🤧 You ain’t sneezed nothing yet

It’s Monday, Boston.

☀️ We did it, B-Siders! We’re now safely in 6:45 p.m. sunset territory. AND, it’s going to be 60 degrees and sunny tomorrow. We could actually shed a tear. 

👀 What’s on tap today:

• Bostonians hit the streets

• The MBTA’s no good, very bad weekend

• A 12-year-old heckler

Up first…

HEALTH & WELLNESS

Your allergy szn survival guide

Good news: It’s almost spring. Bad news: It’s also almost allergy season. And, spoiler: It’s looking legit.

Here’s what to know:

🤧 It’s not your imagination. Allergy season is getting worse. “We're seeing record high pollen counts,” said Dr. Trisha Ray, the clinical director of allergy and immunology at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. Historically, Boston's pollen count tended to stay in the green or yellow zones, but these days, Ray has seen “red-level, high alert” pollen for “two, three weeks on end.” Just look at last year’s literal pollen cloud! 

⏰ The season also lasts longer. “Ten to 15 years ago, we did not see pollen really starting until April or May-ish,” said Dr. Camellia Hernandez, clinical director of allergy and immunology at Brigham and Women’s. But these days, it becomes more active as soon as March, or even late February — and the pollen can stick around into November or December.

🌡️ The culprit? Climate change. Shocking, we know. A University of Michigan study back in 2022 found that warming temps are to blame for both issues. They widen the window for pollen-producing plants to grow, and extra carbon dioxide in the air helps the plants produce more pollen. 

🌳 The trend ain’t stopping now. Ray said it’s hard to say how bad any given allergy season will be before it actually starts. But if “the last two to three springs have been rough for you … it's probably gonna be just as bad as before, if not worse,” she said. Though pollen isn’t popping up in Boston quite yet, Hernandez said the wind can carry pollen from elsewhere “for hundreds of miles,” meaning people who are “very sensitive” might already feel the effects.

👃 Doctor’s advice: Start your allergy meds ASAP. An antihistamine like Zyrtec or Allegra plus a nasal spray like Flonase or Nasacort is the best one-two punch, Hernandez said. The key is to start before your symptoms really kick in (right around now wouldn’t hurt), and to take it consistently. 

🪟 And meds aren’t the only fix. Think: Taking a shower and changing your clothes after going outside, keeping your windows closed, and investing in a filter to get those pollen particles out of the air, Hernandez said. All can keep pollen out of your house, off your pillow, and ultimately, out of your face. 

🩺 As always … make sure you consult your doctor before making any medical changes. <3

TOGETHER WITH THE MASSACHUSETTS STATE TREASURY

Congrats! You survived winter — here’s your prize 🏆

💸 Between the icy sidewalks, dark afternoons, and way too many layers, making it through a New England winter deserves a reward. Luckily, the Massachusetts State Treasury might have one with your name on it. With billions in unclaimed funds just waiting to be discovered, a quick (and free) search could uncover lost savings, forgotten refunds, or surprise cash — just in time for spring adventures. Check now and see what’s waiting!

CITY

Quick & dirty headlines

🪧 Bostonians are taking to the streets. In the last week, three local protests popped up with one common thread: President Donald Trump. The day before Mayor Michelle Wu’s congressional hearing, a group of local artists projected anti-tyranny messages on the Old State House. Then, this weekend saw back-to-back protests against Trump and Elon Musk, with physicians and researchers holding a “Stand Up for Science” protest on the Common, and thousands more showing up for a march to a Tesla showroom on International Women’s Day.

🚇 It’s been a rough time to be the MBTA’s PR team. First, a ceiling panel fell just a few feet away from passengers in Harvard Square station. No, it’s not deja vu. Yes, there’s video. Then, the feds dropped some new details about a recent Green Line collision: The train was going 32 mph in a 25 mph zone, and blew through a stop light before the crash. And finally, commuter rail baddies can expect fare gates at South Station and Back Bay this year after a state watchdog criticized the agency’s approach to fare collection. Honestly, it’s giving Daily Mail.

🧑‍💻 Laid off by DOGE? There’s a website for that. Gov. Maura Healey is inviting folks who have been affected by DOGE’s federal layoffs to work in Massachusetts. In fact, she set up a whole website for it: Mass.gov/fedup. Get it? The landing page has a video message from Healey herself, recruiting laid-off workers and anyone who’s fed up with the feds, encouraging them to bring their skills here. The site offers a bunch of employment and job training resources for federal workers, including over 160,000 job postings, career fair finders, and mentoring opportunities. 

🚴 Local bike lanes are looking a little … naked. Shot: Bike lanes across the city are suddenly missing the flexposts and bollards that used to separate them from traffic. According to Mayor Wu’s office, some of the barriers were “removed for routine maintenance,” but the city said at least some are gone for good. Given the current climate of street safety lately, transit activists are worried. Chaser: If you live in Cambridge and are income-eligible, you can enter a lotto to win up to $3,000 to buy a pedal or e-bike. Go, go, go!

QUICK QUESTION!

🚲 Let’s hear it. Bike lanes: Do you love ’em or hate ’em?

THINGS TO DO

Weekday checklist

🍀 Experience “Derry Girls” IRL. Are you an Erin? Or a Clare? You can figure that out over a drink at Noir Bar’s “Derry Girls”-inspired pop-up. Expect themed cocktails, tasty bites, and a ton of Irish spirit.

🏒 Cheer on the B’s on the cheap. ICYMI: The Bruins may have gutted some OGs following last week’s NHL trade deadline, but we think these ~$60 tickets for Tuesday night’s game might cheer you up.

😭 Belly laugh the week away. The only thing better than a cheap comedy show is a FREE comedy show. That’s exactly what’s on the agenda at Lily’s Bar & Pizza on March 12. 

✨ Design your own lucky charms. And by lucky charms, we mean charm bracelets. Time Out Market is hosting a charm bar on March 13 where you can DIY your own trinkets (and your ticket includes a drink!).

🍹 Elevate your St. Paddy’s drinking game. A $20 cocktail-making class at a fancy hotel in downtown Boston on March 13? Sign us up!

🥧 Celebrate Pi Day the right way. You know what goes well with cheese? PIE! Curds&co is testing that theory at its pie-and-cheese-pairing class on March 14.

💰 Save your pot of gold. It’s the Super Bowl of bar crawls this weekend, and you can still snag an early bird discount to “Boston's Best St. Patrick's Day Weekend Bar Crawl.”

🎤 See a comedy legend under for $50. Margaret Cho is gonna be at The Wilbur on March 14, and there are plenty of great seats in the $40 range up for grabs. 

ONE LAST THING

Taylor Tomlinson’s pre-teen crowd

Late night host Taylor Tomlinson’s matinee show took a little twist. And by “little,” we mean there were a bunch of pre-teens in her audience.

Tomlinson, who isn’t exactly known for PG comedy, was in Boston for her Save Me Tour this weekend when, during some crowd work, she found out one of her audience members was 12. “You’re 12? Oh f***,” she said. “I’ve only had like a few 12-year-olds ever see me live and I … every time I’m like I gotta go back to church.”

It only got worse as more kids started yelling out their ages, too — 11 and 13. “I didn’t know y’all were going to treat it like a daycare. … I thought this was like a fun, sexy brunch crowd. I didn’t know we were coming here instead of the park,” she said. 

Check out the clip here.

— Written by Gia Orsino and Emily Schario

👶 Thanks for reading! When Gia was 12, she wasn’t even allowed to watch “SpongeBob.”

💜 Special shoutout to today’s sponsor, the Massachusetts State Treasury, for helping residents reclaim what’s rightfully theirs.

🚇 The results are in: 57% of B-Siders say they’ve been able to mostly avoid this year’s weekend T shutdowns … though the ones that haven’t are PEEVED: “IM SICK OF IT,” one reader said. Fair.

💃 Keep up with us @BostonBSide on IG, TikTok, and Twitter. Send comments and suggestions to [email protected] or [email protected].