MBTA Passengers Kick Out Windows of Smokey Red Line Train
Jan 29, ’15
6:50 PM
This happened about an hour before I’m usually on the red line:
After the propulsion system failed on an inbound Red Line train as it pulled into Quincy Center station around 7:20 a.m., smoke started to rise from the vehicle, causing commuters to react quickly by smashing out the train’s windows to help people trapped inside get out safely.
“The doors on one of the trains wasn’t opening, and people started panicking,” said Catherine Groux, who was waiting for the train when it pulled up and started spewing smoke.
Groux said people assumed there was a fire on the train, and after trying to pry the doors open to let passengers off, riders resorted to breaking the windows instead. “People started punching and kicking open the doors to get people out of there,” said Groux. “People got out through the broken windows. The crowd was helping people step up and get through the windows of the train. The crowd became extremely energetic, and everyone began panicking, which fueled the entire situation.”
But MBTA officials said there was “absolutely no reason” for riders to break the windows, since “there was no danger, and no one was injured” as a result of the faulty propulsion system.
The MBTA officials seem to think that the riders had the luxury of knowing exactly what was going on. Considering that the red line rarely even announces the next stop, I’m going to assume that the riders only knew that their train was filling up with smoke, tried the emergency doors which failed to open and then did what anybody else with any common sense would have done and found a way out of a smoked filled enclosed space.
Amy Poehler is the Hasty Pudding Woman of the Year
Jan 29, ’15
3:20 PM
Her parade just went by my street.
Anti-Anti-Abortion Protesters
Jan 29, ’15
1:34 PM
A Tumblr of a pro-choice couple who protests the anti-choice demonstrators by joining them.
‘Blasphemous’ Artwork Removed From Paris Exhibition
Jan 29, ’15
10:21 AM
From The Telegraph:
An artwork depicting high-heeled shoes on Islamic prayer mats has been removed from an exhibition after a Muslim group warned of possible violence in the wake of the Paris attacks.
The French-Algerian artist, Zoulikha Bouabdellah, withdrew the work from an exhibition in a northern Paris suburb with a large Muslim population after an Islamic group told local authorities it could provoke “uncontrollable, irresponsible incidents”.
It is considered disrespectful to step on Muslim prayer maps with shoes.
Ms Bouabdellah has replaced the artwork, “Silence”, previously exhibited in Paris, New York, Berlin and Madrid, with a video installation showing belly-dancing to the French national anthem, with swirling red, white and blue shawls symbolising the national flag.
The decision sparked protests from other artists who complained that freedom of expression was being undermined only weeks after 12 people were killed when gunmen attacked the office of the satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo, which published cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed. Another four people were killed at a kosher supermarket, and a policewoman was shot dead near a Jewish school.
Secrets of Hampton Court Palace
Jan 28, ’15
11:12 AM
From Londonist:
Hampton Court Palace contains over 1,000 rooms. And though State Apartment Warden Christian Lax — who recently showed us around — has worked there for years, he has yet to visit them all.
This sprawling complex is about to celebrate its 500th anniversary, 1515 being the year when Cardinal Wolsey commissioned workers to construct a mighty home on the banks of the Thames. The stately pile was soon confiscated by Henry VIII, to become Hampton Court Palace.
The complex of buildings has been much-altered over the years, particularly by monarchs William and Mary, who decided to knock down the smelly old Tudor palace and replace it with their own Baroque apartments. Fortunately, they ran out of money and much of Henry’s palace survives.
A building of such history contains many surprises. Christian showed us a few areas normally off limits to the public, including a wine cellar, Jane Seymour’s bedroom, the glorious rooftops and the scene where a famous apparition has been spotted. Watch our video and take a look at the photos below to learn some of the secrets of Hampton Court Palace.
Blizzard of 2015 Backyard Timelapse
Jan 28, ’15
10:53 AM
Not mine. It starts accumulating quickly around the 20 second mark. The blizzard wasn’t too bad for us. We did get a lot of snow and wind but the snow wasn’t heavy and there doesn’t look like too much damage for most of us. Will be busy cleaning up a bit but that’s situation normal here.
Update:
This one is even better.
