It is for this reason that third rails are not used on the Green Line. Imagine crossing a street and, when halfway across, having to jump a rail carrying 600 volts. Yes, these features do allow passengers to walk in front of a Green Line train. I, for one, find it convenient that the Green Line allows you to do this. Indeed the Green Line cars do resemble buses.
Buses are the streetcars of today.
And, for the record, anyone who looks to find a stop cord will not be disappointed. Yes, the Green Line has a low carrying capacity. However, in many instances, this is not the fault of the Green Line, but rather the fault of its patrons who insist on standing in the stairwell, rather than moving into the car. By the same token, many delays on the Green Line are caused by patrons who rush into the train before people have a chance to exit, or who insist on forcing their way into the train when there is another train with an identical destination directly behind the current one. The MBTA is well aware of the low carrying capacity of the Green Line, and has recently finished testing new cars, some of which have entered into revenue service.