BOSTON (AP) — Boston subway riders are playing their own version of “Where’s Wally?” But instead of looking for a cartoon character in a red-and-white striped top, they’re looking for a subway car with a moving eye sticker on the front.
The transport services chief said the quirky stickers have been placed on a small number of trains and are aimed at bringing smiles to passengers’ faces.
Philip Eng, general manager and CEO of the MBTA, said a small group of self-described transit enthusiasts approached the agency with an unusual request: Putting eyes on trains. The group even delivered a package of moving plastic eyes to MBTA headquarters in Boston.
“When I saw it, I laughed,” Eng said, “and I thought, we could do something fun.”
The MBTA, which oversees the nation’s oldest subway system as well as commuter rail, bus and ferry services, has come under intense scrutiny in recent years for a series of misconduct allegations. Safety Issues This resulted in a federal investigation and an order to resolve the issue.
The route also faces problems such as traffic congestion, delays in the delivery of new vehicles and staff shortages, but U.S. officials say the congestion is gradually improving.
Instead of plastic moving eyes, which Eng feared could come off and hurt passengers, the MBTA opted for decals that give the trains cheery expressions.
Officials have installed them on only five trains: four on the MBTA’s Green Line and one on a commuter rail line.
“When we chat about it, it feels like Where’s Waldo?” he said. “It gives us all a chance to laugh, and it also gives people who use our services a chance to have fun.”