"Jim Monahan , the T's deputy division chief of bus operations, was dispensing the good will yesterday at Park Street, Ruggles, and Haymarket stations, and got off to a slow start. By 7:15 , more than two hours after he began searching for the courteous, Monahan had given out just two of his 20 gift cards."

That sounds about right.  That's about one per train, innit?  

It doesn't surprise me that the T has the chutzpah to think it can judge who's naughty and who's nice.  But the real reason for this initiative has more to do with redundant T employees who are hanging around with nothing to do than with anything else. 

Now that T employees no longer have to work collecting tokens, and are enjoying the life of leisure, we can expect many more initiatives meant to amuse them and give them something to do in their free-time. 

Some such initiatives meant to stave off boredom for former token-takers were recently leaked to the press.  A couple that I particularly liked (aside from converting those new white pods to T employee-run face-painting booths, and T-employees making balloon-animals for the delight of children aged nine to ninety): "Former token-takers will perform Shakespeare on trains.  Richard III is suggested, since the description of Richard as 'rudely stamp'd,' 'deformed, unfinish'd', who cannot 'strut before a wanton ambling nymph,' seems easiest for T employees to act out." (That's No.273.)  As for acting, the 1,200-page document also includes this suggestion (No.547): "T employees will act out scenes from 'Jack-Ass, Part Two' for customers (with customers as 'jack-asses,' of course)."  

There are indications that this is a new phase for T-employees.  They are finally being offered the freedom to turn hobbies into livelihoods, and they're totally pumped about it!  With their increased leisure, great income and benefits, they are now looking to improve themselves intellectually and spiritually, and to refine their artistic skills and sensibilities.  Which they can then share with commuters!  "T-employees will conduct yoga courses on certain designated green-line trains, to relieve rush-hour stress." (No.932.) "Pilates may also be offered." (No. 933.) "Macramé" (No.870), "needlepoint" (No.421), and "paper-airplane construction" (No.905) demonstrations are in the works!  A lecture series on "the relationship between geometry and music" (No.888) is to be offered, and accredited courses in archaeoastronomy (No.558), "symbolic landscaping and sacred architecture" (No.329), and kabbalah (No.346) are all in the pipeline, too!

"It's all about the customer in the end," Explained a T spokesman yesterday.  "These are serious service-enhancements.  Our very next initiative, which we are very excited about, will be T employees pulling aside commuters who they've identified as 'Fashion Victims,' and conducting total make-overs on them!  In transit!"

We're so lucky the MBTA is looking out for us!  Warms the heart.  And now they finally have the time to care for us like they've really wanted to all along.