From There to Here

As I got off the T today after a long day at work, I was accosted.

Not really. But I was stopped not once, but twice, by people pitching the Mountain Dew Energy Drink “Amp.”

I have no idea why this is happening now. Amp has been around forever. In college, I got through finals sophomore year living on nothing but Amp, Cheddar Sun Chips and Metabolife for three straight days. So when I’m offered Amp after a day of work, I’m turning it down.

“No thanks,” I reply to the girl trying to delicately place a can of Amp in my hand. I walk about 10 feet before a different girl asks me if I want to get “Amped up.”

Thanks, but no thanks.

And who’s distributing a caffeine-infused, horrible-tasting, soda-like energy drink at 6 p.m. on a Monday? I can’t possibly think of a worse time to try and give people this. You know when I could have used this? At about 8:30 a.m. today when I was walking like a zombie through South Station after five hours of sleep from a long weekend. But no. So I went to work and had the standard coffee, much like every other commuter — many of whom might have given Amp a shot had it been placed free in their hand during their still-half-asleep state. Who the hell is the marketing genius behind this?

“Yes, we’ll market it when people are coming home from working in Boston all day. That’s a much better idea than going to one of the biggest train stations for commuters in the morning, like Part Street or South Station, and marketing it between 8 a.m. and 9 a.m. They’ll want to Amp Up after work!” Judging by the number of commuters walking by and headed home, it’s a strategy they might want to rethink.