Ask and you shall receive

Many of us experienced some reluctance about reporting a complaint on the train to the train operator while the perpetrator is right next to you. For me, if someone needs to move their luggage out of people's way, eating their breakfast burrito, or vacate their seat for someone truly in need, I don't mind speaking up to them. But, when the perpetrator is someone who doesn't look like they're in the right state of mind, or they are drunk or homeless, I tend to keep my mouth shut seeing how if they follow me out of the train to have a "word" with me, I definitely have the size disadvantage!

Well, today, it was interesting and freshing to see an elderly man (with a cane, might I add) who was left standing, while two high school or college-aged kids were sitting in the handicapped designated seats without a care in the world. I was standing about 5 feet away. One more minute, I probably would have asked them to stand up for him, but this elderly man marches directly to the intercom and asks the T.O. to request the kids to give the seats to senior citizens and disabled passengers. He said it loud enough for all of us on this side of the train to hear....and instantly, our eyes shifted to the kids.

The kids heard too, slowly grabbed their backpacks, and eventually reluctantly got up. The man got his seat. Interesting. That's definitely another way to do it! I hope the kids learned a lesson.

People who rush to exit too early

I never understand why people do this-- the only reason I can think of for this type of behavior is that they are new to BART or they are very late for something of extreme importance. Morning commute trains are always packed, and most of us are well aware that 45% of the crowd exits at Embarcadero, while another 45% exists at Montgomery, leaving 10% for the rest of the stops. This morning, a woman standing in the deep end of the train decided to make her way to the doors as soon as we entered the Transbay Tube. The train was at maximum capacity, with barely room to stand. She pushes her way through bodies, saying "excuse me", "excuse me", "need to get out", while people gave her dirty looks. She pushed her way all the the way through until she stood in front of the doors. At that point, we weren't even past half way of the Transbay Tube yet. One person straight up told her, "Most of this train is leaving at Embarcadero, you won't be left on the train."

Not sure why she was in such a rush to push her way through to the front of the door-- she made more than 25 people shift their positions or bags to make room for her to pass. Why couldn't she just wait until we've arrived at Embarcadero and follows the rush of passengers exiting the train then?? It really only takes 4-5 seconds to exit the train with the flow....did she not have 4-5 seconds to spare?

How a dog brightens up a BART ride

I've always believed that pets bring out the best in people. This morning, there was a seeing eye dog on the train: a sweet, smart, loving Golden Retriever. He was carefully sniffing everyone's pants, triggering conversations between those who have dogs and cats at home whose scents he may be picking up on. It's quite rare to see a circle of BART passengers chatting, laughing, introducing themselves, and enjoying each other's company. The sweet seeing eye dog broke the usually tough ice between passengers and brought out the more social, caring, and friendly side of people.

He was sniffing me up and down and I knew that the scent of my precious pug is all over me from our morning goodbye routine. It was a pleasant Friday ride.

Have a great weekend, everyone.

No privacy, no problem!

I always think it's quite interesting how some people can carry on phone conversation during BART rides. On few occasions, I've had to take work calls and even fewer occasions, personal calls to quickly arrange pick-up at the BART station. I generally don't like people around me being forced to hear me talk, or simply just knowing anything about my life.

Last night, in a crowded train, a sharp and loud ringtone disrupts the humming of the running train. Everyone looks at the young, stylish woman who picked up.

Without any shyness, she shares some major news with about 30 people around her...here it goes. (Some portions omitted for privacy)

Hello?
Hi! Oh my god! I want to talk to you so bad!
I'm pregnant! Just found out 2 days ago! (everyone turns to look at her)
Yes, we're excited.
No, that's the funny thing, we didn't plan this at all. (everyone looks at her again)
I don't know, I guess (not sure what she was referring to here)
Yeah, let's do it! I need another girl's night out before I get big.
(Then she just goes on about other things)

I would not have been able to have that conversation in a crowded train. It's way to private for me! But no harm done, I am excited for her, although she has no idea.

The good still exists

Last Thursday, I was in a huge rush trying to catch my train. I was running towards the station, and at the same time, fishing through my bag for my ticket in one hand, and my Treo in the other.

In my haste, I must have dropped my very important work key chain/bracelet which basically is a velcro wrist wraparound that contains my badge, my office key, my valuable cabinet keys, laptop key, and the almighty VPN token. My company runs strict security and the procedure to get each of those replaced will pretty much render my completely unproductive at work for a couple of days.

I've never lost anything on my way to BART or on BART before. I knew I didn't lose it on the train because I had already noticed it was gone by the time I was sitting down. I thought I must have left it at home. Once I got home, I searched for it everywhere. Drawers, cabinets, underneath the tables, inside my dog's bed, and even in the refridgerator...no sign of it! My husband suggested going to the BART station to see if anyone turned it in.

I was doubtful. First of all, I didn't think anyone would turn it in. Secondly, I wasn't fully convinced that I could have dropped it accidentally while running.

We went to the station. The agent was friendly and helpful. He pulled out a few badges to see if those were mine, and they weren't. I almost lost hope. But suddenly, he pulled out this big bulge of badge and keys. It had my horrendous photo on the badge! I was really happy-- he pretty much saved me from hours of paper work and processing to get everything replaced!!!

I thanked him for making my day! He said, "don't thank me, thank the nice person who took the time to pick it up and turn it in to us."

Not that anyone would want my badge and keys but I really didn't think that people still took the time to do the right thing anymore. It was one those good moments where I realized that there are still plenty of good left in society.

I'm really glad I found my work badge/keys and VPN token.

BART needs to do a better job of wiping wet floors

When it's raining, some BART stations have floors that get floody, not to mention slippery, especially by the stairs where water accumulates from the dripping rain. I saw someone slip in a muddy wet puddle today inside the station! That isn't the first time I've seen someone fall flat on their butt. This woman needed help up--she was well over her 50s. I've even slipped a couple times in the past and had to balance myself before falling.

On occasions, there are caution signs..I guess that is the least they can do to keep people safe. Sometimes, not only are not no signs, the puddles are so large and the wetness has spread so far into the stations that it is truly a serious hazard.

Those of you who work for BART will probably say...we don't have the resources, we can't keep up with the cleaning, we'll need to raise fares to keep the station floors dry...etc. There are always reasons why BART can't be better.

Until you get someone who falls, breaks their bones, is hospitalized and sues you for reparations on top of exorbitant medical bills, I know nothing will change.

Can't help but feel sorry for this person

Saw a woman today as soon as I walked into the train. She was fidgeting the entire ride. She couldn't concentrate on her book, she couldn't keep her eyes shut, and she had to check her cellphone for time every minute.

As we are nearing the end of the Transbay tube, she started packing her cigarette pack. The slapping sound was hard to miss. She went on for about a minute and then takes out a cigarette and her lighter before we even approached Embarcadero. She must have been eager to get a puff. But she didn't even get off at Embarcadero, she got off at Civic Center, same as me. The entire time from Embarcadero to Civic Center, she was bouncing her legs nonstop, sighing every few seconds, putting her head down and then up, down and up, repeatedly.

I don't know if it was because she needed to smoke or she's got other problems on her mind but it definitely looked like she is very uneasy about something. As soon as she approached the last set of escalators, before we even got a peek at the cloudy skies, she's already taken a few puffs of her cigarette.

Such desperation that I can't comprehend. I do have acquaintances that smoke and none of them ever appear as anxious and desperate as she did for a puff. It's sad.

Valentine's Day leftovers

Noticed something different about the BART train floors today. There are more candy wrappers than usual. On top of that, I saw fallen quite a few heart message candies and used lollipop sticks decorating the already blemished carpet! Coincidence? I don't think so. I can't speak for men, but women definitely increase their sugar intake around Valentine's day. There's just more candy lying around in offices, in schools, in the house for the kids and their classmates! Heck, there are even people selling boxed chocolates around BART stations!

I saw a college student today opening up a bag of red foil wrapped heart chocolates on BART today. She tried to collect all the wrappers but some still fell on the floor. Even I succumbed to the sugar rush this morning by popping a jolly rancher in my mouth.

I'm curious to see what the trains look like at the end of the day! I just remember last year, it was quite funny to see many men carrying a nice bouquet of flowers on BART on their way home. Good thing there are many florist stands around the Downtown SF stations!

Brightens the morning, at least just a little tiny bit

I can't say that I've frequented most of the BART stations. But I do appreciate Orinda BART's effort in getting into the holiday spirit whether that's Christmas, Thanksgiving, St. Patrick's Day, Halloween, Easter, Martin Luther King's birthday, or Valentine's Day. Seeing the string of hearts and blinking lights these couple of weeks around the ticket agent booth does bring a little smile on my face because at least someone out there is trying to make an effort to brighten up BART riders' days.

Some might say that these agents should just do their jobs, some might even call it cheesy, but I think it is a nice gesture and it probably made many positive impressions first time BART riders such as kids. I look forward to seeing the leprechauns cut-outs and strings of shamrocks in a few weeks!

Just what I was hoping for

There definitely has been a cold or flu bug going around. I started feeling sick last Thursday night and was feeling full symptoms on Friday (stayed at home). I had hoped for the weekend to recover completely but a busy schedule on both Saturday and Sunday made that nearly impossible.

So, going to work today, I felt better, stronger, but still slowed and dulled by some lingering effects of the cold. I really did not want to go to work but there is just too much going on that I cannot let things sit one more day.

While feeling miserable waiting for the BART train on the platform, I was pleased to see that the train is perfectly on time. As the train arrived, I was very relieved and happy to find an empty seat to rest of aching body on!!!! Wow, can this be? Something I wished for on BART actually happened before my eyes. I can't even tell you how ecstatic I was to have a seat throughout the ride.

Wet seat = tainted seat

There was an empty seat today amidst a crowded train. When situations like that happen, you just know there must be something wrong with the seat before seeing it. This one had a wet circle with a wet napkin on top of it. Throughout the entire ride, the seat was left unoccupied. People walked in, gravitated towards the one empty seats, saw the wetness, and remained standing.

Just when I thought no one in their right minds would sit down on this wet seat and risk sporting a wet stain right in the middle of their rear, a young man in light blue denim looks at it, shrugs, and plants himself on top of it.

I never got to see whether he had a stain or not. But knowing the color of the denim, and that denim is very absorbent, I am willing to bet that the back of his jeans certainly sported a lovely wet spot for at least 1 hour.

Elections observation and an answer about homeless riding BART

I noticed throughout my journey to work today that something is clearly absent! While I see loads of "Obama" signs and "Obama" volunteers on streets, stations, and exits, I have not seen ANY "Hillary" supporters. I've even seen some "Mitt Romney" and "McCain" signs and supporters along the way but what happened to Hillary Clinton's crew? I was really surprised by the lack of presence of Hillary supporters. Interesting to see what will happen at the end of the day.

Now, the answer about homeless. While I sometimes see homeless on BART, I rarely get to see how they actually get through the turnstiles. I once saw a homeless man sneak through the handicapped entrance without being noticed. Today, there was a homeless man sleeping in my train. I didn't notice him until he exited the train at the same time I did and was walking in front of me up the escalators (side note: it was a painful walk up being right in back of him. His scent was powerful to say the least.) I was wondering if he had a ticket with him and how he was going to exit the turnstiles as the ticket agent was right in front of him.

Apparently, it didn't matter that the ticket agent was in front. The homeless man walked nonchalantly in back of a line of people waiting to place their ticket in the turnstiles. In a blink, he effortlessly slipped his body through as someone in front of him was exiting. The person didn't even notice that another body was about 1.5 inches in back of him and shadowed his footsteps through the turnstiles. Very slick move. I guess that is one way to find a warm shelter.

Another reason for adding plexi-glass blockades

I've just returned to the Bay Area from a trip in Asia. I left a rainy Hong Kong to come back to a hailing Orinda. It is great to be home, however. If you read my previous post about the Hong Kong MTR, you'll know that one of the listed reasons was that there are glass doors that protect passengers from the trains and tracks. The glass doors release only once the train doors open.

Don't think we need it on BART? Whether it's accidental or intentional, here is one good reason why. Of course I know the negative implications of making BART more safe. To do something like that, BART will likely hike fees (again), say they'd rather put resources into security and train improvements (yes, much needed), and of course, passengers should have the sense to not get too close to the tracks and if they don't they should suffer the consequences.

I've seen groups of kids, joking around with each other, getting way too close to falling into the tracks. I've seen people slip in the train, falling dangerously close to the tracks. Furthermore, the open tracks are treated like trash cans by others. Why leave them open?

I'm not saying BART must have plexi-glass doors. I definitely do not want to see fare raised by $1 per leg just to get this done. Besides, there are too many things that BART needs to improve on.

It's just that after my recent trip and transit experiences abroad, I need to ask why not us?

10 things I love about the Hong Kong MTR

My trip in Asia continues. I promise I will post at least one picture of the MTR once I get back to SF but it's been so difficult to snap photos in crowded trains where even standing room is a premium. Nevertheless, the Hong Kong MTR is all that I wish BART can be.

What do I mean by that? Well, here are my reasons:

10) The trains have interactive maps that light up at each destination so even if you missed the announcement at each stop, you know exactly where you are. Furthermore, the interactive panels tells you which side of the door to exit at.

9) You can clearly hear each stop, which side of door to exit, transfer directions, and cautionary statements at all times (a computer generated voice, in 3 languages). On BART, each T.O. makes such announcements and while some do a wonderful job, most cannot enunciate or speak loud enough into the speakers.

8) The escalators move faster and so do the people here. I move at very fast speeds and I like the pace of movement here. It's efficient.

7) At each platform, there are glass doors that prevent people from jumping or accidentally falling into the tracks. The glass doors open, along with the train doors once the train arrives.

6) The stations clearly mark which side of pedestrian traffic should go where. For example, even stairs leading up to street level are divided by a yellow line. People going up stay on one side and people going down stay on the other. There is no yielding. Even on the platform, they clearly mark where to line up while keeping the middle part open for those exiting the train (some BART platforms have this). People know where they are supposed to be and no one runs into each other.

5) Stations are clean! They don't smell! They look high-tech with flat screens for news and stock market updates. Stations are well-staffed-- there are always security officers patrolling and you can always easily locate a live agent to help you with something.

4) Trains have very few seats (one row of seats along each side of the train) and equipped with lots of safety poles, handles, side bars..etc. This is smart because the trains are always crowded! Furthermore, right on top of the seats, there are huge signs that say "Show that you are a caring person. Give your seat to someone in need." "You can do it! Show that you care". No handicapped designations...just anyone in need, whether that's someone who is ill, or someone who is pregnant. People don't jump to the seats like BART commuters. They are OK with standing and letting someone else have a place to sit.

3) Stations are like mini-shopping centers with shops, book stores, bank branches, cafes...etc. You can even buy books and other reading material in vending machines!

2) No food or drinks on the train and people actually follow! I've been getting around strictly by MTR and have yet to see anyone even take a sip from their water bottle!

1) Trains are clean! It's a combination of people following rules, plastic floors and seats, and efficiency of the cleaning crew that keep the MTR tidy and effective!

All that said, there is no place like home and I am looking forward to returning to SF later in the week.

One more observation to share with you....the seats on the train are much smaller! I can't imagine having seats of that size on BART. People are "heavier" in the US and most will need 1.5 seats in Hong Kong. Interesting isn't it?

(updated) Hong Kong Airport Express is absolutely impressive

Took the Airport Express from Hong Kong International Airport into the city and it was so simple, high tech and efficient, not to mention clean! There was news on flatscreen TVs, individually controlled volume built into each seat, clearly pre-recorded announcement of each stop in 3 languages, and interactive map in each car that shows where you are in the journey and lights up the destination on the map upon arrival (also widely deployed in Europe). I was very impressed with the efficiency, cleanliness, visitor-friendliness, and tech saaviness.

I plan to travel by the Hong Kong MTR subway system next within the city. Will do a quick comparison to BART when I can.

Update (2/1): On the way home, we took the Airport Express back to Hong Kong International, and as we arrived at the Airport Express station, we realized that you can actually check in for your flights and drop off your luggage there because every major airline (ours was United) had its own counter at the tram terminal. It is brilliant, not to mention simple! It eases congestion on the Airport Express trains, it frees the travelers of heavy baggage, it saves you time later at the airport check-in terminals, and as baggage-free travelers, it is easier for us to spend our money at the airport shops and resturants! Very cool! 24 minutes, luggage-free ride to the airport.

Masks abound in Taipei

Taipei's public transit system has improved dramatically since my last visit. I even noticed that congestion in the streets have subsided due to the improved public transit. Although Taipei MRT locations are well-positioned and the trains are efficient, it is still quite difficult to get to your final destination by foot. I guess that is why every one out of five cars are taxis. I still prefer the taxis.

Masks are nothing new in Asia, especially after the SARS outbreak. But I've noticed that they are still being regularly used by people in public places, from buses, restaurants, airports, to malls. They are now very fashionable too-- you can get them in any design at the night markets, from Hello Kitty to Burberry imitation patterns.

Pleasant trip overall! Now...off to Hong Kong.

Checking out rapid transit in Asia

I am in Asia for a little over a week and will definitely make an effort to check out any rapid transit systems and compare it to BART. First stop....Taipei's MRT. Will post my thoughts when I have the chance.

Before I forget, did BART add more direct trains to SFO from Pittsburg/Baypoint? Seem like they did! I didn't need to transfer at Balboa Park for once. BART to SFO...still the best way to go, especially in the horrendous wet weather on Friday morning.

Another spill, another stain

A man comes in and sits next to me with a hot cup of coffee in hand. I was annoyed-- another rule breaker. At first, I didn't say anything, but he was slurping loudly, every 5-10 seconds. I looked at him purposely each time he slurped, and when he realized, he turned to me and said, "Is this bothering you?" I said, "You know you're not supposed to eat or drink in here? Otherwise, I'd be bringing in a cup of coffee too. I definitely need it." He says half jokingly, "No one's ever stopped me before. At least I"m not eating, right?" I replied, "I heard they ticket. Watch out."

At the next stop, he got up to give his seat to a pregnant woman (good for him for doing that! very few people, men and women, care enough to do that.) As he got up, a girl squeezed passed him and knocked his coffee with her huge backpack. He spilled the coffee. Most of it went on his hand and shirt but a good amount went on to the floor and his vacated seat.

He looked at me and said, "First time I've spilled, really!" A few people near the area threw in some napkins and tissues to soak up the stains. In the end, the stain was small....but yet, it was another brown mark on the BART train floor and seat.

I've gotten criticized by some of you before for not taking my action to the next stage....meaning reporting him to the T.O. I pointed him to the rules, but that's as far as I went! If someone is eating a stinky breakfast burrito, drinking alcohol, or something illegal, I would have definitely called the T.O. or in more severe cases, the BART Police. But I do believe enforcement needs to start with BART...especially for something like coffee. It only takes one ticket from BART officials to stop someone from breaking the rules again. If they can't circle around trains to enforce, they can't expect riders to get out of the seat, squeeze through the crowds, go to phone, and make such a call in front of everyone. Don't blame fellow passengers for not reporting....this is not a suspicious bag! This is one of many commuters who bring in coffee despite knowing the rules. BART needs to show that they will indeed enforce their own rules! It's great and noble if a passenger is responsible enough to report every single violation he or she sees....I'd have a lot of respect for that person, but if the rest of us don't, it's not our fault.

What went right today?

So many things went wrong today. But to be fair, the one thing that went right during my BART ride today is in fact the most important. The train was only 5 minutes late so I was able to make it on my shuttle.

Now...let's talk about the wrong. Wow, where can I start. It began with a clueless driver who continued to back up his car despite my car being right in back of him. I first backed up a bit out of courtesy, then he kept on going, so I went to my horns. I honked and honked...I really think he's deaf or had his radio blasting. I had no choice but to back up more. I had planned to say something to him in case I passed him while walking but he just remained seated in his car. What a freak.

Then, in the train. I took up one of those backboards near the train doors. The trains were packed. When we got to MacArthur, I realized that I was blocking the doors so I stepped out to make room for people entering and exiting. I made eye contact with most of the people walking into the train. Then, as I walked back in to re-claim my space, some woman decided to stand in my spot along with her multiple bags that I vacated only to let her and others in. She saw me standing outside of the door while people walked in but she obviously doesn't care....I left therefore I lose...no matter what reason, right??? I was not about to let her do that so I said, "Excuse me, I was standing here before the doors opened." I know she heard me but she said, "What?" I was not in a spiffy mood so I raise my voice a bit, "I was here, then I slid over so I wasn't blocking the entrance," gesturing here and there with my hands. "Oh you want to stand here?" she said. "I WAS here!" I said and stood in the small space that remained. She didn't leave but neither was I. I stayed standing like that most of the ride until she left at Embarcadero.

Then finally, I get to Civic Center. A family of 6 (mom, dad, and 4 kids) cover all the turnstiles because they can't figure out how to get out. The kids don't have tickets. The mom doesn't have enough on her ticket. So they hover around the turnstiles, blocking anyone from putting a ticket in. I had 30 seconds to make it up the stairs, run across the street to catch my shuttle. I squeezed through them, stick my ticket in and walk through the turnstile. The mom and 2 of the kids followed me through. I gave them a dirty look and shook my head. I had no time to report them so I said, "Pay for a ticket next time." The 2 remaining kids were still stuck but they just crawled under the turnstiles. I dashed for the shuttle....but I think another passenger was telling them off as I started running.

Is it over? No! As I was running towards street-level, I stepped into a wet puddle of what used to be a old donut. I just washed it off in the bathroom as I got to work.

What a ride!! Now, can I win the lottery to balance out my day??

Do you give money to the homeless?

For the first time in awhile, I saw someone stopping to pull out her wallet to take out a dollar to hand to a panhandler. This made me think of the changes in me since I first started riding BART long ago.

As you know, we see a wide variety of characters in BART stations. Long ago, I used to give money to older homeless folks, female panhandlers with kids, and any homeless folks with pets. I also used to buy the "Street Beat" (can't recall the name) or the newsletters shelters encourage the homeless to sell. It got to the point that I knew who was going to be where on what day. I knew who to expect at each corner and what they'll say. I had money ready in my pocket before I saw them!! I guess you can call me naive or pure hearted back then....I actually believed that the dollar or two, sometimes more, I gave them was going into something that will make a positive impact.

Eventually, I stopped, at least with the homeless (I on occasions give money to performers if they are really impressive and if I'm in a good mood). I realized that I've been giving the same young man money next to the same Starbucks for a few years now and he's not even young anymore. If I get to work earlier, I see him lying next to a bottle in a brown paper bag. I also noticed during volunteer events that while the homeless come in smelling like alcohol, they do not want to go to the alcohol abuse assistance kiosk...they want to go straight to the freebies and leave right after. For a few years now, I've stopped giving money to the homeless although my heart sinks and I give in when I see them lying next to the extremely underweight and malnourished dogs. While they have the brains to know that help exists, the dogs depend on them for survival. But I have to ask myself, is my money actually going into food for the dogs or to a pack of cigarettes? Somehow I don't want to know.

Was this woman I saw like the old me? I wonder how long will she continue to pass out money for? At some point, I would expect her to become disheartened like the rest of us.

Laziness, arrogance, or just a big heart?

A friend of mine told me that he's been seeing unfinished BART tickets being left around at stations. The amount on the tickets range from 50 cents to $3. I've seen abandoned tickets too. Sometimes they are left on top of the turnstiles, other times they are left by the ticket machines, or just dropped on the ground.

Are people too lazy to insert the amount of money needed to get them home? Or is the remaining amount so insignificant to them that they don't mind just tossing it? Or do they want to save someone else a few bucks and make their day?? I think it's all of the above?

I save up my small amount tickets for donations later but I guess leaving it for someone else to use is serving a similar purpose....kind of. I receive monthly commuter checks so I choose not to take the time to insert the remaining amount needed to get me to my destination. Lining up and then inserting the right amount will probably make me miss my train....since I always only have a few seconds to spare. From the commuter checks, I have collected a small stack of large amount BART tickets waiting to be used...so I can see why people some people would leave their tickets instead of finishing up the amount themselves. Am I lazy? Yeah, I admit it. Too rushed? Definitely! Arrogance? Not really. $2 can buy a greasy but good meal at Jack in the Box!

As long as someone is using or collecting these abandoned tickets and they are not just being thrown away, I think it's fine! Some people might not care about $2.20 but I'm sure there are people who would be happy to pick up a partially free ticket and save that money to buy candy for their kids.

I always recommend saving the small amounts and just donate it!

More hanging straps needed in the demo cars

I think the new BART train set-up is great! Love the plastic slip-resistant floors, more standing room around the doors, and the hanging straps. However, I noticed today that when it's crowded, the few hanging straps were not enough. There are a lot of people who cannot comfortably reach up to the overhead poles, so the hanging straps are definitely needed. But three on each side is certainly not enough. The straps are the first things standing female passengers go to when there are no seat handles left to hold (including yours truly) and the straps are certainly not meant to be shared, well, at least I'm not willing to hold the same strap as someone else.

So my advice is...add more hanging straps! There are a ton of people who are under 5'6" and cannot comfortably reach the overhead poles.

If only BART can be like this everyday

My BART experience today was incredible. I missed my usual train but 1 minute later, an near empty train arrives with clean new floors and clean plastic seats! No one was waiting on the platform since the previous train had just departed. I walked in, sat down across 2 seats (since it was empty!) and even stretched out my legs!

The train operator was loud and clear, the train even made up time and arrived right on time as if I didn't miss a previous train, and the train never got crowded.

It was the best BART experience I've ever had! Now I know this probably won't happen again but it was nice to walk right in to an arriving train, have plenty of empty and clean seats to pick from, have enough room around me to relax and extend my legs, hear a TO who can speak clearly, and have the train arrive right on time!

Was I dreaming? (No, but it sure seemed like one)

Question of the week: When will EZ Rider Card take Commuter Checks?

This is my question, and actually, I should have remembered to add this on to the "BART Wish List".

I am lucky enough to receive monthly commuter checks from my employer. Why does EZ Rider Card only accept credit card information right now? I'd also like to take advantage of new technology and efficiency. When will BART accept commuter checks for EZ Rider Cards?

Improved cellphone coverage added in some SF stations

I found this to be good news. Rachel Gordon of SF Chronicle reported that BART is improving cell phone coverage at Balboa Park, Glen Park, 16th, and 24th stations. For me, having reliable cellphone reception at Balboa Park is crucial since it is a SFO to Pittsburg/BayPoint connecting point for me and the place for me to arrange pick-up back at Orinda station based on train times.

Good move! Now, if only we can get Wi-Fi so I can stay fully connected with work while on BART (Blackberry is no help when you're under a presentation deadline). But if that happened, I'll probably have nothing to write about on BARTMusings since I won't even raise my head to look around me anymore for the weird, funny, or annoying. That's not good.

Have a good weekend!

What a model BART passenger!

With the rain and delays today, it was very pleasant to see someone so considerate and courteous on BART, not to me (I was just observing from afar) but to others around him. He looked like he was in his 50s. He was sitting down but immediately got up to give his seat (not a handicapped seat) to a slightly older woman who was very happy and gracious to be seated. Then, as he was standing, he noticed that another woman was struggling to reach up to the safety pole due to her height. He immediately offered to trade spaces with her so she is able to comfortably hold on to one of those handles attached to the seats.

If you're this man and are reading this, I just have to say wow, there are very very few people left in this world (well, at least the BART world) who are as considerate as you! Thank you!

My book is your book

BART was unbelievably smooth this morning...on time and I got a seat after just one stop! I popped open my reading material, the February Consumer Reports issue, and started digging into the reviews for exercise machines. The issue extensively covered all sorts of machines from treadmills, ab toners, body toners, ellipticals..etc.

As I was reading, I noticed a head creeping behind me...I guess I felt the breathing. I slightly looked at the window to check out the reflection....and not surprisingly, I see a man stretching out his neck to position himself to read my magazine with me! His head was about 3 inches from mine, in fact, he ended up leaning on my back cushion. He was certainly not shy about making my making reading material his!!

Since I didn't smell any bad breath from the proximity of his face, I decided to not turn around and make a stink about it (actually, if I had turned around, I might accidently give him a peck on the lips...that's how close he was)...but that doesn't mean I can't play a mean little game. I started flipping around pages, from front to back, I looked at the cover, turned it around, then pretended to read the index pages (very tiny text which he could not read). Finally, I saw in the reflection that he gave up and leaned back on his seat.

I guess I was being mean but I personally wouldn't do that and invade someone's space. I didn't care that he was reading my material but he was way too close....if he was standing and reading down, FINE! Resting his head on my seat cushion was too much.

Last minute parking job

I am worried right now...why?? Because I had one minute to catch my train from the parking lot and I made the (poor) decision of not readjusting my car a bit better in order to dash for the train. I'm worried that I will come back to my car and see a dent or worse. It is a poor decision because 1) my car is currently positioned in a way where the car in back of me (not next to me, this is a parallel situation) might need to turn his/her steering wheel a few times to get out but there is room (I think), and 2) while I made it onto the train, the ride itself took 15 minutes longer than usual due to constant stop and go so I missed my shuttle and was very late to work anyways. So I probably should have just missed this train, readjust my car, and catch the next one. URGH...poor decision.

I'm planning to leave work early today for the sole purpose of getting my car out of there before the owner of the car in back of me gets there. I don't want to see a dent or any type of mark on my car even though it is my fault for parking my car so close to the other car. I'll let you know what happens.


UPDATE: I made a point to leave work early and returned to the Orinda station way before commute rush hours. I was able to get my car out of there and leave plenty of room for the Volvo to get out. I took a closer look as I got there and realized that there was enough room for the Volvo after all, even if I hadn't arrived before the driver. yes, I was a bit close but the Volvo wasn't locked in. But knowing the impatient world we live in these days, any inconvenience could easily tick people off. I've heard nightmare stories about parked vehicles getting keyed. I was prepared for it, but luckily, the Volvo driver had no clue who was parked in front of him/her.

How was BART today?

Seeing the crazy winds, pouring rain, and widespread power outages, I decided to stay put and work from home. The creek in Orinda is the highest I've seen in awhile, in fact, it looks more like a roaring river than a peaceful creek. The tall trees are being blown so hard that they are awkwardly bending at an angle far too wide for their own good....I hope they don't snap off! I also just heard that our office building in SF shutdown today due to power outage. I guess I made the right decision.

BART is delayed as well, as expected on a day like this. Did anyone brave BART or any public transportation today?

Stay safe, everyone!

Do the right thing or just mind my own business?

An interesting situation happened today. All the seats were taken in the train and in comes an elderly lady at West Oakland. She was standing precariously and carried with her 3 different bags as she tried to grasp on to the safety pole. You can tell she wanted to sit down. I was standing near her. The 4 handicapped seats around her were all occupied: 3 by gray-haired riders (noticed how I didn't quite say senior citizens) and 1 young man.

I felt bad for the elderly woman as the train started moving at a faster pace. She was struggling to keep her balance, especially with her multiple bags. I typically always give up my seat, if I have one, to someone who looks like they need it more, but only about 75% of the time would I actually ask someone else to give up their seats to someone more entitled. Today, I felt like I should say something....so I asked the young man if he wouldn't mind letting the elderly woman sit down.

I said: "Hi, would it be alright if you let this lady here sit in your seat?"
He said: "You talking to me?"
I said: "Yes, I think she could use a seat. Thank you."
Elderly woman said: "Oh thank you."
He said: "Uh, I have a fractured toe, my doctor told me to stay seated as often as possible."
I said: "Oh, OK, I see."
Elderly woman looked at me and said, "It's OK," and shrugged.

It was awkward. I didn't know if I should believe him or not....there's no reason not to I guess. Meanwhile, the 3 gray-haired non senior citizens in the handicapped seats pretended they didn't hear the conversation. I couldn't quite ask them to get up since with their gray hair, they *could* be entitled to the seats although they really should have known better because it was obvious the elderly woman was older than them by at least a decade!

Should I have just minded my own business? I don't think so. Who knew the young man was going to come back with a fractured toe reason? Sure....West Oakland is only about 5-6 minutes from Embarcadero where she would get a seat for sure, but seeing the way she was struggling to balance herself, I didn't think she could last even 2 minutes. Well, she heavily swayed her way through the Transbay Tube and made it to Embarcadero where she finally sat down.

Happy new year and back to the grind!

Thank goodness that many people still have not yet returned from their holidays because parking and BART today was extremely smooth and stress-free. In addition to finding a great space immediately, BART was on time, and there were even a couple seats left. Furthermore, everyone seemed to be in a fairly good mood; wearing new clothes they bought or received for the holidays, carrying new purses, wearing new ties or shoes, and feeling well rested.

I still have a recovering case of post-holiday depression but overall, I am ready to tackle the new year.

Happy 2008, everyone. Here's to a smooth year of BART commuting.

Wonderful holidays and happy new year

Don't know about most of you but I have mandatory shut-down next week at work, meaning they take 3 days off my PTO but we don't return to work until 1/2/2008. I like that because everyone in the company stops working, whereas when I go on my own vacations, I come back to an insane amount of emails and looming deadlines.

I am looking forward to relaxing this week and doing nothing at all...well, except for spending quality time with my family and relatives who are visiting the Bay Area this holiday season.

I want to thank all of you for taking time out of your day this year to check on BARTmusings.com! It's been a fun and stimulating experience to read all of your comments.

Happy holidays, everyone! Here's to a great 2008!

Oh, one more thing, don't forget to check the new BART schedule and adjust your BART fares starting 2008! Yet another fare increase for us.

No win situation

I noticed the heavy rain this morning and decided to check the news in case there were BART delays. KRON4 reported that there were delays between 15-30 minutes both ways. Whenever the schedule is off, I can't reliably catch my connecting shuttle, which could be problematic. And admittedly, part of me just did not feel like dealing with the crowded and late trains, wet umbrellas getting on my body and things, and waiting for the shuttle in the rain. So, I made the decision to drive in, fully knowing that traffic could be pretty miserable today. I braced myself for a bad drive but felt that I could at the very least "relax" in a private and clean space (my car).

The drive from home to the Bay Bridge was unexpectedly smooth! At that point, I felt for sure I made the right decision. But as I approached the toll plaza, I moved about 10 feet per minute....until after Treasure Island. It was absolutely miserable. I shook my head It took me an hour to get to work, which is probably the same amount of time it would have taken me to take BART.

Should I have taken BART? Probably. I would have saved money and gas. Oh well...stupid decision on my part but some days, I just don't feel like dealing with the crowds and little inconveniences associated with BART. Sometimes I just need a break from BART.

BTW, Don't forget to add your input to the BART Xmas Wish List!!

Donate your small amount tickets this holiday season!

I know we can do this all year long but since it's the holidays, and if you've saved up all your small amount tickets throughout the year like I did, there is no better time to donate it to a non-profit organization!

I can't seem to find an easy-access list of all the charities that accept these tickets as donations (if you know of a url, let me know), but with a quick Google search, the list seems to be quite long!

I have about 40 small amount tickets saved up this year and will be sending them off to Berkeley East Bay Humane Society.

Our Holiday/New Year Wish List to BART

Whatever holiday you celebrate this time of the year, it seems like a good time for us to think about what we need and want on BART as we head into 2008.

All year long, we've talked about many many things that we want to see changed or improved or enforced on BART. If we could send a holiday wish list, which I fully intend to send this one, what will we ask for?

Think about it for a moment and add your wishes on! I'll start.


BART, are you ready to make some improvements in 2008?

What can one say?

A big part of riding BART is the people watching, especially on days when I'm out of reading material and my work email volume is low. Last Friday evening, without a magazine and with most of the company heading for the weekend, I chose to people watch to entertain myself while I waited for the Pittsburg/Baypoint train at the Civic Center station.

I heard screaming and kids crying. I turned around and saw a young mother with 3 kids. Two of them were crying while the older kid just watched quielty. The mom yelled at them repeated to shut up. They kids (probably 3 and 5) continued to cry. Then, the mom slapped them each on the face hard and said, "I said shut up. Do you want me to smack you again?"

The 5 year old stopped and grabbed the oldest kid's hand. The 3 year old continued to scream and protest. The mom slapped him again and said, "Are you done?" He cried even louder and she slapped him yet again. I was getting uncomfortable watching this sight. She then pulled him aside, away from the other 2 kids, and grabbed his hair while telling him to behave.

I was very uncomfortable with what I witnessed, so were others around me. But what can we do? Everyone raises their kids differently and uses different methods to discipline them! I don't want to judge so quickly but her actions definitely raise many eyebrows. Does that mean she's not a good mother? I don't know. Does it mean she's abusive? I don't know. Perhaps she was just under a tremendous amount of stress that day? Maybe. With my limited observation, I can't jump to conclusions.

People see all sorts of things while riding BART but this will be hard to forget. The youngest kid finally stopped crying and they boarded the train. Perhaps it was just another day for that family? For their sake, I hope it was a one time thing.

Use a leash in the city please!

This is unrelated to BART and only remotely related to the commute but I'm still upset over it so thought I should share it with you guys.

On my shuttle ride over from Civic Center to the office, I saw someone walking their dog, a cute little Jack Russell, in the busy streets. The dog was off-leash but seemed well-trained and well-behaved enough to follow the owner closely. But suddenly, the owner decides to J-walk across 8th Street (past Market), a busy street during commuting hours with buses, shuttles, cars, motorcycles, and bicycles moving about in the lanes! As the owner j-walks across 5 lanes, he seemed like he had forgotten about his dog. The poor dog was lagging behind, confused, scared, trying to follow his lead as a Muni bus was coming his way!!!

I was in shock! I was scared to death that this poor dog was going to be smashed by the bus while his owner seemed to have completely left him behind as he reached the other side of the street. I was afraid to keep my eyes open. The bus was less than 12 feet away. The light had just turned green in the previous block so vehicles are charging his way!

Amazingly, this dog dashed with all his might across the street, beating the bus and a few cars coming his way!

The owner had turned around at this point. He saw what happened and called out the dog's name as the dog dashes over to him safely. The dog looked relieved to see his owner.

I would never risk my dog's life like that. I would never j-walk when walking him, especially not in the city! I would never even consider walking my dog unleashed in the city streets because the traffic and movement is too unpredictable!

If you want to walk your dog in the city off-leash, fine, but don't j-walk, and don't put your dog in harm's way. Goodness!

Help! Can't breath.

Morning trains were delayed today, maybe because of the rain. As a result, the lines were longer, the trains were packed to the max. With the humidity, lack of fresh air, and an abundance of bodies, the air within the train was dead stale. You actually could feel that there is a shortage of air as you were inhaling. The air was heavy, or so it seemed. It was uncomfortable.....and as more people piled in, it was making me sick and dizzy.

I was lucky enough to be seated during most of the crowded ride. But that has disadvantages too since there were crowds standing next to me, exhaling on me, piling on more CO2 in front of my face.

It was just an awful ride. Way too crowded. I know the train operators try their best to discourage people from piling on but everyone wants to get in now, after a prolonged wait on the platform. They all have somewhere to go! Sometimes doors close on people-- they pry it back open! And even more people squeeze in during that lapse.

Anyway I was really happy to finally exit the train. The first thing I did when I got to street level was take a long, deep breath of fresh air, uh, well, as fresh as the Civic Station vicinity air gets...with a hint of pee.

Parking lot fight this morning

This morning, I was engaged in a little altercation over the last spot in the closer reserved lot. In Orinda, there are several reserved parking areas. One area is immediately in front of the BART station entrance (let's just call this Lot A), whereas the other (we'll call this Lot B), is about 80 footsteps away. Lot B is really not the end of the world, it's really just an extra 90 seconds of walking, but everyone covets the Lot A reserved spaces, including me!

Usually by the time I pull into the lot, there are maybe 1-2 spaces left in Lot A, on Mondays, Lot A is usually full! This morning, I pulled into Lot A because I eyed an open space from afar. I was so happy!! Wow, a closer space on a Monday! I already knew the quickest way to the space from the lot entrance and instantly pulled into the spot without hesitation. As I was about to take out my keys, I saw a SUV behind me. The driver was angry. Gesturing at me! I didn't know why she was upset as I got out of my car.

She remained parked behind me and yelled, "This is my space, I was circling around the lot, making my way over here, and you took it."

First, I had no clue she was in the lot..and why would you circle around the lot for a space when there is one right in front of you. She obviously didn't see it in time!

I responded politely, "Sorry, I didn't see you, I pretty much turned in and drove directly into the space," and gestured the short and straightforward path that I took to let her know that no circling was needed so it's her loss.

While I hoped the conversation would end there, she went on to say, "I'm in a hurry- I do not have time to look for a space. OK? I got into the lot before you did, I just happened to be on the side!"

I almost lost my cool here but said, "I'm in a hurry too and I didn't see you one way or another alright? You'd probably save some time by going directly to that lot over there instead of arguing with me. It's also reserved parking. There are plenty of spaces."

At this point, I was thinking to myself, "Oh, s*it, my car is going to get keyed for sure, what the heck did I do to myself?" but I'm not moving and I was there first.

To my surprise, she said, "Oh? This is a reserved lot? I didn't know that. Ha. Where is general parking?"

Oh my god, did I just waste my time arguing with someone who didn't even know she wasn't supposed to be there?

I pointed her to the general parking lot and she was off on her way. I almost missed the train because I wasted my time debating with someone who wasn't even entitled to park there!

She should thank me because I saved her from a $20 ticket!

Cracking down on food/drink violators

Now this I did not know! I never thought that BART took food/drink violation citations very seriously but my husband told me that he heard on KRON4 News last night that BART has been cracking down on people who are caught in the act of drinking and eating on BART and the penalty is a pretty hefty amount of $215-$250! And there is in fact a hotline to report violators! (Anyone know what that is? He didn't jot it down. It would be very beneficial to post on BART Musings. It's not an 800 number but a 415 number.)

I'm really happy to hear that BART does takes this seriously. It'll keep the train much cleaner in the long run.

Also, apparently there are several stations that house coffee and food stands? As long as they are not encouraging people to bring the food/drinks on BART and they are subsidizing our fare increases, then I guess it doesn't hurt to have some convenience around BART.

Now is it a violation to eat/drink on the platforms too or just in the trains?

I look sick?

This never happened to me before. A woman who was exiting the train at MacArthur went out of her way to grab me and said, "You look sick, here, take my seat, I am leaving."

It is true that I'm feeling a bit of a cold coming but I didn't think it was visible. Do I look that awful today? Maybe she just wanted to give the seat to a female and had to come up with a reason why?

Regardless, I appreciated it. It was nice to sit down. I haven't had a seat en-route to SF for a few weeks. It's been increasingly crowded these days.

21st century transit: hopefully BART will catch on in the near future

I just returned from Belgium and Netherlands. Wonderful trip all around. And as always, whenever we're abroad, we make a point to try out the local transit systems.

The tram systems in Brussels, Brughe, and Amsterdam were so easy to use and came quite frequently. Both are equipped with electronic signs inside the trains that shows the route in progression (at least the next 3 stops) and clearly flashes the name at each stop. Some trams had flat screens showing news and ads. Some stops were equipped with interactive maps. All in all, the trains were clean, and with much fewer seats than BART, they were more optimal for extremely crowded conditions since there's ample room for standing passengers.

None of those 21st century perks are necessities, of course, but they're just nice to have to make getting around a bit easier for locals and visitors alike.

Do I want BART to upgrade the trains immediately? NO! There are plenty of other areas that need improvement so I can wait a decade (or two) before we catch on.

BTW, BART-SFO ridership definitely went up this year compared to last year!!! It's great-- it's really the easiest way. We love it. But, again, like I wrote in my previous entry, luggage space is a problem! This morning, a couple had no place to place their suitcases and ended up blocking the aisle, leaving literally 3 inches for people to squeeze through.

Off for the holidays...can BART handle the crowds?

You won't be hearing any of my rants next week since I'll be out of the country starting Monday. We'll of course be taking BART to SFO, which brings up a topic I discussed briefly in a previous post.

Last holiday season, I started noticing that trains were crowded with passengers with multiple over-sized suitcases. Sure, a good sign for BART but not so great for passengers since more often than not suitcases are taking up seats or standing room, and these non-commuter BART riders don't quite know simple BART etiquette such as not blocking the left side of the escalators with their luggage, or just please have your ticket ready at the turnstile, and if you don't, please don't leave your suitcase in front of it, blocking everyone else, while you are off buying tickets at the ticket machine!!!

Well, the main point to bring up really is luggage space. What about some overhead racks or particular trains for airport-bound riders in future trains if they are pushing BART to SFO as hard as they are??? BART train seats, as they are right now, are not built to accommodate big carry-ons.

They may not care now but I know this will increasingly become a problem. It is already! I'll leave you with that thought.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING, EVERYONE!!!

I am a creature of habit

I sometimes wonder why I tend to enter the train through the same door, stand in the same area (assuming its available), sit in the same seat on the way home, exit through the same door (surprisingly not the same one I enter, I walk one door over to be closer to the escalators)?? Am I that predictable? I guess I am! Which brings me to my story today...

I had an early morning meeting today which required me to take a train about an hour earlier than usual. I was running late...I had to spring up the escalators and slip through the first door I see.

I got a seat and allowed myself to relax through the ride. When we arrived at Embarcadero, I had forgotten that I had entered through a different door (maybe I was too sleepy). By Civic Center, my stop, I still remained seated (usually, I am standing and waiting by the door), looked outside the door, and did not see the usual view that I've become accustomed to from my usual train location. Because of that, I somehow figured that oh no, it's not my stop yet, and remained seated. Suddenly, my brain woke up....I looked up and saw "CIVIC CENTER" spelled out right in front of me. I barely made it out the train!

Just a slight break in my patterns threw me off! Perhaps I was tired from the earlier schedule and not thinking with a straight head but yes, I definitely am used to my habits and patterns!

No holiday for me

It seems like companies are increasingly not giving Veteran's Day off as a company holiday. I've never had Veteran's Day off and I always saw it as a day where I get a break from the usual crowded trains. Year by year though, I've noticed that the decrease in passengers on BART on Veteran's Day is declining.

Today, the trains were definitely less crowded than usual but more crowded than last year's Veteran's Day. I was lucky enough to get the last seat on the train and was surprised that it was as full as it was. By Rockridge, there were at least 10 people standing.



I

Lesson learned: Don't get off a crowded train to wait for the next one!

This happened yesterday. As usual, the morning SF-bound train I was on was extremely crowded. As passengers, including me, piled into the train, the T.O. announced as he does every morning, "The next SF/Daly City bound train is just a couple minutes behind me and will be a lot less crowded than this one. Again the next SF/Daly City bound train is just a couple minutes behind this one."

Usually, no one gets off! But this time, a family of 4 who looked like they were headed to the airport and don't take BART often, decided to get off and wait for the next train. In fact, I was pretty grateful they got off...it gave me some additional room to stand.

Well!! As soon as we got to Rockridge, the T.O. announced, "Get on to this train if you need to head to San Francisco, the next train to SF is out of service. There will not be another SF-bound train for at least 15 minutes."

I don't know what happened between Orinda and Rockridge but I couldn't help but feel bad for the airport-bound family who actually got off the train to get on another train that was supposed to arrive in 2-3 minutes! That really sucks! I would have been pissed off. I guess that is why I typically don't ever get off a crowded train even if the next one is said to be a few minutes away. I have a connecting shuttle to catch besides, I just want to get to my destination. I'll deal with over-capacity and lack of oxygen.

I sure hope they weren't running late for a flight!

Taking a seat to make someone feel better

This is a weird situation and I want to hear what you would have done in a similar scenario. The train was crowded with people standing. There was an extremely overweight woman who took about 1.25 seats, with the edge of her thighs hanging over to the empty seat next to her. People sat down for a second, and then left in favor of standing instead. This happened through 3 stops. As the train got more crowded, the overweight woman still sat alone, with her head down, looking a bit awkward with each person next to her leaving almost immediately.

I felt bad for her. It was clear that people didn't like sitting next to her. I was already seated but decided to get up, stand for awhile as if I'm leaving, and then, took the seat next to her. As I sat down, I said hi, and she whipered hi back. I was plastered next to her, but I wasn't uncomfortable.

I don't know if she cared that people didnt want to sit next to her but as more eyes stared towards her direction, I just felt like I needed to help make it less awkward.

I can be imagining all this of course! But oh well...it made sense at the time!

Aisle seat or window seat?

A nice string to debate has formed in the comments from my previous post about whether one can straight up take an aisle seat when both are available? And what is the courtesy?

I don't impose any rules or etiquette on anyone, they can take whatever seat makes them happy. BART is truly first come first serve. Just like on Southwest Airlines, when you are in Boarding Group A, most people take the aisle seats even though it slows down the rest of the boarding process since you have to get up and down for passengers who come in later. HOWEVER...I do think people who take the aisle seat MUST get up when someone is trying to get into the window seat. And NO, just scooting your legs to the side, or crossing your legs to make room, is not good enough because I still need to crawl over you. As long as someone is willing to get up whenever the window seat is being taken or vacated, I'm fine with them taking the aisle seat.

Personally, I always slide into the window seat on BART except when sitting in one of the four-seat areas where it's not as tight for people to walk in and out of. In fact, an aisle seat in one of the quad-seat areas is generally my #1 go-to seat whenever it's open!

A host of annoying things this morning

Everyday, my train is packed now. I'm used to the crowd, it's fine, but this morning, a few people in there really got on my nerves.

Person #1:
A man flossing his teeth on the train. SICK!

Person #2:
A clueless old man taking BART to the airport. He laid his large suitcase (3 feet high) on the floor, blocking and tripping people. He looked confused, so I asked, "do you want me to help you place your luggage on the side?" He said, "don't touch my suitcase." OK....whatever you say, but you're in everyone's way!

Person #3:
A dressed up 30 something woman with a staring problem. I swear we made eye contact at least 10 times. She stared at my face, my jeans, to my shoes. I'm also 30 something and maybe she's just thinking to herself that she will never fit into my skinny jeans since she's 3 times my size. No, that's bad of me, sorry, I'm a grump today, but I really don't know why she kept on staring nonstop. I even opened my eyes wider and didn't look away when we made eye contact...gesturing "what are you looking at!" Sorry, this morning's ride made me grouchy.

Happy Halloween.....costumes anyone?

Seems like the number of BART commuters who dress up for Halloween decreases each year! Even in the office, I see candy everywhere but fewer people cared enough to wear a costumes than the last couple of years. Some horns, some wigs, but few costumes.

It's a relief for me actually. Elaborate costumes and masks on BART and around the stations used to really scare me anyways. I didn't quite like strangers dressed up as "Jason" or vampires coming up to me to get a reaction. The more I tried to avoid them, the more they wanted to follow me.

Popular ensembles this year from what I've heard, read and seen -- Wendy's wig, Hillary masks, Bush masks with a noose, and Larry Craig with a stall.

"Smart" camera upgrades to BART trains and stations

This is good news! BART trains and stations are getting updated cameras to enhance security.

While I wish new cameras will also bring about a reduction in BART petty crimes too, it is still a good thing that BART Police now have state of the art equipment to help them do their jobs and prevent the "big" disaster.

Despite signs, announcements and ads calling for passengers to report unattended packages, most people still don't. I've reported an unattended medium-sized box once. People walked by it, stared at it, tried to look inside, but no one cared to report it. I didn't call the BART Police but instead told a station agent who said she would take care of it. I had to catch my train so I didn't stay to see what happened....I'm sure it was nothing but still, felt I had to report it regardless.

But like most people, I fail to do my part sometimes too. I've seen duffle bags left on trains and just assume it's someone gym clothes and go about my business. We can all be better, but these new cameras will help!

BART misrepresented on ABC's "Women's Murder Club"

I don't think this show is going to last, but that's just my personal opinion. Last week, we decided to have a mellow Friday night of TV and came across this new show. My husband is a fan of James Patterson so he thought it warranted at least a try. It was slow and the characters were annoying, but that's besides the point. What I wanted to mention here is that the episode involved a crime scene on BART but instead showed some random "subway-like" setting that looked nothing like BART.

They should at least make some effort to replicate a BART train car. All they need is green fabric seats and green carpet. But maybe it's wise that they didn't since I don't think that the network is going to pick up a whole season's episodes. Not a good show in my opinion but I'm no TV critic. I do like Angie Harmon though and would like to see her back on TV with a good show...this is not it though.

People who block the train entrances

When there is a long line of people waiting to get onto an already crowded train, it never fails that someone in the line will stop right at the door to claim the space in front of the board connected to the handicapped seats so they can lean comfortably against it, while blocking at least 1/4 of the train entrance! Am I being descriptive enough here? You know which space I'm referring to? The two sides right in front of the door?

This person will then stretch his or her legs out while resting his/her back against the board and bust out their reading material without a care in the world. This person doesn't care that everyone else entering the train now has to walk OVER his/her legs to get on. This person doesn't look away from the magazine whenever the train approaches a station and passengers are struggling to get in and out of the train because both sides of the entry have been blocked by inconsiderate riders who must lean wide and diagonally in front of the train doors.

I believe that the only people who should take those leaning spots are those who are last coming onto a packed train with no where else to stand. These people should ALWAYS get out of the train each time people are embarking and disembarking, and return to the spot thereafter.

I've taken that leaning spot a few times but I always make a point to stop what I'm doing each time we arrive at a station, step out of the train to let people on and out, and then get back onto the train and continue standing.

This morning, with 7 people lining up to get onto the train, the first two people each took one side of the backboard leaning spots, leaving the rest of us walking gingerly onto the train with about 15 inches in between their feet.

Is BART worthwhile for short distance commuters?

My husband usually drives to work. He works less than 9 miles away and depending on the traffic, his drive can range from a short 12 to a miserable 60 minutes each way. With one of our cars in the repair shop, he needed to take BART home yesterday. Even though he needed to take a shuttle to MacArthur, he still found the BART commute pleasantly short and easy compared to the usual slow drive on 24 East.

But will he continue to take BART? Probably not. Why not? I'll have to ask him for detailed reasons but I think it's because with the extra shuttle connection, it gives you little flexibility on when you can arrive and leave. It is not fun to be chasing a shuttle, or chasing a train when your shuttle is behind schedule. Additionally, you do have more personal freedom while in your car and for some, that time is when you decompress from all the stresses of work before you arrive home.

For any of you who work close by your home, would you take BART? This is a tough one. I live in Lamorinda, so if I worked in Emeryville or Walnut Creek, I may drive more than I take BART honestly. But anywhere else, probably not.

Watch out for the start of flu season

I actually don't know when flu season officially begins but I noticed this morning that I'm hearing an excessive amount of deep coughs, heavy sneezes, and stuffed-up breathing. The woman next to me kept on blowing her nose and coughing into her handkerchief (why do people still use a piece of cloth to collect virus and bacteria, I really just don't know!) and being the borderline germaphobic lunatic that I am (at least I admit it!), I gave up my seat to stand somewhere that didn't seem immediately polluted.

I also noticed in my company shuttle too that many people were sick! Watch out, everyone, get your flu shots now! Flu season seem to be hitting us hard already.

Why don't you just SIT ON ME while you're at it??

Some people are so bold that it is unbelievable! As usual, the train was packed with barely any standing room. One woman walks in, looks around for seats, then looks around for a good area to stand and lean back on, and reluctantly, ended up standing right next to my seat (I got lucky, someone seated in front of where I was standing exited at Rockridge, YES!). She was unhappy standing and holding on to the overhead safety bar because she had this annoyed look on her face.

The next thing I know, she leans her butt on the the side of my seat. To make matters worse, she quickly realized that was a comfortable position and decided to SIT her butt on topside of my seat cushion, completely touching my right shoulder. Her butt wasn't big but it was big enough that my poor right shoulder had to bear a little bit of the weight. I quickly looked at her and bumped her butt off with an abrupt shoulder shrug. She didn't feel the first "shrug" but with a bit more push, she certainly felt the second one as she quickly stood up.

Lucky for her, she quickly got a seat at MacArthur as 1/8 of the train exited.

Quite interesting though. All my years of taking BART, this was the first time someone actually "sat" on me.

BARTMusings.com reaches two!

While working away in Chicago last week, I forgot to mention that BARTMusings.com's two year anniversary came and past! Sharing my thoughts on this blog has been very therapeutic and truly fun. In the past 2 years, I've learned so much about BART through yours comments/emails, news, my own probing, and personal experiences. I've learned that many passengers want the same improvements made but I've also learned that I've been dead wrong with certain assumptions.

Thanks for reading and sharing your opinions. I look forward to hearing more from you whether you are writing to agree, disagree, inform, or share! Thanks again.

Rain and delays go hand in hand

Whenever it rains, I set my expectations that BART will experience some type of delay. Similar to increased accidents on the freeways when the roads are wet, it is almost consistently so that BART service slows down a bit whenever there is rain. I'm not complaining, it's fine, I've come to expected it after all these years. But why is that? Is it because the wetness makes the tracks slippery? Or is it a visibility issue and speed decreases for safety? Perhaps passengers are slower getting on and off with the rain? Maybe it's all of the above. As long as the delays are under 10 minutes, I can tolerate them every once in awhile. :)

It's nice to have some rain though after a very dry year. It also saves me from watering my plants for at least a few more days! They were starting to look very hopeless-- perhaps the rain will help.

Whatever happened to Columbus Day lighter trains?

Is it just me or has Columbus Day turned into a shopping and sales gimmick? I don't know anyone who gets Columbus Day off anymore (schools aside) and lighter traffic and BART trains have just become a myth! My train this morning was just as crowded as any other day with standing room only! Parking lot too was just as full as usual! Is it a government employee holiday only now? Do financial institutions get it off? I definitely didn't sense any passenger subtraction from the holiday.

Maybe it's just my commute time and luck. How was it for you?

Home at last

I'm finally back from my MidWest business trip. Gosh, it's so nice to be home. I realize the problem with lack of common etiquette is everywhere but one thing I don't quite understand is why people when they get in and out of their seats on the plane, must pull, grab or push the seat in front of them??

If it's for balance, grabbing the top of the cabin to secure your balance is actually a lot more effective. In my flight home, I sat in front of someone who had to get up at least 8 times during the flight. Each time, he needed to grab my seat as he got up, jerking me forward and backwards. When he got back, he needed to push my seat forward again to get himself in a sitting position. My seat wasn't even declined! I was sitting as upright as a robot. In a couple occasions he even grabbed my hair. I gave him looks (for my hair loss) but didn't say anything since I do realize that he isn't the only person on the plane that does that. It seems to be quite common with older passengers, despite size.

But without offending anyone, I just want to say that if you're older and losing your sense of balance, and cannot get out of your seat on a plane without additional support, you should try holding on to the plastic piece on top of you on the plane (a lot sturdier), or hold on to your own seat instead of the one in front of you, or just get Economy Plus or above if you need the extra room to move about.

In Chicago for work

I've been in Chicago since Sunday for work. I love Chicago. It's definitely not my first time here but I always find the city charming and full of life and and personality. Not to mention, I think the food is superb. Cubs mania is everywhere, especially right now. While I always try to check out the public transit while I travel, in order to compare it with BART, I did not have a chance to ride the L. Although judging by the way it looked, BART sure looks like a limousine. I'm sure it's quite functional so I shouldn't put it down based on its worn out exterior!

Looking forward to going home in 2 days. Of course, I took BART to SFO on Sunday, skipping right over the 49ers game traffic! I saved my husband 2 hours of driving roundtrip at least, with the terrible pre-game traffic. Yet another positive to riding BART to the airport.

Critical Mass - Good or Bad? Stay away tonight!

Maybe I'm not talking to the right people or reading the right sources but I generally never hear anything positive about Critical Mass. And from personal experience, I've found the participants to be a bunch of overly emotional, bike-righteous asses who would risk other people's safety just to push their own agenda. I'm frightened of Critical Mass. While driving, I do not want to be verbally or physically assaulted by them and I certainly don't want to accidentally bump into any of them and get sued or attacked! But they want you to bump into them because they want to have the "go ahead" to yell at you, run their bikes into your car, and throw things at you if you yell back! Now, like I said, my experiences have been limited and I'm sure there are peaceful gatherings too but to me, Critical Mass makes me think less of bicyclists than to want to help them with their agenda.

I mean, what's next? Are they going to ride through BART stations to demand that BART allow bikes during all hours?

Honestly, I think drivers make a lot of accommodations as it is for bike riders. With the cycling craze in Lamorinda, drivers often need to swerve to the opposite lane (risking head on traffic) just to make way for the groups of cyclists who seem to think it is OK to ride in the middle of a single lane road. They think they have the right of way and we need to just stay behind them patiently. It's like, DAMN IT, just stay in your bike lane in a single file OK? Don't chat, don't share water or whatever it is you need to do when you take up the entire street. I don't stop and talk to the driver next me and stop traffic....why should cyclists do it? Seriously, these cycling "enthusiasts" think that just because they wear spandex and ride a fancy bike, they own the streets. Look behind you, 10+ cars are blocked because you and your buddies are in the middle of the single lane road.

Sorry, as you can see, this is a sensitive topic. I deal with a lot of bikers and most experiences, whether with Critical Mass or cycling groups, have not been positive.

BART ridership has definitely gone up

Is it just me or are trains just getting more and more crowded each day? Forget finding a seat, you're lucky if you find a big enough to space to stand in and have a pole to hold on to. I guess it's a good thing that people are turning their backs on cars and adopting mass transit but if this trend continues, I hope BART will increase the # of trains during commute hours even more.

Last fall, I remember that the SFO-bound train from Pittsburgh/Baypoint would have 1 empty seat to 3 standing passengers by the time it arrives in Orinda, leaving at the very least, plenty of places to stand. This fall, by the time the train arrives in Orinda, there are at least 12 standing passengers in each car.

Just an observation. I don't have solid data to back this up and it's really based on my commute hours.

The consequences of not taking BART to SFO

We went on a quick one-night trip to LA and decided that our departure and arrival times shouldn't put us in the thick of traffic going back and forth between SFO and East Bay. We figured driving will save us time since taking BART to SFO from where we live will take 70 - 75 minutes total.

The drive to SFO on Saturday morning was a breeze. Took us 35 minutes total. It totally justified not taking BART.

The way back from SFO to East Bay on Sunday evening, however, was horrendous! It was bumper and bumper from Monster Park (no home game that day as 49ers got ripped part in Pittsburgh) all the way to our destination. Drivers were impatiently cutting each other off, yet going nowhere...we almost got into a couple accidents during our drive. At that point, I certainly wished we had taken BART to and back from SFO.

I'll be traveling again this coming weekend for work and this time, I think I'll be a good girl and deal with BART. It may be 70-75 minutes but at least I'll get to relax during most of the ride.

Oh, by the way, a quick side note. I tried Virgin America for the first time-- the experience was about 100 times better than Southwest Airlines and United Shuttle. I definitely recommend it!

Did you know one-third* of men don't wash their hands? (*Correction)

Last night, NBC11 reported a nationwide study on percentage of men and women who wash their hands after they use the bathroom. The study installed hidden cameras in selected public restrooms around the country including stadiums, bus stations, parks, office buildings...etc. The point is not to reveal any identities but to examine personal hygienes in the US.

The result was not surprising but disturbing nonetheless.

33% of men DO NOT wash their hands before exiting the bathroom.

12% of women DO NOT wash their hands before exiting the bathroom.

What a disparity between genders! And my goodness, 33% of men DO NOT wash their hands after they've used the toilets/urinals? That is sickening.

That means 1 out of 3 male hands I shake in business meetings are tainted. That means more likely than not, the safety poles on BART are also contaminated. What about the guy who hands me my latte at Starbucks? The potential is frightening.

People think I'm ridiculous for popping out my bottle of Purell on BART?? I think I am just saving myself from getting sick!

With women, I even think 12% is a bit high for this day and age. But just thinking back to my office restroom encounters, I clearly recall a few times where someone walked straight out of the stall without stopping by the sink.

Be careful whose hands you touch next!

Bad morning ride

Maybe Monday brings the worst out of people? This morning's ride was miserable. Not only was the train packed at maximum standing capacity, people were completely rude and obnoxious.

First, we had no room to even stand, some young backpacker (airport bound probably) with a HUMONGOUS backpack and accompanying attachments (to the top and bottom of her 3 feet long backpack) insisted on squeezing in. Not only did SHE not fit, her backpack was blocking the door. As she turned around to fit in, her backpack kept on hitting me over and over. It didn't hurt, or else I would have told her to watch it, but still, it was annoying. Throughout the ride, her backpack not only hit me but at least 4 other passengers around her.

Worse, her phone kept on ringing. Each time it rang, she had to dig in her bag to grab it, and by doing that, she bumps someone else with her backpack.

Separately, people are completely impatient. I am polite enough to step out of the train to let people exit because I don't want to block the doors in any way. However, people literally push me out with their shoulders before I even have a chance to walk out. I already look like I am ready to hop out and make way for them, is it necessary for them to push me out of the way? Would a freakin' half second hurt them that badly? It's like, damn, I am already planning on getting out for you ok? Don't need to push me out!

Lastly, someone standing next to me kept on yawning in my face. Why don't people cover their mouth anymore?

Crimes on BART premises

Thanks to an anonymous poster who sent this to me. I guess I should consider myself pretty lucky that I've never been a victim of carjacking, beating, or mugging in BART parking lots, but apparently, it's not uncommon.

Generally, my daily BART rides are fairly uneventful where the most notable things are seeing people eat on BART, fight for seats, wear heavy perfumes, skip fares, hold up the escalators, or fumbling baby strollers...etc. One of the few times I actually raise "real" issues such as suspicious activities or crude, offensive verbal harassment within a BART station, it turned into a debate about citizens having the responsibility to report these incidents to BART police otherwise the authorities are not, and cannot be held responsible for these activities, nor can they proactively do anything to stop them because the law doesn't work that way. I still don't think that's right but I've learned a new perspective.

But what about these muggings and beating?? These hot spots for carjackings? Assuming these incidents were properly filed with BART Police, do they try to catch these offenders in action the next time they strike or do the reports just sit in a file cabinet? Is something being done to protect passengers before more crimes take place? Are there more police surveillance in those areas? Is it unreasonable (probably so) to ask BART Police to be more proactive, rather than reactive? Hey, I may be completely wrong here-- perhaps BART Police are already all over those hot spots for crimes and because of their action and presence, passengers are no longer being mugged, beaten, or carjacked. One can hope.

Fare skippers

So, those of you who are BART agents, please chime in. I know this observation does not represent every station but I was pretty appalled. Three young men in their teens nonchalantly opened up the disabled entry/exit side door right by the turnstiles, and walked in. The agent seated inside the office was about 6 feet away but was looking down or just didn't care that they were walking through the side and not paying.

An older woman who had just walked through the turnstile confronted them and said, "You need to go back around and pay for a ticket." By this time, the agent did look up but didn't come out to see what this confrontation was about. Then, one of the boys said, "*hit, I know people who work for BART and they say people do this all the time and it's no a big deal."

I had to go run after my shuttle so I didn't catch the end of this. But I hoped the older woman had tapped on the ticket office window, and have the agent force them to exit and pay for a ticket.

This is not the first time I've seen or written about fare skippers. It's pretty common. Is BART doing anything to stop this? I've confronted these violators a couple times but I'm not always in a position to do so. But can't station agents watch more carefully? Or are they too busy to?

what makes me take one seat over another?

This split-second decision making process is quite interesting. Let's just say there are 3 seats open around the same area. None are designated disabled seats. All are aisle seats. What makes you pick one over the other? Something as simple as this actually takes a bit of quick thinking.

Here's what goes through my head in those 2 seconds before I must commit to a seat:

1) Does the seat have transferable stains? Does the floor have transferable stains?
2) Who is sitting next to the empty seat? Does he/she look pleasant to sit next to (or unpleasant)? Basically, if the person looks either disheveled, extremely overweight, heavy scented, rude/obnoxious, ill, unkept..etc., I try to stay away. The weight factor is usually not a huge deal unless coupled with another one of the listed characteristics.

For example, this morning, 2 aisle seats were open. I was quite happy since I felt pretty darn tired this morning and really wished to sit. One had a professionally dressed man sitting next to it, the other had an older woman who not only looked uncomfortably overweight but had just let out a scary, deep cough. Immediately, I chose to sit next to the man.

It's not prejudice for those of you who will immediately point to that. It's just a matter of personal comfort. I'm not saying people who fit those descriptions are not good people- they probably are- but I would just rather stand or not sit next to them on BART because of my own personal reasons such as allergies, being a clean freak, and having a bad day and need my personal space.

Has anyone used MyBART?

I've browsed around a few times but have never officially signed up. I've seen some interesting events that I might actually attend. I am going sign up though and share my experiences on here. Looks like it's doing a lot better than BARTtv.

I feel bad for people who sweat easily

On the ride to SF today, the train temperature was slightly on the warm side. It wasn't on the hot side at all yet, however. There was a man sitting down who was sweating profusely. He had sweat stains all over his dress shirt...on his back, armpits, and chest. He also had sweat dripping like a waterfall from all around his head. His neck was gleaming with wetness as his sweat was collecting around his collar. He leaned back on his seat -- a move I believe was intended to wipe away the sweat around his neck and head, as he moved his head slightly up and down on the seat cushion.

He wiped the dripping sweat off his face every few minutes. It wouldn't stop! Meanwhile, the sweat stains around his shirt were enlarging by the minute! The individual wet spots combined into a huge mass of wetness on his shirt.

He got up at Embarcadero, still sweating. I had been standing the entire time and usually grab a seat after the Embarcadero crowd exits, to rest my feet for 5 more minutes until my stop. But I wasn't about to take his seat! It was probably wet!

I felt bad for the guy. Everyone was looking at him. He even had sweat dripping around his nose. I know there are disorders that cause people to sweat uncontrollably. It was warm in the train but it wasn't bad at all-- everyone else was fine. I even mistakenly wore a sweater today and I felt fine. This poor guy really had a rough start to his morning.

You tell 'em!

While standing today, I saw a perfect example of passengers speaking up and help enforce train rules. A woman in her 20s sat in the handicapped seat and pretended to be sleeping (or not, but she seemed to only be sleeping when we arrive at stations) when an elderly woman with a cane walked in. The train was packed. There wasn't barely any room to stand! It was almost too crowded to find space on a safety pole to grab on to.

The young woman had no intention of getting up whatsoever. Her eyes were opened but she kept her head down. Immediately, a man right around the area tapped her shoulder and said, "Please get up. There's someone disabled who needs to sit down."

The young woman was not happy but obliged. She pouted the rest of the way. I'm just glad someone spoke up immediately!

I miss BART

This week has been quite hectic at work and I've been asked to go to our HQ in San Jose 2 days in a row. Generally, I drive down to SJ once a week or every other week, so 2 days in a row is really testing my sanity with the miserable 680 traffic.

Yesterday, I spent about 4 hours total driving (yes, bad bartmusings, i missed spare the air day!), and today, it took me almost 2 hours (one way) to get here and I can only imagine how bad the way home will be on a Thursday evening.

I may complain about little things on BART here and there but all I need is a 58-mile drive down to San Jose to realize how lucky I have it on all the other days by taking BART to SF!

And with the triple digit heat, sitting in 5mph traffic even with AC, only makes the drive worse.

Taking music enjoyment to the extreme

I've written a couple times before about people who sing along to their iPods. It's not a big deal- I generally don't mind it, especially if it's just a phrase or two. One time, I encountered a man who sang along song after song-- he sounded terrible but it was more entertaining than annoying since he was SO into it.

Well, this morning was a little different. This woman did not have an iPod or any listening device. She was not shy in anyway as she belted out warm-up scales, and then eventually, songs! She must have been taking some type of voice lessons because she didn't sound bad at all. It was just really bizarre that someone, sitting in the middle of a crowded train, not panhandling, not homeless, who looks like she's going to school or work, would just randomly close her eyes, clutch her hands in front of her stomach, and belt out Ave Maria, Carmen, to other classical favorites.

She was LOUD to say the least. Everyone just kept turning around to look at her, but she was undeterred. Her eyes were closed most of the time, her head moving along to the music with emotions, and she just went on and on for several minutes until we reached the Transbay tube.

She didn't ask for money after she stopped- she just sat there and walked out at Powell. I didn't really mind it- it was fairly enjoyable and as someone who enjoys playing classical music on the piano, I could tell she loved the songs. It was just a little strange, but enviously daring, that she had the boldness to do that on BART!

I am far too shy to do that....although I do love karaoke!

Not in the mood to deal with line-cutters

Monday mornings are just the worst. I'm tired, my mind is filled with to-do items to take care of once I get into the office, and the idea of waiting 5 more days until the weekend is simply miserable. This morning was no different except that I am even more tired than usual from a poor night's sleep.

I arrive at the platform and find myself a position where I would be the first to stand in line. As the train arrived, I noticed 3 people, same party, previously seated in one of those covered benches, started to approach me. I moved a few steps forward to "signal" to them to stand behind me since I was already in line.

But to my surprise, they started squeezing in front of me, trying to push me back. It's like I was invisible...the three of them just started encroaching my space in the front of the line.

I cannot deal with this at all, esp. not on a Monday morning. The etiquette is those who stand first in line should remain first. It doesn't matter that they might have arrived before me on the platform-- they CHOSE to SIT, and not stand, therefore, they need to get in the back of the line!

I had to tell them as politely as I could, "There's a line here," and pointed to the line behind me. By this time, there were 3 people in line, and none of us would have been happy if they cut in front of us.

They not only didn't get in back of the line-- they actually remain right next to me, crowding me even more. One of them gave me a dirty look. I knew this would be a fight for position. **ck this, I thought to myself...no way you are getting in front of me.

As soon as the train door opened, I dashed in before them while using my computer bag to block their entry...and so did the guy standing in line behind me who straight out walked in front of them. We got on in time to take the two last seats.

They need to learn the rules.

3 lovely sights in one ride

Before I go into the "interesting" things I ran into this morning, I want to clarify that most of the time, I try to write objectively, from the standpoint of a passenger who would like to know more about how BART works or how other see the system. If I wrote that I've yet to see something happen, 99% of the time, that is followed by a statement indicating that it doesn't mean it hasn't happened. I don't write this to bash anyone, but if you take it that way, please know that 99% of the time, the entries are not meant to be accusatory. BART staff has a high profile job and it is inevitable that they will be subjected to the opinions of passengers in some way. We all recognized that there are stellar employees and as with any other profession, there are always some bad ones.

OK, the 3 very lovely things I witnessed today. Of course, I am being sarcastic about them being lovely.

1) Saw a woman in a short skirt sit directly on the train floors today with her bare legs lined against the ground. Not only was the carpet filthy, what was more inappropriate was her exposure. When she squatted to search for her book, her underwear was showing. When she sat "Indian-style", her underwear was showing. When she finally got up, her skirt was flipped up for 3 seconds, exposing her behinds, before she realized she needed to flip it down.

2) Saw another woman (or man, not sure) in thigh-high boots and extremely short and tight shorts that don't cover up the entire behind. She looked extremely masculine but that's not the point. She seemed to be struggling with the thigh-high boots (4 inch heels) and fell off the escalator as soon as she stepped on. She wasn't hurt but continued to struggle to walk with the boots.

3) Urine puddle in the car. Entire section smelled like very acidic pee. Called the TO to notify a cleaning crew and was told that previous passengers have already reported it.

Assisting the blind around BART

I'm always amazed when I see blind passengers master BART, sometimes with a seeing-eye dog, sometimes without. On the most part, I'd say passengers are pretty good about giving up their seats for the blind, as they should be. I've once talked to a blind passenger who informed me that there are great programs out there that trains the blind and the disabled to master public transit systems. I was quite impressed.

However, there are times when I see blind passengers who aren't so good yet at navigating within the stations or on the trains, and I can't help but wonder whether BART owns the responsibility to escort the blind when they need assistance? These blind passengers often go towards the down escalators when they want to go up, bump into the train when they are trying to enter, or worse, walk way too close to the tracks.

Fortunately, there are always some good people around who are willing to escort a blind passenger to the platform, into the right train, and to a safe seat. Some even go as far as forgoing his ow her own train just to assist the blind. I've witnessed that and it's comforting to see there are still decent people left in this world. I've assisted the blind around stations and on the platforms whenever I see one in need but I've never actually let my own train pass just so I can wait with him/her to see him/her through safely.

But what happens when there are no good samaritans around? What happens when a blind passenger seeks assistance from people who are in the mood for a practical joke? I've witnessed that once where a bunch of high school aged kids directed the blind to face a wall. Luckily, a bunch of us re-directed him to the line and scolded these idiotic kids.

Can these blind passengers look to BART for assistance? Will station agents actually escort the blind if requested? Or can they not leave their square ticket window? I've not yet seen a BART employee escort a blind passenger in need of assistance BUT that doesn't mean it hasn't happened.

Thanks to a reader who voiced his concerns for the blind BART passengers in an email. We've all seen blind passengers around BART and when one is in need, I know that most of us do jump to offer assistance, at least I'd like to believe that.