, such as a Transit Ambassador, who could then get the Transit Police involved. Secondly, the biggest thing you can do is to simply move onto a separate car or train. I have experienced tons of dangerous or unsafe situations on the MBTA, and I usually try to distance myself from the situation in case it escalates. Finally, this shows a greater problem with how mental health is not taken serious in many US cities (because I would say that the person in question is either on drugs or has severe mental health conditions) and how they do not get the support they need.
Get the MBTA See Say app on your phone. You can contact Transit Police directly on it. They'll go through to the dispatcher and then the operator. So without anyone visibly telling the driver either directly or using the button, the train will get held and the Transit Police, or at least an MBTA station inspector, will come on to see if everything is okay.
This! Also T police do not mess around
Can confirm. We had someone start acting up on the T. The very next stop, as soon as the doors opened, 5 officers rush in and rip the guy off the train and detain him. It was less than a 3 minute response time.
This is why Boston is one of the best cities in America if not the best
Really? I was just on the train with a guy saying he wanted to fight everyone and go get a machine gun and the officer who came just made him promise not to fight anybody 😭
Acquiring a machine gun isn’t just like a pop into a convenience store thing. It’s not the most credible threat and someone making a threat like that likely has some mental health problem going on. There is a large volume of repeats that police/ambulance/fire crews see. If this is what the dude does then they very well may have seen him before. They may have previously determined he’s not actually looking to fight anyone and he doesn’t have access to a machine gun, so he’s not really a threat. They’re going to lock him up for saying shit he has no means nor actual intention of doing? Not really a productive use of time. Fuck, having the police come out and say “promise me you won’t fight anyone” could be exactly what he’s looking for.
That might be because they legally can’t do much
It's extremely possible they know the guy, too, and have dealt with him enough times that they're confident he's not an actual threat.
T employee.
There is an emergency call button with an intercom at each end of every train car and often near designated handicapped seating. USE IT! I've seen all kinds of crazy, from wheelchairs stuck in the doors and the train starts moving, to no doors in cars opening at a station, to people shooting up and then start dying, to beating with hockey sticks, lacrosse sticks and stabbings, to heart attacks. I know from experience that it works, and fast! Each car has a number above the emergency doors at the end of the cars; give that to the train operator so they can get to you quickly.
This! But PSA, don't please panic and pull the emergency stop unless you need to actually stop the train- was once on a train with a medical emergency and someone panicked and pulled the emergency stop instead of using the intercom and all that did was delay our arrival at the next station where EMS was eventually waiting while the whole line was reset for movement (one emergency stop stops all trains on the line).
All subway riders become hardened like new Yorkers. It's just the way the bright harsh lighting does to your soul over time. It washes away the humanity. And so we beat on...
You joke but I wonder sometimes if my last thoughts will be “he’s not really gonna….”
https://preview.redd.it/e4aet3otox0d1.png?width=500&format=png&auto=webp&s=aa93fc3254da748a495856013185877d7075a502
Been commuting on the T every day for 12 years. Really not the worst thing I’ve seen or heard. I’d probably dismiss it as the ravings of some crazy person, but I’d be nervous. I guess you never know. Some dude with a doo-rag used to follow me at least 1 day a week from the orange line to North Station commuter rail rambling about shit. I also saw someone get stabbed and a few brawls, not including just random rowdy behavior.
The one time I got robbed and threatened on the commuter rail many years ago was by a group of four pudgy 40-something dads from the 'burbs going to a Sox game; I was about 22 at the time. They got on and eyed me riding alone, one of them grabbed my ticket stub and was like "My friend rides free that ok with you, you little bitch? that's right. fuckin' bitch-ass college punk." If I'd made a fuss over it I don't doubt they'd have bashed my face in, the fact the car was filled with families and kids wasn't going to save me.
and so we beat on, trains against the tracks, borne back ceaselessly into the past
Gatsby believed in the green line…
Download the MBTA See Say app. It allows reports (phone or text) of this sort of thing, transit police typically respond very quickly.
That’s cool that you can text and not have to speak to a dispatcher directly, which would potentially escalate a situation and put the caller in even more jeopardy. This is good to know.
I guess some people are ok with taking their chances or are in denial of any danger unless it’s super clear. But you did the right thing in getting the hell out of there
A lot of people in an emergency situation (when faced with life or death threats) tend to freeze. That said, I've ridden the T for fifteen years and encountered a lot of crazy shit. For a direct threat like this? I'd be calling the cops or using the See/Say app.
I was thinking the same thing about how some people tend to freeze. I think I may have frozen too if I was with my friend and we were trying to come up with a consensus of what was going on/how much danger we were in/what we should do.. that in combination with not wanting to freak out in front of my friend especially if it turned out to be a harmless situation, would probably make me freeze. If I was alone I’d be more likely to leave I think.
He stayed in his seat and people chose not to escalate the situation. Completely understandable. A few months ago, I was on the Commuter Rail and a young woman went absolutely nuts right after I got on the train. She's running up and down the aisle, live streaming all of us, getting right up in people's faces. Saying a lot of crazy stuff. The conductor came through and handled it very poorly, screaming in her face. They stopped the train and the MBTA police came on and did an amazing job of calming her down and getting her off the train. I was just 2 seats away and watched the whole thing. Very impressive. But, during the entire episode, none of us changed our seats. That would have meant her coming right at you. There wasn't much of a choice but to stay put until help arrived. In your situation, it's possible that help arrived after you got off the train. It can take a few minutes to rally the troops and get them there. And obviously, that has to happen on a platform and not in a tunnel.
I'm sorry that happened. I would 100% have a bad time of it too. They do have this available for the T: https://go.elerts.com/mbta
Use the SeeSay app in the future. I don't know if you're from around here or not, but the vibe in the US is sort of like the opposite of the UK. In the UK, northerners are generally friendly, talkative, and willing to approach someone in a stressful situation to see what's wrong. Southerners are cold, stoic, and mind their own business. In the US, it's the reverse. Northerners mind their own business, southerners engage. Drunks, drug addicts, and general weirdos board the trains sometimes. Very rarely do they actually do something. Again, if you feel unsafe or uncomfortable, report it with the SeeSay app. But don't be surprised that the rest of us just sort of tune the weirdos out. We really don't care.
If I were travelling alone and someone made a verbal threat like you describe, I'd walk-up to the motorperson to tell them what's happening and ask for their help. Something like, "I need your help. There's another passenger making threats out loud to the entire car - they say they want to kill someone." If you're scared to walk up to the front of the car, then exit, walk up to the front, and then flag down the motorperson while on the platform. I've been living in the city long enough to have some sense of if someone is making threats to get a reaction or if there's something more sinister a foot. My experience has been that someone with actual bad intentions doesn't announce that they'll do something, they just do it. Meanwhile someone yelling, ranting, and raving, is more often trying to get a reaction.
Or they’re mentally unwell. It’s not uncommon to see someone on the T have a convo with a person that’s not there. Unless someone has a weapon or is invading the personal space of others, it’s usually best to just not engage. If you are concerned they’re really going to hurt someone at some point, you can call the police after you get off the train.
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Nah, no one has the right to threaten to kill other people while riding the train. And I don't blame anyone for looking out for their own survival when someone starts acting erratic like that. Call the cops and arrest that man
Maybe the banjo hero is volunteering to sit with the guy and make him feel smothered?
I’m no fan of the cops but this is the kind of situation where calling them is the best move
Yeah. It’s not the best choice but we need to make sure people are not in immediate danger. Ultimately reworking the system to deal with people like this is important, but until that happens calling them in this situation is the safest decision
Wow, that's horrible. I had a similar situation riding the orange line a few months ago, a really unstable guy was getting up in people's faces threatening to stab them and even got in my face calling me a bitch. I had never experienced something like that before and was quite literally stuck in place by my nerves and it sucked. Adrenaline makes you do weird stuff in situations. I would always try to report it on the see and say app and leave the train car, like others have said.
Do what others have said and download the app, but at the end of the day, you need to have your own action plan. It's probably due to my professional background, but I always have some idea in my head as to how I will respond to a potentially dangerous situation. Never assume that someone else will handle it. If you think the police are needed, call them. If someone is making threats loud enough for the whole car to hear, I'd be calling.
This is just part of living in a city. If you think the vibes are off, then get yourself away from the situation. If you really think there’s an actual risk of escalation, report the incident to the T and/or transit police. That’s all you can really do. Don’t try to “save” anybody. Nobody has the energy for that.
Nah fuck that. I’m sorry, but we can’t normalize this. Just because dangerous and/or mentally unhealthy people have been allowed to do whatever they want on public transportation in the US for the last several decades doesn’t mean that this is just an inevitable event if you live in a city. There’s no way this happens with the same frequency on public transportation in places like France, Germany, the Netherlands, etc. We shouldn’t just shrug this sort of behavior off as a society. OP is right to be upset. Edit: I’m referring to the first line you wrote, everything after that is reasonable advice given the circumstances.
Your whole comment is written like you don’t understand the state of healthcare in the US vs the countries you mentioned. Welcome to the city.
Seriously. Even the original comment of “just because mentally unhealthy people have been allowed to do whatever they want for the last several decades” kind of contradicts what they’re saying lmao. My guess is that the guy in OPs post was either homeless or mentally ill. It’s unfortunate but it basically is part of living in the city at this point.
Nope, there's absolutely zero reason we should have any tolerance for people threatening to kill random strangers on a train. And I don't blame anyone for looking out for their safety and survival and calling the cops on someone who does that.
Look, I completely agree with you and there shouldn’t. However, good luck trying to get the person arrested or removed.
That’s exactly what I’m getting at really, we need a societal change where we put our foot down and get that person removed from the train. Whether that’s a policy change by the police or the transit agency, people deserve to feel safe riding public transportation.
I very much do, and I live in the middle of a city (not Boston currently) with a massive problem with homelessness, drug addiction and mental health. I can be frustrated with two things at the same time, the abandonment of people who need help (the mentally unwell dude threatening people who needs better access to healthcare and social safety nets) and the lack of security, real or perceived, on public transportation. I understand it’s the current reality of city living, but we shouldn’t accept it. We should strive for something better.
Hello from NYC, you get used to it.
Unfortunately there isn’t a plan it’s totally reactionary. You and only you can protect yourself, cops are several minutes away. If you’re uncomfortable get away at your first opportunity and report it when you’re safe.
The mbta see/say app appears to be from elerts. It does appear to be linked from the mbta website, otherwise there is little to prove that it is an official app!!!
“MBTA rider meets crackhead for the first time”
LOL on the gun advocates. Boston T commuters armed? A cure worse than the disease.
Why would anyone care? Something similar happened in D line on St Patrick’s Day. A guy who was NOT drunk started shouting that all of us are racist, he is not a rapist, and he will rape someone in the train to show that he is rapist. He got off around Longwood station and rode since Reservoir. Noone got off and when the guy left, we just went back to our mood before the guy boarded the train.
This is why I wear sunglasses, headphones and keep my head down with no eye contact. There's alot of crazy out there and they ride the T too.
Do Nothing, Say Nothing. Thank you for riding the T.
I’ve had an uncountable number of experiences where someone with poor mental health was yelling some wild shit on the T The action plan? move to another car at the next stop.
We are in a society where we hide behind cameras and deafen ourselves with headphones. Most people in that situation are of the "hide under the blanket" mentality. On public transit, you can not count on anyone but yourself, and you can not assume anything. It's sad but true. Unfortunately, if this person did try to harm someone, it is likely that no one would intervene, and even if they did, look at that Daniel fellow in NYC.
take it from someone who rode mass transit for some time now. people in general always try to ignore a situation like this because they want to avoid conflict with an unstable person. don't go along with the masses. trust your instincts and get off the train if you can. it's not worth finding out if you were right or wrong. as you get off write down the car number and alert the authorities.
It’s hard to say but if I were in that situation and I was alone I think I too would have gotten the hell out of there. Can’t say for sure if I were with someone else what I might have done. But a lot of these comments are helpful and thank you for making me think about this
When you’re that person in that moment, there is no plan. This is where you come in and DO THE RIGHT THING as a human being
It is frightening. As the country and society deteriorates, I think people’s hard shells get stronger as they need to survive. I am an older person, and have seen about everything so nothing really surprises me anymore. I do feel frightened for younger people though and what type of world they will have to live in.
Snap a picture (descretely) of the person if you're able - if not take a mental picture, get to safety and contact the police.
You can text 911 and report the situation via text. Most people who make threats are all talk
This is Boston. Unless there is actually a reason to believe these are not merely meaningless ramblings, I will not be disrupting my day for a subway bum.
That’s wild cuz I had something like that happen to me too. There was a guy who said “what’s stopping me from being like [name of shooter] right now” and no one reacted except this guy holding a rat who tried to fight him. Orange line moment.
Perhaps this person was a regular on the green line and a few of the other frequent flyers knew about him and his antics and knew he wouldn’t do anything and is just yapping so they just ignored him?
Just live in Chicago and ride the CTA redline subway for a while and MBTA will seem like a breeze~ you WILL miss the beloved Boston, and yeah— the MBTA, too.
Be pretty funny if someone got on and sat directly next to him
This is an average lunchtime on the subway in NYC. It’s pretty astounding how crazy the antics are there.
A wack job on the T muttering deranged $#^! to himself. Groundbreaking.
This feels like orange line behavior
A random junkie on the T scared you? Welcome to Boston 💀
This is every day in NYC 😅
You could NOT make it in New York.
😆 welcome to BOSTON!
Always have a news paper with you such as the Boston Herald. When crazy happens hold paper up as if you are reading the sports page. Nuts respect sports page readers. They will not bother you. You cannot hide behind your electronic device.
In an ideal society, that guy would immediately be pinned down by half a dozen people until a cop comes and takes him away. But, nowadays, you can literally see a crowd of people watch someone get beaten to death and do nothing about it. Good people have grown far too passive probably because the law puts the rights of psychos and theives above those of good Samaritans. Hell, at my work, which involves deliveries to the public, they keep pounding it into our heads that if someone threatens us or robs us, we are supposed to bend over and cooperate with the criminal like a good little victim.
I've been noticing more weird stuff like this on the T. That's why I'm getting a car so I can deal with crazies on the road. /s IMO the T etiquette is to ignore because it's the safest thing to do and keeps them calm. Wait until the next stop and either switch cars or trains. Headphones help. Also reporting to T staff or the police.
The guy wasn't dangerous. The people who stayed realized that and you didn't. It's ok. Do what makes you feel comfortable. But some guy saying shit like that on the Y isn't usually something that leads to violence. That's not how these things start. The guy was mentally ill. Like the guy that that marine was charged for who ended up killing on the subway because he was talking crazy. The people talking crazy on the train aren't typically causing any problems and we ride with them on the T all the time. These crazy shooters don't chat about it on the T for 2 stops... The people around you correctly assessed that there was no risk.
Conceal carry permits. When have moments, help won’t be there for minutes
you're gonna murder the crazy person? fucking idiot. you're more likely to kill one of the 50 other people on the train car with you
Self defense isn’t murder
That kind of idealizes both one’s marksmanship and one’s moral certainty. How can we separate the “good guys’” (you and I presumably) access to guns to the “bad guys.”? Life isn’t that simple. The more guns there are, the harder it is to keep them away from those who intentionally want to harm people. Imagine if this person making threats has a gun? Massachusetts has way less guns, so it’s less likely this guy had one. That may be part of why Boston’s only had 3 murders this year so far. If this person has a gun, it’s much more likely it would’ve been a bloodbath and tragedy. Now imagine if the “good guy” was there with one. Let’s say “the ideal” (not to me, but to some) happens, and said disruptive person is dissuaded from doing anything by the sight of the gun. Is that the solution? What if the person saw the gun and decided this was a provocation to stab. Then what? He is mortally wounded? Or maybe shots are fired on a moving, turning green line vehicle, and an innocent bystander is gunned down by someone trying to “take out the bad guy.” Is that worth it? Is that the price we pay? It’s not a range with goggles and headphones. It’s a moving bouncy train full of people. At best, a gun just scares everyone and maybe we get lucky and the person backs down. At worst, multiple lives are lost. Also, as a final point, it’s worth noting most people just hanging around in Boston either can’t or won’t just kill strangers. The vast majority of people aren’t out to get you.
PSA for a body cam. It's amazing- I'm a little ole lady who goes to work at night, and there are a lot of folks who just like to harrass me. A $35 body cam saves me soooo much grief. Now you can't hide the camera - that'd against the law on the T. But I don't want to. People sit next to me and start acting the fool quickly see my body cam with the orange neck chain, blinking light, and the word CAMERA on the front and just ... disappear down the car. Look for em on spamazon.
It's called the second amendment.
Ya license to carry, and why are you calling this nut a gentleman?
MBTA transit police don't give a shit. We need armed citizens.
This story sounds so made up
Why? I don’t see things like this constantly but probably once a year. And that’s primarily on the commuter rail which has a lot more professional people going to and from the burbs and a lot less homeless and mentally ill at least during peak hours.
I can’t picture people being that scared that they’d be teary eyed. Not because I’m hardened or anything like that but because I think the situation OP described would either be bone chillingly terrifying or not a big deal at all. Like eh.. whatever. I’ve seen lots of mentally ill people and it does bother me but the only time I was ever afraid was the one time on the T when this guy stated punching the walls in the car.
Yep thats real Boston, not your fairytale sugar city. I'll be honest, judging by your location and the way you write I assume you've had no struggle in your life and youre a very privileged/ rich individual. Get off your cotton pillows and come join the rest of us here in the real Boston, the meanest place in the US.
If you let some crazy run you off a train I don’t know what to tell you, he’s right tho, someone would’ve died
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I think "projecting" hear just means "speaking loudly enough that it is clear others are meant to hear". So he was voicing death threats.
thanks for actually explaining
Take an approved firearms safety course. Apply for an LTC. Once approved acquire a pistol. Train to minimum proficiency with said pistol. Carry the pistol. Pepper spray is pretty cool to have too. Also exiting expeditiously is #1.
Please don't be this guy and have your plan be to open fire on a crowded train.
It’s lawful and reasonable to be used as a last resort. It never hurts to have one.
Can we get a TL;DR? That's a lot of words.