While I step into my first week of Master’s Class in Global Marketing, Communication and Advertising at Emerson College, I could not help learning about the city that will be mine for several months (or years maybe…).

For Bostonian residents the Charlie Card is part of the daily routine, but where does this name come from? In Paris, where I come from, the transportation card is called “imagine-R” but the imaginary story of Charlie is far most meaningful… and imaginRy!

Indeed, Charlie was the fictional hero of a protesting folk song in 1949 “MTA”. The Historical background of this song is the financial shortfall for the Metropolitan Transit Authority which began to charge the customers both coming in and coming out. “MTA” was a song written as a campaign song for the Progressive Party candidate to point out this scandalous fare increase: Poor Charlie did not take enough money to pay when exiting the trolley and was never able to return home.

Sure the MBTA has an ironic sense of humor! Enjoy this funny song and have a thought for Charlie while riding the T!