New Seven Wonders of the World

In the old days we had the Seven Wonders of the World:

1. The Great Pyramid of Giza (a big pile of rocks, still there)
2. The Hanging Gardens of Babylon (some moss grew on the edge of their roof. Also it's gone, destroyed by earthquake)
3. The Statue of Zeus at Olympia ( a 40-foot statue, puhleeze, also gone)
4. The Temple of Artemis at Ephesus (took 120 years to build - I believe improvement projects on my local transit system take longer than that. It's gone.)
5. Mausoleum of Maussollos (a 40-ft high box covered with pictures - sounds like the projects to me. Also destroyed by earthquake.)
6. The Colossus at Rhodes (a 110-ft. statue made of bronze. Now that would have been something to see, but it's gone, ok?)
7. The Lighthouse at Alexandria (they're not really sure how tall it was and - you guessed it, it's gone.)

So except for the big pile of rocks, the old Seven Wonders are just not there to wonder at anymore. Obviously we need new Wonders. But what? I'm getting to that...

The old Wonders became Wonders because they were tall, or elaborate, or took a long time to build - they made you wonder, you know? You betcha, to use a suddenly and unreasonably popular phrase. So I will choose things that make me wonder. Now, what I wonder about may not be what you wonder about, but what the hay, I'm writing the article.

Boston's Back Bay Station on the Commuter Rail System is a fume-choked pit that extends about a quarter mile beside the equally subterranean Massachusetts Turnpike. Given the grime and haze caused by diesel exhaust, one wonders how many years a commuter might lose from their lifespan from being exposed to this level of toxicity.

Here in the Boston area the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) is affectionately known as the "T". At right, the Brookline Village T Stop has been under construction for about 500 years. I wonder how persons with mobility devices will navigate a platform designed to be so narrow and so cluttered with lighting and signage.

D Line trolleys on the MBTA seem to be a little less than, say, state of the art. At right, an expert paint job with the monniker of the "T" boldly emblazoned thereon. I wonder if they run this car with a straight face or if they laugh out loud.

I wonder when this train was built? 1950? 1940? How long do you have to neglect a train before its brakes sound and smell like that? And, whenever I am taking the train I wonder, how late will this train be today?

On the E line, the MBTA runs cars that are accessible to persons with disabilities where there are compatible train platforms present, however, the E line has almost no accessible platforms. On the D line, where there are accessible platforms, they run no accessible cars. I wonder what message the MBTA is trying to deliver to persons with Disabilities?

This ceiling is truly worthy of being a wonder in and of itself, separate from the wonder of Back Bay Station. It is nice to know that the MBTA cares enough about its ridership to support these massive, rotting sheet metal ducts with a couple of trash-grade two by threes. I wonder when it will fall on someone?

This is what the sidewalk looks like between Route 128 Station and my work in the winter. Nice snow removal job, eh? You betcha. I wonder how I even get to work, ever?

So these are my Seven Wonders of the Modern World. It is purely coincidental that they are all within a 20 mile radius of my home.

I wonder if I get out much, eh?