FlyerTalk Forums - View Single Post - Charlie Card vs Charlie Ticket
View Single Post
Old Nov 23, 2007, 8:30 am
  #15  
OB one
FlyerTalk Evangelist
 
Join Date: Sep 2001
Location: Worcester, MA, BOS, PVD, BDL, MHT, ??ORH??
Programs: Delta Platinum, HHonors Diamond, PC Platinum
Posts: 11,928
Originally Posted by Analise
The principle of being charged an extra 18% doesn't bother you? Ok, I guess you answered my question from above. That would not hold in New York.
Most Bostonians aren't hit with the extra 18%, but speaking of being up in arms - a 3% or so city income tax as levied by NYC doesn't bother you????? You pick your battles. Apparently New Yorkers are content with their city incoime tax, Bostonians will settle for the 18% MBTA surcharge. Why don't New Yorkers riot over the income tax? I just don't get it.


Originally Posted by Efrem
Charlie was a fictional character in "The MTA Song," also known as "Charlie on the MTA." ("MTA" stood for Metropolitan Transit Authority, the predecessor of today's Mass. Bay Transit Authority or MBTA.) It was written for the 1948 mayoral campaign of Walter O'Brien. It was made famous by the Kingston Trio about ten years later, with the name changed to George O'Brien to avoid political problems.

Charlie was a poor chap who got on a train for the usual fare of 10¢, unaware that he'd also have to pay the new exit fare of 5¢ later. (The MTA instituted this scheme so as not to have to modify its toll collection machines.) As the song ends he's condemned to ride the train forever.
Nice analysis, you can get the full lyrics here http://www.mit.edu/~jdreed/t/charlie.html fwiw, back in the day, this was always a wonderful song to send the crowd home smiling, happy, and inebriated when the band announced that to catch the last train, you better get going now.
OB one is offline