With our free press under threat and federal funding for public media gone, your support matters more than ever. Help keep the LAist newsroom strong, become a monthly member or increase your support today.
Boston commuters are seeing a new feature on their trains: googly eyes
Listen
2:10
Boston commuters are seeing a new feature on their trains: googly eyes
MICHEL MARTIN, HOST:
Boston commuters are seeing a new feature on their trains - googly eyes.
A MARTÍNEZ, HOST:
I don't think I heard you right. Googly eyes?
Sponsored message
MARTIN: Yes, you did - big googly eyes. And that's because recent college grads John Sanchez and Arielle Lok organized a campaign to get the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority to add them.
MARTÍNEZ: Why?
ARIELLE LOK: Well, it's pretty simple.
MARTÍNEZ: OK. Here's Arielle.
LOK: We're big believers that the eyes are the window to the soul and that the soul of a city is its transit system. So we tried to connect those dots and give all T riders a new, fun way to connect emotionally with such a cornerstone part of the city.
MARTÍNEZ: Window to the soul, Michel - sounds dreamy.
MARTIN: I know. Connecting to your train...
Sponsored message
MARTÍNEZ: (Laughter).
MARTIN: ...Who doesn't want to do that? And the MBTA agreed to add googly eyes to five trains.
LOK: And we've named them Frog, Forg, Gorf, Grof and Vilas respectively.
MARTÍNEZ: Yeah, that wouldn't be a Kermit the Frog reference, would it?
(SOUNDBITE OF TV SHOW, "SESAME STREET")
JIM HENSON: (As Kermit the Frog) That says Kermit the Gorf.
FRANK OZ: (As Salesman) What?
Sponsored message
HENSON: (As Kermit the Frog) G-O-R-F. You see, frog is F-R-O-G.
MARTÍNEZ: (Laughter) So what did it take to get the transit authority to do this?
MARTIN: Well, back in April, Arielle and John held a march at Boston Common. Here's John.
JOHN SANCHEZ: We printed a bunch of posters and put them around Boston. We got in contact with a bunch of influencers on social media who really care about transit, got in touch with some local news outlets - all trying to drive momentum towards this very important and serious cause.
MARTIN: And like any decent protest, they had chants...
SANCHEZ: (Chanting) Bring some joy into our lives. Give the Green Line googly eyes.
MARTIN: ...And songs.
Sponsored message
MARTÍNEZ: (Laughter).
SANCHEZ: (Singing) We all want a train with googly eyes, a train with googly eyes, a train with...
MARTÍNEZ: All right. So...
SANCHEZ: ...(Singing) Googly eyes.
MARTÍNEZ: Dare I ask how Bostonians are reacting to these trains?
MARTIN: Well, they can be a restrained bunch. And Arielle admits it's been mixed, but mostly positive.
LOK: We had one mandate - give the T vision, and now the T has vision. We had a very simple demand, and the MBTA saw us eye to eye. And we have - now have googly eyes on all the Ts, or on five of them.
MARTÍNEZ: Five goofy little trains that could.
(SOUNDBITE OF IDEAL BREAD'S "QUIRKS") Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
At LAist, we believe in journalism without censorship and the right of a free press to speak truth to those in power. Our hard-hitting watchdog reporting on local government, climate, and the ongoing housing and homelessness crisis is trustworthy, independent and freely accessible to everyone thanks to the support of readers like you.
But the game has changed: Congress voted to eliminate funding for public media across the country. Here at LAist that means a loss of $1.7 million in our budget every year. We want to assure you that despite growing threats to free press and free speech, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust. Speaking frankly, the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news in our community.
We’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission.
Thank you for your generous support and belief in the value of independent news.
But the game has changed: Congress voted to eliminate funding for public media across the country. Here at LAist that means a loss of $1.7 million in our budget every year. We want to assure you that despite growing threats to free press and free speech, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust. Speaking frankly, the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news in our community.
We’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission.
Thank you for your generous support and belief in the value of independent news.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief
