Friday, December 12, 2008

When BART just isn't an option...at least in my eyes

Now, tell me if you side with me or my husband! It's a funny situation really. Tomorrow night (Saturday) is my husband's company holiday party. I'd categorize it as a semi-formal affair. Being on maternity leave and spending most of my days with my precious newborn son, I've sort of been looking forward to dressing up and spending a nice evening out while my in-laws take care of the little one. I have my dress picked out and will be wearing a coat I've never worn before. Bottom line is...I'm looking forward to an adult evening and dressing up.

Now, my husband just said that we should take BART instead of driving because the Saturday evening traffic will be horrible. Yes, I know the traffic will be awful and we had already set expectations that the drive across the Bay Bridge will take a long long time. But to take BART to avoid traffic? I can't wear a light black dress on the train! My legs will be exposed and with a strong wind passing by, who knows what else?!? It's just not feasible. I'd much rather be sitting in traffic but in the comfort of our car! If I was dressed in pants or even a long dress with long boots, yes, BART is not a problem. BART to Giants games? Sure! But I just don't think BART is the ideal mode of transportation for a semi-formal affair! Not to mention the forecast indicates RAIN tomorrow evening..which of course will make traffic worse, but will make BART ride wet and slippery too! I'm not arriving with my hair and dress half-wet.

Am I wrong here? I'm pretty adamant that we're driving in traffic tomorrow night.

14 comments:

Bill Dailey said...

I agree with you -- driving is the right choice given all of the downsides of the BART choice. Try to relax and consider the ride some quality time with your husband (which I'm sure isn't as frequent with the newborn around).

Anonymous said...

Drive ... for various reasons BART isn't yet always the best option.

Anonymous said...

I agree with you -- drive. I agree with Bill; the drive will allow you to have some quality time without peeking in the back seat (or do you normally ride back there? I rode in the back of the car for the first year after my son was born) at your newborn.

Besides, you don't really want to take BART home afterward, do you? Have a great time!

bartmusings said...

I generally sit in the back with the little one. Yep, the days of sitting and talking like 2 carefree adults in the car are rare these days, so tomorrow night, WHEN we drive, not IF, it will be nice to do that! Although we've gotten lucky with parents who are dying to babysit.

Anonymous said...

I agree with your husband. The traffic is enough to make anyone cranky and ruin the evening and finding parking downtown on a saturday is brutal right now. Plus it is fun to dress up and ride BART, everyone wonders where you are going.

Erik said...

1. You can find people dressed fancy on BART every weekend evening.
2. It doesn't get *that* cold here. People in much colder cities walk to events in little black dresses pretty regularly.

Bonus reason: If you take the train then neither of you has to be the DD.

Pedestrianist said...

I can't believe what I'm hearing! Personally I think driving is NEVER an option, but this circumstance especially so.

My company's holiday party is tonight (also semi-formal) and I'll be taking the 22-Filmore home! You can be I'll be wishing I has a heated train platform to wait on.

If you're worried about the elements, wear a long coat. Realistically, you'll have to get from the car to the party somehow... likely by navigating though the out-of-doors.

Also think of this: dozens of people will see you at your finest on the train and at the stations. By dressing up on BART you raise the threshold of public interaction by osmosis!

bartmusings said...

I guess that's the suburbia in me that can't be shed. I tend to drive when not going to work. You're right though, if I have a long, ankle-length coat, I'd be totally OK taking BART. Unfortunately, I don't have one since on the most part, Bay Area has pretty good and reasonable weather.

Irie said...

I had proposed going via BART but my husband talked me out of it. He says no way are we wearing our nice clothes to sit on those nasty smelling BART seats that people sweat, puke, and pee on. Plus looking money is like asking to be pick-pocketed. The weather is the more compelling argument to me as well. I fear the cold.

Anonymous said...

+1 to the "take BART" posters--who knows, perhaps you will intersect with the well-dressed folks taking BART to/from the Opera or symphony. But perhaps not at the risk of pneumonia.

And I agree--nice to see dressed-up folks on BART--especially since the workaday Bay Area world is largely not dressy.

SongMonk said...

I would think to take BART.

That said, I would accommodate my wife. :-)

Unknown said...

Take bart. We've taken bart in for my last two xmas parties. My wife and daughter both wore dresses and long coats. There is no stress, no fighting, and no worrying about parking. Do you want to fight with your husband on the way in because you're stressed out about traffic and being late to the party? We take bart from San Bruno to Powell. One year it even rained. It's a short walk from Powell to the Hilton. Don't have a long coat. Umm - shouldn't you already have one? You take bart in all the time to Civic Center. It's freezing this time of year. If you don't have one - get one. Yes, it is that easy to get one. Just get a simple black one that fits just right. Leave your husband at home to watch the baby while you go out and get it. Bart is safe. There are lots of tourists around and lots of cops too. You won't regret it.

Anonymous said...

well, there it is. some of us use public transit as the default some as a reluctant choice. With any luck for the planet, we will financially reeducate the reluctant. That said, have a pleasant time at the party no matter!

Anonymous said...

It depends. I don't blame you for wanting to drive. Nice clothes, the privacy of the car, etc. While I'm all for the environment and everything, sometimes you just don't want to be on BART.

Especially if it's later at night when shadier sorts of characters come out. While nicely dressed people do take BART at night for the SF Symphony or Ballet, part of me feels you're also a target for pickpockets if you're not careful. Then again, you can be a target of pickpockets at any time, but I start to feel uncomfortable riding BART after 9 PM.