Alrighty! So, this one ended up being a bit more interesting than I expected. Is there anything particularly special about Attleboro? Well….
The platforms are staggered, as a start. Furthermore, the mini-highs (oh my, so surprising!) are on the faaaaaar end of each platform. There’s also a station building on either side, however the one on the southbound side is owned by a private business, and the northbound building is only open between 5 and 11 AM, per Google. A small amount of parking can also be found over here.
Then there’s the GATRA waiting area. Oh god. I am not even mentally prepared to tell y’all of the trouble I experienced with trying to document this particular part of Attleboro. However, since duty calls, here we go. The station building is small, and sometimes houses bus schedules in brochure form for GATRA. Today, it only had the 15. There’s also a GATRA ticket machine which wasn’t working when I went in. But, it gets worse. There were also a bunch of teenagers inside. Normally this wouldn’t be of note, however it gets even worse. They were smoking. Not just smoking tobacco. No. They were full-on HOTBOXING THE WHOLE FREAKIN’ ROOM WITH SMOKE FROM A BLUNT! I REPEAT, THEY WERE HOTBOXING THE BUILDING BY SMOKING WAY TOO MUCH FREAKIN’ WEED! AND I INHALED SOME OF THE SMOKE WHEN I NOTICED THEM SMOKING, WHICH WAS TOO LATE! I genuinely never thought getting high would be a byproduct of my escapades. I’m honest to God here. But, no. I get around to reviewing Attleboro and I invariably check the GATRA waiting area, ONLY TO DISCOVER FAR TOO LATE THEY WERE SMOKING THE FUCKING DEVIL’S LETTUCE, GIVING ME A MARIJUANA HIGH! IT MAY AS WELL HAVE BEEN SNOOP DOGG DOING HIS THING WITH THE MJ, AND I WOULDN’T HAVE BEEN ABLE TO TELL THE DIFFERENCE! And for those wondering, yes, that meant I did my first GATRA post while higher than the Johnston landfill last night.
Of course, I snitched on them behind their back to the Dial a Ride driver who was complaining, to which he suggested I flagged down an officer. Bus schedules are also posted on one of the poles outside, however it’s only for the Attleboro GATRA routes. And yes, the station is accessible by virtue of accessible buses and ramps up to the platforms and mini-high. As another fun tidbit, this also used to be an Amtrak stop a long time ago.
The good: It’s centrally located in downtown Attleboro! It’s also got electrified sidings?! Okay, okay, rant time. WHY THE HOLY NAME OF MICHAEL DUKAKIS CAN’T THE T RUN ELECTRIC LOCOMOTIVES DOWN TO PROVIDENCE?!
Anyways, before I dig further. It’s also one of the two GATRA hubs (the other will be covered in due time), and the fact there’s TOD nearby is good.
The bad: My main gripe? The mini-highs and the sole countdown sign. Also, the non-working ticket machine in the GATRA waiting area. Yikes.
Nearby points of interest: Well, you got most of GATRA at your fingertips, along with downtown Attleboro. There’s also the Capron Zoo nearby. I’m not very familiar with Attleboro though, beyond South Attl and the zoo, however.
Transit connections:
Commuter Rail (Providence)
GATRA (10, 12, 14, 15, 16, 18)
Overall, it’s an interesting little place. And, given the nature of this blog, this place is gonna end up becoming a recurring theme due to it being the GATRA hub of the area. And apparently, if you want to get high without buying weed, just go into the GATRA waiting area while there’s a bunch of teenagers being idiots hotboxing the place.
Rating: 7/10
