Don't Panic!

In the wise words of Douglas Adams: don't panic! This is possibly the only thing that saved me from being stranded in Copley without any money and no way of getting to a dentist appointment that was scheduled for that day. You see, my mother had scheduled a dentist appointment for 11:15 that day, but thought that she had as per usual scheduled it for 8:15, not realizing that they hadn't any appointments available at that time. She also had several meetings, and couldn't drive me to the dentist. So instead she brought me to work with her, and I was to take the T to the dentist. (If I took the T from home it would have required going all the way into Boston and all the way back out, because it is on the wrong line of the green line.)

So she goes into her meeting, and around 10:00 I set off to the T stop that I only have vague directions to, in an area I do not know well. Halfway there I realize she didn't give me any money, and I had not thought to bring my T pass. Oops. So I headed back and scrounged through her coat, digging up about a dollar fifty. Well, it costs two dollars to get on the T, so I asked one of her coworkers for fifty cents and then set off on my way. I managed to find the T stop without getting lost, which was good since I was already a bit behind schedule.

So I got on the T, and headed inbound, because I was on the wrong line of the green line, a few stops to Copley, where all the green line lines meet up. I get off at Copley, hoping to transfer to an outbound C train. Across from me I can see the outbound trains going the other way. Except, there is no way to get over to that side of the track without exiting, crossing the street, and re-entering. I'll admit, I did panic a little bit. I had no money to get out and back in. How on earth was I supposed to get to the dentist? But, the one thing I did do was suppress my immediate panic instinct to go out and attempt to get on the other side, knowing that if I did that I'd never be able to get back in.

Instead, I rationally got back on the next train going inbound and switched at Park. All in all it took me five or so more stops than I was expecting, but I made it to the dentist on time. The moral of this story is don't panic and never go anywhere without a CharlieCard.


Sachi