MBTA failure of the day, 1.19.06

I didn't think I'd have any failures to report today, since I drove. But it was pretty hard to notice that the rear engine door cover on bus #8915, Route 88, was only attached on one side and hanging off from the other! And one of the service doors on the left side of the bus was gone, leaving a square void in what was once its place. This bus also spewed black clouds of exhaust into my car. There is no possible way that this bus could meet emissions standards for Massachusetts, or any other northeast state. Since the MBTA is allowed to issue its own state inspection stickers, however, the agency is accountable to no one and their equipment fails routinely.