Tuesday, February 14, 2012

Would you confront a high, belligerent passenger on BART?

I'm typically a pretty outspoken person but on BART, I am usually non-confrontational and try to be low profile. Very unlike my usual self but after nearly a decade of taking BART, I've also learned to just mind my own business and get the **ck out of there as soon as I can.

Yesterday evening, a drunk, drugged, belligerent homeless woman was SMOKING inside the train. I was pretty far away, fortunately, but saw the entire situation. A woman told her there's no smoking, she screamed profanity, then another passenger called the train operator, causing the homeless woman to spit on the person.

She got ejected, and on her way out, she was spitting (yes, spitting) on all the passengers in her way, screamed in people's faces and then pounded madly on the train window. The entire train was filled with smoke and stunk the entire ride.

Would I have told her to put out her cigarette? I honestly don't know. I've been verbally harassed by so many homeless near the Civic Center and Powell stations that I've learned to just walk as fast as I can, or just walk away. But yet, in any other situation, at a restaurant for example, if a patron smokes, I'd have no problems walking up to them and ask them to put the cigarette out.

What would you have done?

Monday, February 06, 2012

Monday Pet Peeves

This morning was one of the worst rides in awhile. It was a combination of many of my pet peeves in one ride but I'll share the top 5 so you're not overloaded with unpleasant visuals at the same time.

#5--
It was an overcrowded train but people kept piling on. Why can't BART have a max capacity censor that is loud and clear?? There was NO ROOM to stand, at least not straight, and people are crammed so tightly that they are practically spooning. An older woman was leaning on me for balance. If she wasn't an elderly, I would have said something.

#4--
When people are forced to smell each other, any trace of cologne makes the ride even more unpleasant. Cologne makes people sneeze, and when people are sneezing in such tight space, germs spread. Once this man with slicked back hair and powerful cologne walked in, at least 4 passengers within the vicinity started sneezing continuously, including yours truly. At least i covered my nose!! Others didn't! Let's just say I'm going to need to dry clean my pea coat!

#3--
Why won't people blocking the doors step aside to let people exit??? And even worse, when I politely step out to free up the entry, how is it that someone inside the train take my standing space??? I couldn't stand it today and reminded that person that space was mine. It was so crowded that without the space, I wouldn't fit on the train. And how can a polite action such as stepping aside to let people through end up be a punishment? I couldn't let that happen!

#2--
Large suitcase backpacks have become a trend these days. Tumi, Samsonite all make these fancy suitcases that go easily on your shoulders. The downside? They are too large to keep on during a crowded BART ride and they are dangerous. A Tumi backpack straight punched my face today when the clueless passenger turned a different direction. PLEASE, when the train is a max capacity, take your backpack down before you hurt someone.

#1--
Coffee and breakfast items on a maximum capacity train is 10X worse than it typically is. Today, the stop and go motion made several coffee cups spill, and someone's disgusting smelling sausage mcmuffin drop to the floor. Thank goodness that was a few feet from me because if that touched me in anyway, I would probably have blown up!

Let's hope the ride home will be a little more pleasant!!! This was one of the worst morning rides in awhile!! What ticks you off??