Things changed, and very much for the worse since the days you rode the T, bud. In the late 80s and early to mid 90s, with the tidal wave of crack and bad things and people seemingly flourishing in much of the inner city, the T became an often lawless and dangerous place. A good friend of mine, a w-i-l-d one back in the day too ;), after HS became a MBTA cop.
I was watching the news one fine evening and saw a live report of a shooting, wherein an officer had approached a couple of suspicious young thugs on an Orange line platform at Mass Ave. One of them upon being approached pulled a heater and fired blindly on ole ossipher Kenny before turning and bolting. The rookie calmly pulled his dep't issued nine and cut loose. Not sure if he blasted one or both, but he gunned down at least one of them. Years later I ran into him working the door at a Landsdowne club, Venus de Milo maybe, and mentioned I'd seen him on the idiot box, and asked about details.
His brief story went something like, '...punks tried to shoot me point blank...pulled my shyt and busted him in the back on the run. So how the F are you, brother? Been awhile since I've seen you; you looking good man!'.
He, some years later, became the first Asian to make detective in the history of the city of Cambridge.
http://www.wickedlocal.com/cambridge/news/x563262501#thecommentsHe's now a dick with the 'Bridge's major crimes unit. We fish together every couple years. Anyway, good times.
