Monday, April 23, 2012

Shouldn't "No Bikes on BART" be extended to "No Shopping Carts on BART" as well??

I'm sure you all agree, you'd much rather allow a bike than a shopping cart filled with trash, old food, cans/bottles, and unwashed clothes on the train??? Right?? Well, this morning, the train operator screams over the speakers for a man with a bike to get off the train. "No bikes on this train. This is a commuter only train. Please exit right now or this train will go out of service!" Wow, I thought, with a threat and all. She's a tough one. I felt bad for the guy on the bike but continued on with my Twitter feed. Two stations later, a homeless person with a huge shopping cart, pushes his way through a crowded train. It was unbearably cramped, not to mention, the smell was also unbearable! We all waited for the train operator to shout through the intercom again, but she didn't. Someone spoke up and told the homeless man that there just isn't enough room in here, but of course, he remained inside, in fact, he sat down and even stretched his legs. At that point, all I could do was be grateful that he got on at West Oakland, and I am 5 minutes away from semi-fresh air (sorry, BART station air is not fresh.) Once we arrived at Embarcadero, everyone dashed out as fast as they could. What's the policy for shopping carts?? For homeless? Are we lenient on the homeless on purpose? I am fine with them seeking shelter in the stations, but on the trains as well? What do you guys think?

Tuesday, April 03, 2012

More Dogs on BART


Is it just me or are there more and more canine passengers on BART now? I don't mind personally, since I love dogs, and as long as they aren't violent to other passengers and the owners clean up any messes, I'm all for it.

Long ago, I'd only see service dogs once in a blue moon. These days, I see pets of all sizes, not service dogs, riding on BART. Some standing, some held, some crated, some sleeping and some (see picture) even taking their own seat!

Some passengers mind, but for me, it cheers me up from my dreary ride. This cute little Scottie took a seat with his owner during the whole ride.

Should BART loosen its no pets policy? I think not since there are sadly plenty of irresponsible pet owners out there that will cause problems. But maybe one pet-friendly day might be fun! No?