Boston Blotter: MBTA, What a Rip-off

The cost of doing business usually accounts for the stolen pencils and office supplies that employees will pocket and take home with them. Some staples here, tape there, or a couple of personal Xeroxes now and again are par for the course. News came out today that the MBTA police have uncovered one employee taking home a little more than that. A 69 year old retired electrician for the T had been taking home tokens and coins for long enough to amass 17 five-gallon buckets full, approximate cash value of about $40,000. A nice boost to his retirement savings. Or it was, until the cameras caught him plunking token after token into the CharlieVendingMachines at Wellington Station. He'd maxed out some number of CharlieTickets/CharlieCards at $100. After they questioned him at his home he showed them the booty stored in his basement. Arraignment is set for March 21.

The Boston Police report that yesterday they were called to 105 Lawrence Ave to break up a disturbance. It all started at a children's party inside the apartment building when a woman got upset because the kids ate all the chicken, and she doesn't eat pork. The yelling started, a knife was pulled, and it all ended up in a brawl outside when the fuzz got involved – oh, then there was spitting. Two were arrested as a result. Not quite as spectacular as last January's police response to the same location where they found someone shot and ended up charging someone else with assault with a dangerous weapon for inappropriate use of a chair.

In Western Mass a man burned himself and his two children in a parking lot adjacent to his ex-girlfriend's place of employ in Springfield. We're a fan of the Lloyd Dobler "boombox over your head" method of getting attention of an estranged lover, and would never condone the drastic measures resulting tragedy here. Investigations are ongoing – the where, what and when seem to be clearly defined, but because of the fire the who remains a question, and without records of restraining orders or complaints between the couple the why remains a mystery.

Image of a fare vending machine, not a slot machine, from Flickr user redjar