Orange Line at Night

I ususally ride the commuter rail into town. But, this weekend I have to head in and the rail schedule does not have a train home until on enad one half hours after my event.

So, I can either drive to Forest Hills or to Braintree.

Forest Hills is much closer to my house and I have parked on Sat. nights before in the lot to eat in a nearby resteraunt. But, is the ride in and out safe? Do any of you ride this line on Sat. night?

Thanks,
Derf

I can say that the ride is probably safe, but the trains are not very frequent on Saturday nights. You will most likely be ok, but expect to wait a while for your train both inbound and outbound.

I've never heard of a serious accident on the Orange Line.

Neither have I, Ron. I was also implying that he is also unlikely to get mugged, robbed, or beaten, to calm his fears. Those sort of things don't happen too often either, you know.

My dad and I will use the Orange Line then.

The extra bonus is that I think that this is one of the only regular revenue portions of the transit system that I have not ridden.

Thanks,
Derf

First, welcome to the forum Derf and I hope to hear alot from you in the future.
You are completely safe at Forest Hills. If you were going during the week in the afternoon (when kids are getting out of school) I would show a little (and I emphasize little) concern, but otherwise you have no worries.

The E line / #39 bus combination is a lot more scenic, but also much slower.

CS wrote:First, welcome to the forum Derf and I hope to hear alot from you in the future.
You are completely safe at Forest Hills. If you were going during the week in the afternoon (when kids are getting out of school) I would show a little (and I emphasize little) concern, but otherwise you have no worries.

Yes, same here, welcome aboard our MBTA Board, Mr. Derf. I'm CS's co-moderatour. You should be fine at Forest Hills, although Braintree is more suburban, but it's more costly to ride the Braintree Red Line, twice as much as the Orange Line out of Forest Hills.

Ron Newman wrote:I've never heard of a serious accident on the Orange Line.

Within the past few years, Orange Line Stations heading into Roxbury have been the site of violence several times. Last September, a woman was raped right near the Forest Hills Station. I also believe a while back there were several muggings of people leaving the station on foot. Last March, a teenage girl was stabbed at the Jackson Square T station. Last April, another person was fatally stabbed at the Ruggles Orange Line station. There was also an incident several years ago where a pregnant woman was killed at the Mass Ave. Station.

I'm not saying this violence is the norm, but that end of the Orange Line seems to host more violent crime than any other part of the subway system. I would think twice before taking the Orange Line to Forest Hills at night by myself. You'd probably be fine, but given the option, I'd feel more comforatble with the Red Line.

all of the incidents over the years. It's funny though. I live in Dedham and ride my bike to work in Cambridge for work on a regular basis. I usually ride down Washington to Forest Holls then ride the linear park that follows the orange line with no fear. It's just that on a Friday night I was not sure.

Thanks for all for the greatings and I will try to post on a regular basis, if I think that I can add some insight or information. If I'm not on my bike then I take the commuter rail from Readville or Dedham Corp. to S.Station then the red line to Kendall/MIT.

Derf

The FEW incidents on the Orange Line are only isolated incidents blown out of proportion. There is at most only one or two major incidents a year on the line and are probably more on the other lines but you rarely ever hear about them. The only thing bad about the Orange Line is the image of the Orange Line, in reality it's no less safe than the Blue or Red or Green Lines at the same time.

Personally I have felt much safer riding on an Orange Line train after dark than on Blue Line and Green Line trains, the way the stations are built on the Green Line and the lack of connecting bus service on the Blue Line scares me more than the 1 in 1,000,000 chance of getting attacked on the Orange Line.

efin98 wrote:The FEW incidents on the Orange Line are only isolated incidents blown out of proportion. There is at most only one or two major incidents a year on the line and are probably more on the other lines but you rarely ever hear about them. The only thing bad about the Orange Line is the image of the Orange Line, in reality it's no less safe than the Blue or Red or Green Lines at the same time.

Personally I have felt much safer riding on an Orange Line train after dark than on Blue Line and Green Line trains, the way the stations are built on the Green Line and the lack of connecting bus service on the Blue Line scares me more than the 1 in 1,000,000 chance of getting attacked on the Orange Line.

I disagree. The Orange Line does have a bad reputation, but I would say there does seem to be some basis to it. In the past eight months, there has been a murder, a near-fatal stabbing, and a rape around the south-side orange line stations. I think if similar events had occurred on other lines of the subway, they most certainly would have been reported.

Again, I'm not saying this activity is the norm, but it does occur, and seemingly more than on other lines.

BC Eagle wrote:I disagree. The Orange Line does have a bad reputation, but I would say there does seem to be some basis to it. In the past eight months, there has been a murder, a near-fatal stabbing, and a rape around the south-side orange line stations. I think if similar events had occurred on other lines of the subway, they most certainly would have been reported.

Again, I'm not saying this activity is the norm, but it does occur, and seemingly more than on other lines.

The key word is "around", alot of crimes are committed in the area of the stations with a few inside the stations or busways but I believe the majority are off MBTA property and on the streets nearby. By being nearby the stations it LOOKS like it's a crime on the T but in reality it's really just another statistic in the rest of Boston's crimes.

And as of this morning it's being reported that crimes are actually significantly DOWN this year compared with last year, not sure if it's a net decrease when the higher than normal rate of crimes last year are taken into effect or if it's a gross decrease though... Still, crime is down though.

Someone forgot to mention the pregnant woman shot in the car at the Mass Ave station last year, killing her and her unborn child! They just caught one of the suspects just recently, if I remember correctly in Conn. (okay, so someone mentioned a murder...I take it this is the murder?)

I actually mentioned the pregnant woman being murdered at Mass Ave. Station in my first post. The stabbing at Jackson Square, and the Murder at Ruggles Station occurred on the MBTA property, in the stations. The rape in September occurred in a parking lot at Forest Hills. The muggings last year occurred as people were walking from the trains to their cars and bus connections.