Is it really strictly necessary for something to catch fire on the Green Line every time I come to work?

You may recall that last Thursday a medical supply truck exploded at Packard’s Corner. Today, I woke up to learn that a train derailed last night a block from my house, hit a utility pole, tore down the Green Line power cables, caught fire, and thereby suspended service to most of the branch until at least 9:30 (much longer, really, but it’s 9:30 now and there’s no sign of it clearing up).

I’m beginning to miss the days when I could get on the train, read my paper in peace, and show up at work without anything catching fire or exploding along the way.

To their credit, the MBTA’s shuttle service ran exceptionally well this morning, actually getting me here 10 minutes earlier than the train would have. When they have seven hours to get ready and call in drivers and rearrange buses, things go smoothly.