Keller @ Large: Rider With Christmas Tree On Crowded Red Line Lands On Naughty List

BOSTON (CBS) – The holiday season is in full swing, and isn't it great? The streets and subways packed with excited shoppers, the smell of pine needles in the air, and above all, that special Christmas spirit of goodwill toward one another. Right?

Actually...wrong.

A picture surfaced of a woman trapped up against a full-size Christmas tree that someone dragged onto a crowded Red Line train Monday during the evening rush.

It didn't appear to dawn on this person that this was an egregiously inconsiderate thing to do, likely sending fellow riders home with unwanted deposits of pine needles and tree sap all over their clothes, and risking potential injury to them. Can't you almost hear your mother yelling at the perp: "Hey! You could poke someone's eye out!"

While there is no specific rule against bringing a Christmas tree onto a train, MBTA spokesman Joe Pesaturo said "We strongly encourage customers to use sound judgment while sharing a subway train with hundreds of commuters. Are we asking too much?"

Yes, Joe, you obviously are!

This imbecile's behavior is not an uncommon sight these days. You don't need me to tell you about wide array of selfish, clueless behaviors we see on the roads around here all year round, from tailgating to speeding to failing to remove snow and ice from windshields.

And in the era of the smartphone, obnoxious obliviousness has become a way of life. Why make contact with other humans and respect your surroundings when you could be checking your twitter feed instead?

Let me close by saying to everyone, Merry Christmas. And to the jerk with the tree? Bah, humbug.

Your feedback is welcome. Email at keller@wbztv.com, or use Twitter, @kelleratlarge.