Flooding and broken escalators at Civic Center Station and

When it rains, the stations seem to fall apart. With this week's down pour, the Civic Center station (as well as many others I'm sure) was flooded with about an inch and a half of water all around the stairs and escalators. The water, intermixed with the dirt and stains on the station floors, was brownish yellow and thick. Quite a nasty sight and smell. I guess if we can't count on the janitorial staff to get the floors cleaned, might as well let the rain wash out the urine, food, and everything else that's been stuck on the floors.

The flooding caused 2 out of the 3 escalators I usually take to be out of service. Or perhaps the excessive rain was just a good excuse to not fix the elevators for awhile and put up the out of service signs?

This week will no doubt be brutal for BART commuters!! I'm mentally prepared for longer rides, delayed schedules, wet umbrellas and coats jammed in my face, flooding, more homeless inside the stations...etc.

Have fun!

Pants Liberation Front - No Pants 2010 Project?

I guess if there's any place to do it, it's in the Bay Area. Those in support of Improv Everywhere, a NYC based performing arts group, paraded free of pants while riding BART yesterday. Call me whatever you wish but I find stunts like this extremely inappropriate. If they want to show their support in public by not wearing pants, do it in a plaza, like at Embarcadero or Union Square where people have the choice to walk another direction, but not on the trains where space is already a premium, where there are little ones around, and fellow passengers are forced to be within inches of you.

Carolyn Jones of Chronicle reports: "Some wore frayed cotton boxers, others opted for pink satin thongs, and a few forewent underwear entirely."

It's ridiculous. Thank goodness it didn't happen today.

iBART LIVE iPhone app: Expensive but cool

If you're willing to fork out $4 for up to the second tracking of train arrivals, iBART LIVE is worth the investment. I've had iBART (the free version) for quite some time and found it very helpful, however, to find out about delays, I needed to open up the "advisories" notification and read about them.

Well, with iBART LIVE, you will have the same info as the scrolling ticker that we see on the platform right on your iPhone. Very convenient for someone like me who does not have the patience to wait around on the platform for delayed trains...I do wait, but you'll read about it for sure here or on Twitter!

Why $4 though?? That's a bit much for an iPhone app in my opinion. Can someone explain?

BART Parking Vendor is AWFUL!!!

What a way to start the new year. I have a monthly permit to park at the reserved area in the Orinda Station but I'm thinking of canceling it and buy daily instead since I no longer take BART everyday of the week due to my once a week commitment to go to San Jose and my ability to telecommute on Fridays. It just isn't cost effective anymore.

In case you don't know, BART parking is managed by Parking Carma. You are able to buy and print permits online, although you cannot alter or cancel the permit reservation! You must speak with a LIVE person.

What is the point of an online account management system then?? That's not all. Fine, I'll call a live person to get this done if I have to but my goodness, CAN SOMEONE PLEASE ANSWER THE PHONE????

The number 415-671-7343 has been BUSY for two days! Actually, one time, I got through, and waited for more than 10 minutes and suddenly, it went silent. I hung up.

What the heck??? Hire more people if you don't have enough operators or reps! Lots of people need jobs right now!

I refused to be charged another month because I cannot get through to Parking Carma.


I'll keep you posted on this!