Ok, this is a first.

Headed in to work, I'm the only one on this train coach at departure. When I went to show my ticket to the conductor she just smiled and said, "Don't worry about it."

I'm torn between posting here and just sitting and enjoying the quiet.

But I think I will share some pictures from the last few days.

Here's the train platform on a weekday morning during rush hour. Normally it's packed sardine-tight, with people advancing at a slow shuffle. No such bottleneck now.

And at the end of the day...

I walked through Chinatown yesterday. The neighborhood is especially hard hit, as it's known for its restaurants. Other than take-out, restaurants are closed until further notice. (It's kind of funny to see people eating take-out on the sidewalk, but I didn't get any pictures of that.)

There were only a few people out walking in the morning.

Face masks are actually starting to become as commonplace as the media was reporting two weeks ago. (Funny, isn't it, how reality eventually bends to the narrative?)

People are keeping their distance.

Other than a couple construction workers doing utility work (larger construction jobs have been shut down), I seem to be the only white guy walking around. Mostly I see minorities and the elderly, which is a little strange, since they are the ones most at risk from this thing.

And, sadly, the homeless.

This fruit vendor was still setting up his street-side stand early in the morning.

Cross-walls are optional at this point. With so few cars on the streets, people walk wherever. Here's me standing in the middle of Atlantic avenue just outside South Station, against a green light, during rush hour.

The same area at the end of the day.

Here's the intersection of Boylston and Tremont, at the heart of the city. Again, this is rush hour on a Wednesday. The State House is in the background.

It rained on Tuesday (and is doing so again today) which added to the drama.

But the sun came out yesterday, and these window washers were back at work. A fine example of social distancing, to be sure!

Think I'll leave it there. Three other passengers have joined my coach along our 60 mile route, and we're zipping along next to the Southeast Expressway which is as empty as I've ever seen it. For once, the cars are going faster than the train!