Robin Abrahams (Miss Conduct from the Boston GLobe column) has some Advice for Writers in her blog currently.

(This is only relevant for Boston folks.)

I don't know how many of you know this (since I didn't), but I thought I'd mention it. If your train or bus is late, you can submit a request to be reimbursed from the T. You have to know when you were supposed to catch it, but there's an online form to help under Customer Service on the website.

The reason I bring this up is that you can be reimbursed even if you have a monthly pass. For the commuter rail, they will send you paper tickets. In addition, you can take the tickets and the letter to the ticket counter and they will give you cash back for them. My train was late 3 times, and I just got $28 back from the T. I highly recommend submitting for any late or cancelled trains.

I'm not sure about the subway or the buses, since I don't take them, but I imagine it's similar. They have to be either cancelled (not gonna happen on the subway) or a 1/2 hour late, but it's definitely worth it.