Boston is going into near-total lockdown tonight. The flashing road signs say it all: EXPECT MAJOR DELAYS. And not just on the highway. The major commuter-rail station closed Friday night. Many subway commuters will be dumped onto buses, which will then head out into utter gridlock.
Traffic helicopters are grounded. Even the commuter boats have been ordered to halt their runs. Pregnant women have been told to find suburban hospitals for their deliveries. Chemotherapy and radiation treatments have been canceled, along with all elective surgery.
Boston small business owners are taking a bath over this convention. People can't get into the city to patronize their establishments. They say every eleven riders on the T will be searched. They even wanted the T (subway), to offer free rides to RATS all week. This would have cost $18 mill, and nobody wanted to ante up. TerAYSA? So that little freebie didn't come off, along with Kerry's idea that the Pops play a free concert on the Esplanade to 'thank the city and everyone'. Unbelievable. There are a lot of hard feelings over the RATS
convention, and that's putting it mildly.