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 =Does public transportation affect the diversity level of one living within a city? =

Does public transportation affect the diversity level of one living within a city? Many people use public transportation, like the MBTA, to get to their destinations. Whether that is school, work, or other recreational destinations, MBTA services have been highly depended upon by people of urban communities. People who use these services on a daily basis, generally have a routine, for example, getting on and off at certain stops. So routine that, in fact, one could almost guess what stop it is without listening to the announcements.

The minute I boarded the Red Line train, I automatically got the “I’m in a rush” feeling. Getting on at the Harvard Square stop, there are many students trying to get on and off for their 9:00 A.M. classes. Some business people are also already on the train, probably coming from the Alewife stop. Because of all the people who were already on it, I had to squeeze between five people, beside a seat, and against the door. I was being cornered by people who were reading the daily Metros and listening to their iPods. Because of it being such an early time of the morning, I can assume that not many people had stayed up to watch the news the night before.

By the time we reached the Kendal Square stop, most of the business people were getting off. Kendal Square is mostly filled with large businesses, some small ones, and in fact, Google had just opened another branch of their business in the M.I.T. area. There were some students who were boarding the train, and also some business people. There was a bit more room to breathe, however, the train was still pretty packed.

Three main stops along the Red Line are Park Street, Downtown Crossing, and South Station. They are all filled with business, with some schools in the area. Even though it has a lot in common with Kendal and Harvard Square, the vibe of these places is extremely different. For example, Harvard Square has its own unique style and is filled of urban young adults. There is also a place right outside of the station called “The Pit” which attracts a diverse group of people. Walking through, you will be able to see everything from people performing on the sidewalks, so-called “hippies,” runaways, starving artists, drug dealers, drunks, self-proclaimed “homeless” people (although many of them are not), and high school students skipping class. There are many stores along the streets, almost edging on being deemed as an outside mall. However, just two stops away, Kendal is filled with businesses. The only things that Kendal and Harvard have in common is the fact that there are many urban youth and young adults in the area, and there are – arguably – two of the best schools in America within walking distance of the two train stations.

Park Street and Downtown Crossing however, even though they are still mainly urban areas, there are also some business in the area. Both stops are surrounded by a diverse group of stores, and they both also attract many tourists because of the recreational activities that are offered by the Boston Common. They are also connected to other MBTA systems which have access to other top schools in America. By the time we got to the Downtown Crossing stop, the majority of the business people had gotten off the train, rushing now to get into their offices and get their work day started. The majority of the passengers now are students, who are doing everything from listening to their iPods, rushing to get the rest of their homework done, and studying for their tests. The few business people who are left are getting ready to get off at the next stop, which happens to be South Station.

South Station is a stop which is filled of high rising big business buildings. There is everything from law offices, to real estate offices, to up-scale / high middle class condos, to accounting firms, all overlooking part of the Boston Harbor. One could argue that the area surrounding the station is as “perfect” as “perfect” in Boston could be. This stop, compared to the rest, is not as urban and doesn’t have as much trouble with poverty. For the most part, it is really peaceful, and they even have easy access to the Harbor Walk (which could lead you all throughout Boston alongside the water) - with outside cafés. After the train passes this stop, the train is nearly empty with mostly students on it. At this time, there are only a few people on the train who are not students and who live in the areas of Broadway and Andrew stops.

Both stops are located on Dorchester Avenue in South Boston. Although there are a lot of urban young adults who are in these areas, some of the architecture suggests that it is a relatively nice neighborhood to live within. There are not a lot of social activities that occur around these stops, during the day they are pretty quite stations. Compared to the previous stops, these ones are smaller and have less traffic. At first glance, one that is not familiar with the Boston area could probably assume that these are good neighborhoods to live in. However, (not saying that they are full of gangs) people who are more familiar with it would suggest another area would be better. Either way, the people who board and get off the train at these stops would reflect the neighborhoods surrounding the station – which are, mainly, urban youth.

After most of the non-students depart from the train, we continue on to enter Dorchester Bay which is, technically, still a part of Dorchester, however, looking at the area, not many people could tell. It is a rather nicer area outside of the city, mainly consisting of apartment complexes (known as Harbor Point and the Peninsula) residing mainly college students and some families. The offices for the Boston Globe and other businesses are within the area, as well as the Boston College High school and UMass Boston.

The majority of the now nearly empty train is UMass Boston students. A lot of the students are studying, some are sleeping, and others are staring off into nowhere in particular. This can reflect the stop we will depart from – being J.F.K. / UMass Boston. Most of the students here are serious about our studies; while others of us are less serious and would just like to graduate as soon as possible.

From the people who are left on the train, it is a diverse group, and it can reflect the advertisement that - coincidently - is also displayed on this train with us. The advertisement seems to focus mainly on the schools diversity, opportunities, and the “beautiful seaside campus” on which it is conveniently located. However, and possibly ironically, the advertisement does not offer a photograph of the school – which can leave some non-students to wonder what it looks like. Current students and Alumni know all too well that we are not offered a glimpse of this “beautiful seaside campus” unless we’re in the Campus Center on breaks from classes.

At this stop is where I, along with many other students, depart from the train and rush to board the shuttle in order to make it to the first class of the day. Looking back on the experience and observational aspect of it all, the people who board the train as well as depart from it are reflections of the neighborhoods which surround the different stations. With each station having its own unique style, it also means there is a lot of diverse people who board and depart from these train stations. With such constant exposure to different cultures, how can this affect us in our daily lives? We are constantly surrounded by people who are the polar opposite of us, and in other areas of America, some people do not know how to handle these types of situations. In an area like Boston, it tends to make people more tolerant of other’s customs because we are exposed to it no matter where we are or what we are doing. 