The BART seat pecking order

With the BART strike appearing likely tonight, I feel like I need to lighten things up by addressing an awkward situation we encounter daily.  For some of us, we flat out prefer to stand on BART to avoid contact with the old cloth seats.  I usually stand, but on occasions especially at the end of the day, when one of the refurbished trains approach, I don't mind taking a rest on one of the plastic seats.

There is an unsaid rule that women should sit over men.  I don't really think that should be the case but I feel that a lot of men do feel pressured to allow female passengers to take an open seat even if it's right next to them.  Poor tired men who actually want to sit.  Just do it...it's fine, chivalry is not necessary (or expected) on BART IMHO.

Based on what I've seen in more than 11 years of taking BART, this is the pecking order when it comes to seats:

1) Handicapped-- yep, no argument there, they should always have a seat, anywhere.  Or if they have a cast and crutches, they should sit.
2) Obese passengers - I don't mean overweight, I mean so large that they need two seats.  I think to ease their pain and embarrassment, please just get up for them quietly and let them sit down!
3) Elderly-- this is a tricky one. Some who look very old are insulted when you offer them one, and others who have barely 20 gray hairs boot you out of your seat on the "elderly" badge.  If they have a cane, they should sit, no matter where the seat.
4) People with babies or kids -- The kids should sit.  It's pretty intimidating to be standing in such a turbulent and crowded environment.  If parents are carrying babies, they should sit too.  It's dangerous to stand and balance with your baby!
5) Pregnant women -- If someone appears to be in their 3rd trimester, I always give them my seat.  But then, it's tricky too...sometimes, someone APPEARS pregnant but are not!  Or sometimes, someone barely in their 2nd trimester says, I'm pregnant, and forces out another passenger.  Pregnant women can stand, I've been there.  Unless you are about to pop, but if that's the case, you shouldn't even be on BART!
6) Overweight passengers-- These are just larger passengers, not obese.  I would let them sit because it's not comfortable for them to stand, and they are taking up probably too much standing room.
7) Any other females by proximity to open seat

Thoughts?  I've written about this in the past but I think my order has changed.  Obese passengers have moved up on my list.

When bad gets worse

BART has been delayed pretty much everyday the past week.  This morning, there was a 12 minute delay from 925 area code stations to SF.  We all know delays means crowded trains.  We usually all make that work by being uncomfortably close with other passengers but heck, keep your head down, mind your own business, and we all get to work within the hour.  It's fine.  We deal with it.

Today, it was also crowded but what made the ride unbearable were two people taking advantage of the extreme proximity to make out.  Yes, they are a couple, but with the lack of fresh air and space already in the train, they really did not need to show their affections so fervently and so publicly.  I was luckily 5 feet away from them but there was one man whose face was about two inches from their lip lock (actually tongue lock, I should say.)  The man had no room but to stand facing them.  It must have been incredibly uncomfortable for him to be part of that exchange.  So unsightly, I don't care who you are, don't make out on BART, especially when we are forced to see it.

But my commute gets worse.  And the second part I can't blame BART for at all.  I finally got to my building and got on to the elevator.  The elevator didn't move, it also wouldn't open again.  It pretty much just stayed still.  A buzz alarm went off in the elevator and the door still would not open.  The elevator just stayed still with the doors shut.  I thought someone from the outside would sure need an elevator and the door would open soon enough but as I heard other elevators open up and close, I started to panic a bit.  By then I had been in there for more than two minutes.  It was another minute before it finally opened up but I was dialing my office manager to seek help from security.

Monday morning commutes are always eventful.  Let's hope I don't get stuck in an elevator again this week.

This is so OK with me...not!!

Seriously, if I weren't two stops away from my exit, I might have risked my life to say something.  We all need to stretch but this? Seriously?  Can you see me (dark denim on bottom left) try to move my leg as far as possible to his shoe??

Governor Jerry Brown calls Cooling Off Period to Avert Strike and Keep Negotiations Going

It's a temporary fix but I am glad.  At least we postpone the worst scenario by one more week.  Have a good week everyone-- I will keep sharing my thoughts on the negotiation progress through the week.

Thanks Jerry, for this one!

Strike on Monday Highly Likely! Who is watching out for us, the passengers??

I am sure you have all heard by now, BART union issued a 72 hour strike notice last night.   The unions and BART management seem to be no where close to coming to an agreement.  

According to SF Chronicle, BART medical insurance costs have increased by 251 percent in the past 12 years, from $24.6 million to over $86.4 million next year, while the employees' pay has increased from $25 to $92.  Sounds pretty reasonable to me, especially with the lax and generous overtime and sick policy.  

I don't think the rest of us had salaries and benefits that increased by that much in the last 12 years.  It's a much higher pace than inflation.

Do I side with management? Not exactly, their salaries make anything else look inequitable.  Do I side with unions?  Not really.  I don't feel that the level of service we, the passengers, receive warrant a significant pay and benefits bump.

I just want this to be resolved without the need to raise fares.  $10+ per day isn't easy for many to afford.  It's food for the family, school supplies for kids, money to pay medical bills and drugs, etc.  Can anyone please think about the passengers a bit here?  We work damn hard to do what we can to support our families and unfortunately, we have to depend on BART to get us to work and back home.

Who is there to watch out for passengers???  Why don't we have a say?

Are you ready for another BART strike?

Perhaps there will not be another strike since it does appear the two sides are making some progress and BART management is giving in to some demands but ultimately, it will be us, the passengers who will pay for it, literally!

SF Business Times reports that the settlement could raise BART fares by up to 18%.  I pay $8.50 daily already.  I guess I will expect that to go up to $10 per day.  Even more of a reason to work from home for a couple days a week.

I think employers in Bay Area should start offering commuter benefits, not just pre-tax but actually allow a $80 - $100 commuting allowance per month.  Adobe did that before and it was great!

What do you think?  Do you get commuter benefits?

Learn the facts? Here's something about BART overtime pay you should know.

This article was very helpful in laying out some outrageous facts.  And the writer is right, it should come down to what BART can ultimately afford to do.  Any additional burden would cripple riders who need the transit system to make an honest living.

Some of these employees are abusing the system and the policies.  I know it's not representative of the entire BART workforce but I'm sure it's not uncommon.  It's part of the overall attitude that all of us passengers can attest to.

What would I rate my daily encounters with BART employees?  Probably a C- at best.  There is no "customer service" and when I legitimately need assistance with something, I am being treated as if I just woke someone up from a cozy nap and I should be punished.

I welcome everyone to post the facts here.  If this article isn't accurate, I would like to read others.  So far, articles I've found represent what this one says.

http://www.mercurynews.com/opinion/ci_23221986/daniel-borenstein-prepare-long-hot-summer-bart-negotiations

It's time for companies to get more mobile!

Traffic to across the Bay Bridge is backed up all the way to Concord, on the 680.  24 is completely jammed and takes one hour to get through a mile.  Yet, the impact of the BART strike could have been a lot worse if school is in session, and if this wasn't July 4th week when many folks are on break!  (I guess we should be thankful that they picked this week to strike? ha!)

When will companies become a bit more open to remote work?  There are video technologies these days to keep the interactions live and keep group work productive, not to mention social collaboration tools to help us become more mobile when we need to be.  Heck, there are even tracking tools to see how long it takes someone to respond to an email!

I am very grateful that I work at a job where it is OK to work remotely-- our equipment was built for remote work from day one.   At a time like this, the roads should be left open for those who absolutely need face to face interaction at their jobs (healthcare professionals) to get to where they need to go.

Ultimately, it makes me a bit angry that we are so dependent on BART and that gives them (management and unions) so much leverage to dictate our ticket prices and others.  

Did you brave the roads today??

Ready for a BART strike next week???

It looks like a 72 hour notice has been given by the Union, and with the current contract expiring this Sunday at 11:59pm, we should all think of commuting alternatives come Monday should the strike happen!  

I am fortunate enough to have the option to work from home and stay away from the mess if BART shuts down but for everyone else, are ferry, carpool or transbay bus viable alternatives?  

As much as I complain about BART and its dependability and cleanliness, we are so dependent on it.  If it truly shuts down one day, the Bay Area economy could fracture.  That is way too much power in BART's hands, including the workers.  

Well, what are you going to do next Monday if BART strikes?

5 Best Practices to Keep in Mind When BART is Damn Crowded!

This morning, if you haven't heard, there was a nutcase who decided that jumping on top of a BART train at MacArthur station during high traffic hour was a smart idea.  Trains were shutdown, even the freeway was shutdown to ensure safety.  The massive delays lasted 3-4 hours after the incident.

Needless to say, the trains were crowded.  Piles of people forced their way in at each stop despite there not being anymore room in the trains.  It made the usual peak passenger volume seem leisurely.  I was literally hugging someone's backpack while another female passenger's rear end was leaning on mine.  Way too close for comfort.

I can't stress enough some courtesy rules people need to follow when trains are this crowded.  Please, please, please keep these in mind to make the ride less miserable for the rest of us.

5 Rules to Keep in Mind

1) If you have a big backpack, please DROP IT ON THE GROUND!  There's no room as it is.  Please put your bags on the floor to make room.

2) Please breath with your nose, not mouth.  Our faces are already inches away, it would help to not have to smell what you had for breakfast too, or if you happen to not brush that morning.

3) Get out of the train to make room for people who need to exit.  The train won't leave without you, and really, allowing people off the train would actually create more room inside the train.  So move!

4) On a similar note, if your station is coming up next, just wait until the train stops before you make your move towards the door.  People need to get off the train before you can exit.  By pushing your way to the door in the middle of the crowd only creates chaos and frustration because there is NO ROOM to move!

5) Hold your temper.  We all hate being delayed and being on an overly crowded train.  No need to be nasty.  If you don't want to bear the pain, just don't get on the train!  You're not entitled.

Do you give up your seats? Picking up the question again in 2013

I've written about this at least twice.  But as I ride BART each day, I see things, and it really makes me question who truly deserves a seat in the designated section.  Obviously, those who have any physical handicap, senior citizens and in my book, any pregnant women who look like they are past 2nd trimester.  I happily and willingly stand up for any of them.

Is that too little? Am I not being thoughtful enough?  I must not be since I've been increasingly asked to get out of my seat for someone middle aged with a few gray hairs, or someone who looks overweight.  Hey dude, I'm tired too, just because I don't have gray hairs and I happen to be slender, doesn't mean I didn't have a pain somewhere that day or have some illness that requires me to stay low!

And why am I being picked on?  The man next to me, and the women across from me, look even younger and are just listening to music!  Why am I, being on Facebook and Twitter, the one picked out of the bunch??

Also, when did female passengers immediately demand seats from male passengers??  We can't stand??  I don't think men need to always get up for women-- not like our society expects chivalry these days, so why demand it on BART?

One last thing, when will all the BART trains be updated with new flooring and seats??  The year is half over!

Over Sensitivity on BART due to Boston Marathon Bombing

Let me first make this clear!  Everyone has the right to be over-sensitive, especially given what had happened last week.  A friend of mine, who uses a black backpack (unfortunately), was detained by station agent to speak with BART Police because someone had reported him!  He is Caucasian, but what he did that triggered suspicion was he placed his heavy backpack on one of the circular "seats" on the BART platform, to give himself a break, as he walked 3 feet away to stretch.

An elderly man immediately reporter him!  I don't blame him-- he was doing his due diligence especially given last week's horrific events.  But are we all under scrutiny??

Separately, I've surfed Twitter for other complaints of over-sensitivity on #SFBART and found a couple incidences where racial profiling allegedly occurred.

This is the Bay Area.  We are the shining example of multi-ethnicity, tolerance and melting pot.  If it's happening here, I can only imagine how awful it is everywhere else in the US.  I believe there have been at least 6 racially charged beatings reported by news outlets, and that's just me counting by how many I actually read.  I'm sure there are much more reported and unreported!!

I pray for our safety, and our country's safety but for me at least, the increased racial profiling is a concern.  I do my part by learning and reciting facts to dispel ignorance and stereotyping when I hear it.  I was, after all, an Ethnic Studies and Political Science major at UC Berkeley...racial politics is of personal interest to me!

Have you heard or seen any racially-charged incidents lately due to the Boston events?

POLL: Should BART add more trains during commute hours?

I am sure that I'm not the only person who has been feeling the train over-crowding during commute hours.  The 8:14 and 8:24 trains from Orinda heading to SFO have become unbearably packed with hardly room to stand.  A typical 30 minute ride has turned into 40 due to how long it takes for people to find and readjust their standing position, and how long it takes for the doors to close.

What exactly is max capacity?  Shouldn't there be a safety standard?  Have BART officials actually tried taking the train amidst the most crowded hours to get a taste for what it feels like?

I've seen shorter women fall over due to lack of lower handle bar space to hold.  I've seen people hitting  faces unintentionally with their hand bags or backpacks.  Sweat, sneezes, coughs are often shared and transferred due to a new level of "closeness" between passengers.

Please answer the poll on the right and let everyone know if you believe BART should increase the number of trains during commute hours.

UPDATE: Poll tool did not work from day 1.  Every vote forced a reset.  Huge apologies!  BART lucked out this time!  Didn't they??!!

New downtown stations? Can't come soon enough!

Did you guys read the news?  http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/matier-ross/article/BART-considers-rebuilding-2-SF-stations-4267383.php

Embarcadero and Montgomery stations are on track for a $900 million expansion, complete with new tunnels, elevators and extra platforms to boost rider capacity.  That's great news considering almost daily, around 5:15pm, the platforms are so crowded that the passenger lines have to wind around in circles, causing a back-up at the bottom of the escalator as people pour into the station.  I've seen people trip and fall due to the back-up since they have no where to step when the escalators come to an end.

What do you think about this upgrade?

SFO route, full of non-commuters

Yes, that is a very obvious statement, one might say. And it's a validation that the SFO direct line is a success. I use it to get to not only SFO but nearby meeting destinations.

It's how I know that the route is full of non-commuters that will be the point of this post. The suitcases give that away? Of course but that's a given. It's the behavior and demeanor that I find to be the most humorous clues that someone is a non-commuter.

They don't ever have their ticket or pass ready in advance. They block the left side of the escalators. They ask every other station which station is this. They enter the train asking...this the airport train (or this the SF train depending in which direction). They hold train doors open or are shocked when they close. They give money to homeless. And of course, they put suitcases on top of seats even when it's crowded.

I don't mind. As long as they don't delay my ride home. I applaud that SFO line has become so mainstream and it's taken many cars off the crowded freeways! Heck, I'd much rather deal with BART newbies than tourists on 80!

Now...if only we can get MORE frequent SFO trains!

P.S. I very endearingly dedicate this post to my boss who almost fit in as a BART commuter last week!

Nothing wakes you up better on a Monday morning

Than a huge whiff of the overpowering urine scent as I exit the Montgomery Station. In an effort to minimize breathing in the scent, I hold my breath as I jog up the stairs (hey, the year is young, resolutions still in tact!) I end up having to take in a little air before I make it in my building but didn't realize at the same time that I had stepped into a puddle of pee.

What a splendid way to start the day. Happy Monday, all.

Prayers, condolences and thoughts

Today, I am a mother above all other roles.  I take it for granted that when I say goodbye to my son each day during drop-off, I will see him back in my arms again later in the day.  Like all over you, I am heart-broken and sickened by the sinister act of violence that took place in Newtown, Connecticut today.  While nothing I say or do will help those grieving parents, family of the brave faculty members, and the traumatized children who've had to witness the events, I do want to give my thoughts and condolences.

It's been an emotional day.  This enlarging string of violence in our country needs to somehow come to an end.  

God Bless America.

5 things you REALLY should do in your own bathroom

I understand that we are sometimes in a rush in the mornings and perhaps didn't get all of our primping and grooming in at home. But there are a few people who take that too far. They have no shame and have zero regard for the rest of us who must endure their selfish and often unsanitary acts. Here are five things that must be forbidden on the train:

 #1 Do not floss on the train. I don't want to see or be in close contact with anything from anyone's mouth.

 #2 Do not style your hair with hairspray while on train. The rest of us do not want hairspray in our faces!

 #3 Do not paint your nails! BART already smells bad enough. We do not need nail polished in tight quarter! It stinks, please do it at home.

 #4 Men, don't shave with your electric razors on BART. It's loud and it's annoying.

 And the one other thing I absolutely cannot tolerate on BART is.....

 #5 DO NOT CLIP YOUR NAILS!!! That has to be the most disgusting act on the train. Seeing the clipping flick off in all directions. It is sickening! If only people would follow these rules....

Happy Belated Birthday to BART

If you don't know already from all the signs decorating the stations, this is BART's 40th year. I am still deciding if that's something worth celebrating or that's confirming that BART is long overdue for a makeover and upgrade. 40 years of wear on the tracks; 40 years of stains and spills on the seats and carpet; and 40 years of skin tissues and dander on the cushions, among other things. But the truth of it is, we are all better off because we have BART as a commute option. (No, no one paid me to say this.) I recently had to drive to San Carlos for work from Orinda and the 3 hours roundtrip gave me plenty of time to think through all the benefits BART brings to commuters. Not only does BART save time, it's probably saved plenty of hairs on my head as well, since I am not constantly tugging at it due to traffic frustrations! So, for the moment, all criticisms aside, Happy 40th anniversary, BART!

Bikes on BART today! Did you mind it?

If you didn't know, BART has been testing public reaction to a pilot that allows bikes on trains. A few thoughts I have there:

First, while I know why they are doing it Friday, it significantly skews results because Fridays are light for bikers and non-bikers. I haven't seen a single bike today so of course my reaction is....no negative impact, totally OK.

Second, it's rarely the actual bike (well, sometimes) that passengers can't stand. It's the biker and how he or she handles the bicycle in the train. Some know to line it to the side as quickly as possible or just not enter when it is packed to the door, others feel they have the right of way and will jam on your feet to get themselves positioned.

So, don't forget to share you feedback today but incorporate your reaction to train conditions on any other days when you share the train with bikes, and not just today, a light happy Friday!

Have a great weekend all!!

Question: Would you rather sit next to a homeless or stand?

This question has been on my mind for a couple days now. Call me weird, but I prefer to stand, even when exhausted and jam-packed in a tight train, than to sit next to a homeless man. This has happened a few times. You spot an empty seat, but see people standing around it, you think you've won the lottery by getting a seat, only to see just WHY it was empty! Let me clarify, the homeless man smelled heavily of alcohol and human waste. The seat was left empty for 3 stops, then a woman bravely took it. The homeless man stretched his arms open and hit her in the face. She cringed but remained seated. What would you do?? Take the empty seat next to the homeless man or stand? **This marks BART Musings' 600th post!! Thanks everyone for sticking with me and hearing my rants!

Escalators shutdown due to excessive human waste

After years of complaining about the smells around the Civic Center station, and more recently with a job change, the Powell Station, it is confirmed that there is, in fact, plenty of daily human waste being let out at the escalators and surrounding area. When a friend shared this SFGate article on Facebook today, I knew exactly which stations they are talking about!! I've heard it, smelled it and seen it for years! BART spokesperson Jim Allison says that BART officials must witness the action to cite. I, along with many other colleagues, have seen it happen plenty of times. I've seen fresh urine dripping down escalators and stairs from the top. Now if only BART police is present more often?!? I've seen feces piled up in a corner, I've seen pee, puke, you name it. It's not that hard to witness...just hangout near the exits during 8-9am when most of the homeless occupants wake up. There is a later crowd (the drunk ones) that wake up past 9:30am...follow them, and you will find the way!

BART Service and Maintenance Quality at ALL TIME LOW

Matier and Ross posted something disturbing but not surprising on SFGate yesterday. There are currently 28 BART escalators out of service and many have been out of service for more than 3 months. The escalator that I frequent in Powell Station has been out of service for at least 2 months. It's sitting there collecting layers of fallen leaves, trash, urine, you name it. This is ridiculous!! I've seen people with large suitcases having to lift their load upwards step by step and people with injuries or disabilities grimacing in pain as they walked up or down the stairs. BART is so poorly managed and views customer service as a low priority, if a priority at all. Just the other day, there was a turnstile with a jammed ticket (one of two open turnstiles during prime commute hours), and no booth agent in sight for at least 5 minutes to help fix the machine. Lines getting through the ticket turnstile became enormous. And is it too much to ask for the booth agents to actually politely answer a question from a tourist?? If you're working at the Powell Station, EXPECT tourists to ask questions about where to go. It is part of the job. Don't just point to the map! You are an agent, you provide service, so put in some effort to actually help someone from out of town. Enough griping for now but this is just another example of how poor service is on BART.

Another reason why we need plastic seats

What is this? Only a couple things come to mind and neither are pleasant to imagine. We badly need plastic seats on BART so we can avoid close contact with bodily fluids (or whatever it is) of any kind.

New BART seats

I finally had a chance to ride in these highly anticipated non-cloth seats that could be wiped down every so often and doesn't collect stains, dander, fluids, you name it.

My two cents? They may be hideous but they are undoubtedly more sanitary. When there is a serious passenger violation, I can whip out my bottle of Purell and do my own sanitization.

The designer, however, needs to be fired!! Look at these hideous colors!?

Hope these seats will make BART and the permanent scent a bit more bearable.

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

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

More Dogs on BART

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

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

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

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

Another BART Irony

Thinking I'll start a series of short posts simply on BART ironies. Today, 2 of 3 turnstiles had a handwritten "NO CLIPPER" paper over the Clipper card sensors. Only, it wasn't just today, these signs have been there since last Tuesday, more than a week ago. Those of us who use Clipper cards had to form a long line to get through using the only working turnstile.

Why should commuters ditch BART tickets for Clipper cards when BART can't even get a sensor fixed in a timely manner? Just ironic given how hard BART has been pushing Clippers.

I wonder if the turnstiles will still be broken tomorrow-- somehow, I'm thinking YES.

Would you confront a high, belligerent passenger on BART?

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

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

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

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

What would you have done?

Monday Pet Peeves

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Look what greeted me as I walked onto the train this morning?

First of all, one of my many 2012 new year resolution....to update this blog more often! BART is never boring....I see and hear things everyday but I need to do a better job of jotting down my observations here!

So, we all know BART seats are disgusting. But this photo I snapped today really says it all. Whoever did this must have had QUITE a breakfast! I wonder who they'll clean it off. We know they won't be disinfecting the seats so I guess we all need to be careful to avoid any seats with stains. Oh wait, that is ALL the seats! Perhaps I shouldn't complain when I need to stand on BART...probably more sanitary.

Apologies for this graphic photo but wanted to make a point here! It doesn't get too much worse than this.

Just when I thought I've seen it all

We, the BART commuters, experience a lot of unpleasant things on BART. Whether it's rudeness, crazies, sweaty passengers, nail clippings, or food leftovers, we hold our noses, in most cases, bite our tongue and endure the 30+ minute ride.

Just when I thought I've seen it all, I experienced something for the first time. HAIRSPRAY! A woman not only did her make-up on BART but decided to do her hair on BART too. She was spraying her aerosol can like she's killing ants with Raid. She sprayed up, down, right left...the entire half of the train smelled like cheap hairspray.

I was sitting behind her, lucky me!! I fanned my magazine as furiously as I could. Other passengers turned the opposite from her. One even choked and coughed. Then, she walked up at 12th Street Station and left.

Wow. Excessive hairspray-ing on BART! That's a first!

Monday greets me with a vengeance

We all love Mondays, especially when it's dark and drizzly, which is the case today. It fires up everyone's already grumpy mood just a bit more.

And of course, a string of events during my morning commute made my Monday BART ride even more detestable. Here they are in chronological order for your amusement!

1) A couple who decided to share one remaining seat and also show their (physical) affections to the whole train.
2) Seeing a homeless man urinate inside the BART station while he is pretending to talk on the pay phone as distraction. At least he tried to hide it!
3) Being trapped behind two side by side smokers on the up escalator and getting smoke all over my face. I was a few passengers behind them but no matter, the smoke was in my face for a good 15 seconds as we all rode up the escalator.
4) Being invaded by a group of tourists who were lost going to different destinations. One after another, they asked me which way to the cable car, which way to Pier 39, which way to Farmer's Market, which way to Mission District. I was very friendly for the first couple tourists but after awhile, I started pointing people to my best guess and figured they'll have someone else to ask when they're lost again.
5) Having my building entrance be blocked by delivery crates for CVS (which is next door.) I couldn't even squeeze through and had to patiently watch them remove the crates, which took about a few minutes.
6) Oh, before I forget, at the Orinda station, I walked up just as the train doors closed and had to wait 5 more minutes.


I hope the rest of the week will be better! And let's hope the sun comes out soon. Happy Monday everyone.

Pick-up lines on BART

I've seen magic happen on BART, I really have. If you've read my blog for quite some time, you might recall the story of the sweet couple who first fell in love on BART. Well, I don't know if they are still together, but I've witnessed who they've started talking to each other on the train.

While magic happens, plenty of underwhelming pick-up attempts happen as well. I've talked about the guy who pretended that he loves knitting and the guy who freaked a women out by forcing her to sit in his vacated seat.

One very consistent pick-up strategy that surely almost always leads to no good is the foreign language "hello." What am I talking about? This is one that Asian or Latino women on BART sometimes experience. A man thinks he's impressing you by saying "hello" to you in what he thinks is your native language. Now, there are a few things wrong with that thinking. First, just say hello, we understand English. Secondly, just because we look one way doesn't mean we understand what you're trying to say. I know this is totally innocent but for the sake of the blog, do allow me to elaborate.

This has happened to me a few times. Here's the most recent example. A man comes up to me and says hello to me in Korean. I'm Taiwanese American but I've heard the Korean greeting enough times to recognize it. I politely acknowledge him with a faint smile and look down at my phone again. He then interrupts, I said hello to you in Korean. I said, I know, I'm not Korean, I'm Taiwanese American. He insists further, no way, are you sure you're not Korean? I have a lot of Korean friends and you definitely look Korean. At this point, my patience is extremely thin and I found his ignorance (likely innocent) and lack of tact awfully annoying. I could say so many things at this point but simply replied, yes, I'm sure that I'm not Korean and walked away. In the past, one man actually said to me, "oh, I love Thai food" when I told him that I'm Taiwanese American and not what he thinks I am.

I've heard this scenario a few times on BART with different women and it's pretty funny. Some respond flat out that you don't need to say hola, I can speak English, others completely ignore the attempt.

Just one more random thing to keep me entertained on BART when my Twitterfeed isn't working.

And you wonder why I hold my breath in the BART stations

Glad to know that BART is finally removing asbestos in the stations but didn't know until that point that the stations were caked with toxic paint.  Lovely.  Now I am really glad that I make a point to take a huge breath of air before entering the stations everyday.  Even if that did nothing to minimize any toxins I sucked in, I know it at least saved me from smelling the odors and bodily fluids that permeate the stations. 

No need to bond over Angry Birds

I usually spend my BART ride going through my twitter feed but whenever we're in no Internet zones, I get bored and sometimes whip out Angry Birds. I'm not obsessed with it but I do expect myself to pass at least one level at each sitting, but lately, in the more advanced rounds, I haven't been able to do so.

Anyhow, I was playing Angry Birds and struggling with a level. I knew the man next to me was looking, I could feel his breathing and unfortunately got a few whiffs of his breath. Coffee + cigarette make a bad breath combo. I ignored his staring. I tried to angle my phone so he can't see.

Then, one more failed attempt at the same level, he says, "What you need to do is hit higher first and get those blocks to roll down and hit in both directions, here let me show you." He reaches for my phone.

I did NOT want him to talk to me about Angry Birds in the middle of a crowded train and even worse, I did NOT need him to touch my phone and demonstrate it for me.

I politely said, as I moved my phone into my purse, "Oh it's OK, I'm just wasting time, I should be reading up on work stuff." I pulled out an old copy of PR Week and pretended to be engrossed thereafter.

Was I out of line??? Did I need to socialize over Angry Birds there? I am not that social on BART, I could be in the right situations, but I really did not need to make a big deal out of a game in public, and have him put his fingers all over my screen.

Powell Station construction

Does anyone know what type of work they are doing in Powell Station? Half of the walkway paths have been taped and bordered off, leaving the homeless and performers battling for limite territory. Whatever work they are doing is cutting off air supply in the station and you can smell the urine much more strongly every morning.

Are they building stores? Updating fixtures? Whatever it is, I hope the completion comes sooner rather than later. Unlike New Yorkers, people in SF don't know how to walk quickly and efficiently in one direction or the other. Here, we have a lot of people who walk leisurely in the stations, looking around left and right as if they are strolling in a park. Or, we have friends who walk in a row blocking foot traffic from both directions.

Yes, call me impatient, that's fine, I am impatient while in commute mode :)

The X-rated 5:30am crowd at Powell Station

I had to come into the office much earlier than usual this morning to present for a prospect in Chicago. Th early morning crowd outside and around Powell Station are not quite what I expected. I didn't know what to expect since most of the business crowd got off at Embarcadero and Montgomery, and Powell Station doesn't start buzzing until 8am, but wow....it was quite an experience.

First, it was interesting to see how many homeless are able to use Powell Station as their overnight sleeping hub-- I'm glad, they do no harm and at least the station is arm.

Once I got on the escalator to street level, I noticed a homeless man, not 100% sane, following me up. He started screaming, "Take off your jacket for me, baby, come on. It's not that cold out there, baby, take it off, take off your jacket, it's ok."

What the hell?? I dashed up the escalators as quickly as I could as he continued screaming his request.

I ran into the Coffee Bean to retrieve some much needed morning caffeine to pump up my energy before my presentation. Only to run into yet another obscene screamer telling me to "**ck off, you hear me, **ck you, **ck the world, yes you, look at me when I'm talking to you, **ck you."

I then walked half a block towards the office and saw at least half a dozen pee puddles (trust me, you can smell it.) Now i know why the businesses on Market Street must hose down the sidewalk every morning!!! I thank them for it!!

Interesting experience to say the least. I much rather prefer homeless who just ask me for money so they can buy a pack of cigarettes!!

When your ticket is denied...

If your BART ticket is denied at the turnstile, please don't think that you have the right to cut to the next turnstile over, in front of everyone else, and get your ticket denied yet again because there isn't enough amount left to get you through! You can try ALL the turnstiles and it still will not let you pass.

Please, do us all a favor, go back to the ticket machine and add the appropriate amount, and not frantically cut in front of everyone else lining up because you think it's the machine's fault, and not yours!

Just a tip. Thank you!

Should they get a seat?? You tell me!

You tell me if these people deserve seats???  They each asked someone to give up their seats, and one even asked for a non-disabled designated seat!

Scenarios:
1) a young woman has what looks to be a wrist bandage for a bad scrape or cut.  Yes or no?
2) an older woman, maybe in 50s, who is young enough to go to work still.  Yes or no?
3) an older man, gray haired, carrying a fold up bike.  Looks fit. Yes or no?
4) an overweight young man who needed two seats.  Yes or no?
5) a woman who appeared to be pregnant, if so, not that far along, but can just be stomach fat.  Yes or no?

All these passengers asked for a seat and everyone complied but not without stares.  I gave my seat up personally for #5 only because I've preached the need for pregnant women in final trimester to sit on BART.  However in this case, I really had to give her the benefit of the doubt.  Oh well, standing won't hurt me but it sure is torture on a crowded train.

The "Excuse Me" man is alive and well

Do you guys know who I'm referring to? The "Excuse Me" man? He's been around for many years but good to know (I think) that after my long break from BART, he is still doing his thing. What's his thing you ask? Basically, he goes from train car to train car, screaming "excuse me!!" at passengers even if they are far from being in his way.

If you ignore him, he keeps screaming "excuse me!!" in your face, but if you look shocked, scared, or just acknowledge him with a stare, he moves on to scream at a passenger 5 feet from you.

He didn't scream "excuse me!" at me but he did scream at a woman sitting a few feet from me, and a man standing across from me.

Maybe one day I should just ask him why he does that?? He's an older man, usually wearing a beat up t-shirt that is way too small for him, long white hair, and appears to be a little bit mentally unstable.

Have you seen him lately??

Hot weather + Food = Miserable BART commute

Things haven't changed much on BART and the stations, despite staying away from it for a year and half. What did I expect really? That suddenly there will be cleaner trains, more considerate passengers, cleaner stations, and better temperature control?? Yeah right.

A few observations that stuck out this week:

1) Is it really that tough to turn on the AC when its 80-90 degrees outside? Especially when you have less than 6 inches of space between your head and the next head.

2) I've noticed that more people take dinners to-go on BART. They're not eating it, but it doesn't matter! Whether it's pizza, pasta or gourmet burger, every food item on BART stinks and it's unbearable when mixed in with the musky scent of hot, sweaty passengers and the 30 years of dander on those nasty BART seats. Can they please just buy food to-go near home? It'll be fresher and hotter for the family!

3) Isn't Clipper supposed to make it easier for passengers? I've had to stand behind several confused Clipper owners this week who can't get it to work. That's fine, no big deal, but step aside if there's no solution to the problem. Don't repeat the action over and over while a line is congregating behind you.

That's it for now! Happy to be back on BART for this one reason....BARTMusings.com is back alive again :)

Saving seats??

I knew it was only a matter of time before I found material to write. Day 2 of my return to daily BART riding and I knew the "honeymoon" stage was short-lived. 

In a fairly crowded train, I find an empty seats amidst a sea of heads.  I get myself there and ask if I may sit down.

There was a lunch bag and a huge backpack on top of the empty seat.  The man in the other seat looks at me and said....sorry I'm saving this seat for my friend who gets on at Rockridge station.

What??  Saving a seat?  You can't do that on BART!  This isn't the movie theater, people.

I said, well, I'll sit there until your friend finds you.

We just past Rockridge and the 'friend' is nowhere to be seen.

Rule people: seats are first come, first serve, except with priority to disabled, elderly, pregnant women and found children.  In my book, at least.

BART Parking Vendor, ParkingCarma, much improved than I last remembered

6 more days until BART becomes a daily routine again for me, with one SIGNIFICANT difference...I get off now at Powell instead of Civic Center. You all know how much I 'loved' the character of CC. Well, I won't miss it and will instead look forward to a much more pleasant scenery outside of Powell Station.

Anyhow, I'm not signing up for monthly permit at Orinda Station and unfortunately, I'm 376 on the waitlist! Goodness! I guess I'll have to pay daily permit rate until the 375 people ahead of me get their space first. Geez. Through this parking purchase process, however, I realized how much ParkingCarma, BART's parking vendor has improved since the last time I've written about them. Now I can sign up for the waitlist with one click, and customize my vehicles and parking lots with a much more intuitive interface. About time! I can pay and print with one click too. That's going to make my life easier since I'll need to print/buy daily permits until I'm off the waitlist.

I can't believe I'm saying this but I am looking forward to taking BART again, primarily because of this blog and how much I've missed interacting with fellow BART riders here and on Twitter.

Returning soon to the good 'ol days on BART

This 7 year old blog has nearly died in the past year and a half as I've taken a long break from riding BART. To tell you the truth, after nearly a decade of commuting via BART, I had reached a point where I just could not stand the scent, crowds, rudeness and unpredictability anymore.

In about three weeks, I've got no other options but to take BART daily again and happy to say that I'm excited to revamp BARTMusings.com.

The first and major change is to finally come out of anonymity. No need to hide who I am anymore. I'm a huge Giants fan, 49ers fan and UCLA fan (even though my alma mater is Cal;) I am a big supporter of animal rights; I'm a career and family woman; I'm in a mid-30s; I work in tech (like mostly everyone else) and I *think* I know wines.

Stay tuned...Monday, June 13th, BARTMusings shall re-enter the crazy world of peoplewatching, eavesdropping, controversy seeking on BART.

Countdown begins now...

Are you kidding me? A pro-Mehserle rally?

Apparently, there is a pro-Mehserle/pro-law enforcement rally going on next week in Walnut Creek. It may be well intended but this is a recipe for disaster! If the "anarchists" choose to express their opposition to this rally, I won't count on the Walnut Creek PD to handle the looters and rioters. They just don't have the experience and hands-on training to deal with violence.

And why Walnut Creek? Because Mehserle is from the area? Also, the verdict has already been handed out. Isn't it enough that the jury decided that Mehserle's actions were unintentional and not premeditated?? Why incite more anger into those who believed otherwise by holding a rally?

There are so many other ways these folks can show their "support" for Mehserle and other accused cops....why a public rally??

I hope I'm wrong on this.

What's the most disgusting thing you've seen in SF (or while riding BART)?

Interesting blog post here from SFGate. Definitely made me think back to all the various disgusting things I've witnessed while waiting for the shuttle connection near Civic Center BART station.

I can make a long list here but instead, I've somehow selected the three worst observations and here they are!

#3 Homeless man lying in his own urine

#2 The poor dog of a homeless man licking up blood from bird carcass on the sidewalk

#1 Pigeons fighting over a pile of human feces

Got worse ones? Please share!

BART's unanticipated 4.5 million surplus?

Michael Cabanatuan of the Chronicle reported on BART's 4.5 million surplus and how some Board members want to give something back to customers by reducing fares. Very well-intended but I'd much rather have the money go into upgrading trains, maintaining basic bathroom standards and improving handicapped accessibility.

Johannes Merserle jury questionnaire

This trial has come to represent something much more than it should, in my opinion. It should be focused on the underlying issue which is...Did the officer intentionally kill Oscar Grant? Were Grant's actions threatening at the time? If so, is force by the officer (even a taser) justified?

Why does race even need to be in play here? And why is Oscar Grant being painted as a hero/martyr? I don't know all the facts but before I form a personal decision on this trial, I need to know what (if anything) prompted the officer to pull out what he thought was a taser? If Grant was already pinned down, and unable to move aggressively in any way, Merserle should not even use a taser to contain him.

Check out this questionnaire, courtesy of SFGate.


-- Have you ever written a letter to the editor?

-- List any subject matter or genre in reading materials, television programs or movies that you try to avoid.

-- Do you consider yourself an expert on any subject?

-- Have you ever considered working in law enforcement?

-- Have you, friends or relatives ever had a gun pointed at you or them, or been frightened by a gun?

-- Have you ever visited someone in a jail, prison or juvenile detention facility, or have you ever been incarcerated?

-- Have you or anyone close to you ever had a bad experience with a police officer?

-- What should be done to reduce crime?

-- Do police officers lie? If yes, how often?

-- Do you understand the charges are not evidence?

-- Could you fire a gun in self-defense?

-- Should police officers be treated differently than civilians if they break the law?

-- Will the fact that a white police officer shot and killed a black man make it difficult for you to be a fair and impartial juror in this case?

-- Do you have an opinion as to whether racial discrimination is a problem in Oakland?

-- If you are selected as a juror in this case, do you anticipate any negative reactions by friends or family if you find the defendant guilty? If you find the defendant not guilty?

The final question is:

-- Would you like to serve on this jury? Why?

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/crime/detail?entry_id=64785#ixzz0pit0S3Tg

"BART's capital outlook is sobering"

Matthew Roth from SF Chronicle outlines why. "Staff said the agency faces a projected $6.8 billion shortfall of capital funding needs over the next 25 years, a stat that is consistent with other transit operators around the region."

Read full article here.

Kenton Rainey - A good choice?

Kenton Rainey will likely begin his post as BART police chief on June 1. Is it just a move to appease public opinion? Or is he a man who has proven that he represents both racial sensitivity and impartiality in policy and enforcement?

The last thing I want is a BART police chief who allows enforcement to suffer due to over sensitivity to BART's poor image. The aftermath of the Oscar Grant situation is certainly NOT the only problem that Rainey needs to rectify and while racial sensitivity is critical, general station safety concerns still needs to be addressed. For example, why is it OK for people to smoke marijuana and drink at the Civic Center station when BART police officers are less than 15 steps away? Also, why can't BART police effectively get rid of a drunken homeless man who screams obscenities at passengers right in front of their face? Is that not a valid concern?? I know it's been reported multiple times to them, yet why does this man keep coming back??

I hope Rainey is the right man for the job but we won't know until at least end of year.

What are your thoughts on Kenton Rainey??

BART/Foursquare users, I want to hear from you!!

I found this survey result interesting and am curious in interviewing BART riders who are regular Foursquare users to dig a little deeper. If you fit the profile and have a few minutes to spare, please email me at bartmusings@gmail.com

Thanks!

6 Reasons why BART Musing has been on hold...

1) Work has gotten very very busy this year with a shrinking team and it's been tough to find time to jot down my thoughts

2) Admittedly, I've been lazy about taking BART-- sometimes, when traffic is lighter, I (shamefully) contribute to the air pollution and drive :( I think I just needed a break from BART.

3) Traffic in this rainy year has been bad but BART in the rain is possibly worse, so I've been commuting in off hours more often.

4) Receiving some extremely hateful emails around the time of BART strike was another huge blow and sort of sucked the enthusiasm out of me for a few months after

5) Sometimes, it's tough to write about something I haven't written about. This blog has been running for 5 years and I feel like I've seen just about everything on BART, but that's not true, the people on and around BART and Civic Center station NEVER ceases to amaze me.

6) I'm planning to revamp this blog some time soon as the BART culture is evolving too with Four Square and other social networks!! It's time to get out of the 2000s and get ON to 2010s!

I know I need to earn back the readership after being on hiatus forever--- stay tuned, because as Arnold says...."I'll be BACK!"

:)

Found hairs on my coat

Just had to write quickly about this. I know my hair length, texture and color. I found 3 strands of hairs: one thin blond hair, one curly red hair, and one short thick white hair stuck on the back of my gray wool pea coat. I'm fairly certain they came from the seats on BART because that's the only time/place I wear a thick coat-- to work in the mornings. Time to hit the dry cleaners.

Should a station agent assist a vision-impaired man??

That should be a pretty simple question. The logical answer, of course, would be YES! But believe it or not, a man who is blind or vision-impaired loudly asked for assistance near the station agent's window. The station agent saw him but did not run out to assist. The vision-impaired man continued to ask for help, and finally, I, along with another passenger helped direct him towards the exit.

Perhaps the station agent was busy with some critical work? Maybe he didn't see the cane and didn't recognize that the man could not see? But wouldn't the agent offer help to a passenger pleading for assistance?

What is the job of the station agent? We all know they do not give change (so says their sign) and they love to point to the BART route map whenever someone asks them a question. They manage the station to some degree, I'm guessing?

I'd love to know what they do exactly and what qualities BART looks for in a station agent?? We already know that they make a good salary based on the salary reports-- but what do they do for us?

Bad mistake-- chose to drive over BART, and out of gas!

I had an early meeting that I joined by phone from home and by the time I was done, it was around 9:45am. I could have taken BART but with the limited shuttle connection that ends at 10am, I didn't want to deal with a bus or pay for a taxi, so I thought I should drive into SF instead. Without traffic, my ride across the bridge is 23 minutes, not bad! But today, with the heavy fog, the bridge traffic was even worse than indicated on 511.org, which generously marked the flow as yellow to red. It was more like black all the way until after the toll.

To make things worse, I thought I had 2 bars of gas left on my Prius but for some DARN reason, 2 bars went to flashing zero warning within 3 minutes. This never happens, it must be another Toyota malfunction, even though our model year was not recalled. What the heck????

I had to jam my way to the West Grand exit and find the nearest (not so close!) gas station with my husband's help over the phone since the GPS was down.

Finally, with gas, the bridge traffic was even worse. All in all, it took me over 70 minutes today to get to SF.

Looking back, I should have just taken BART, and pay for the $5 taxi ride.

So lame...

When you know you are too sick to ride BART

5) When you are sneezing so much that you need to use your sleeves to wipe up the drips under your nose every few minutes.
4) When you have an eye infection and your eyes are red with sticky discharges
3) When you are sucking snot and fluids back into your nose every 3 seconds
2) When your chest is so congested that each cough sounds like a small 2.0 earthquake and produces phlegm that you need to spit out or swallow back
1) When continuous strings of coughs from you prompts passengers next to you to ask you if you need the paramedics...which is what I saw today!!!

Please, all, stay home if you are contagious and ill. Work from home or call in sick if you can.

Flooding and broken escalators at Civic Center Station and

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

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

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

Have fun!

Pants Liberation Front - No Pants 2010 Project?

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

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

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

iBART LIVE iPhone app: Expensive but cool

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

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

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

BART Parking Vendor is AWFUL!!!

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

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

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

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

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

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


I'll keep you posted on this!

New Poll: BART OAK Extension

Now that the BART Board of Directors have approved to go ahead with the OAK Extension (estimated completion in 2013), time to hear your thoughts? Do you think it's a good idea? Vote now!

BART sanitizer dispenser empty!

Budget cuts or just an increasing caution amidst flu season? Perhaps it was broken? Whatever it was, the sanitizer dispenser was on empty. I don't use it often but I had forgotten my bottle of Purell and decided to try it out for the first time. To my surprise, nothing came out. Perhaps it was just put there by BART to pretend they care about H1N1? Joking. I'll be trying again before my next BART ride-- hope they will refill soon. Maybe with union contracts, they are only allowed to refill within a certain amount of time otherwise it would require overtime pay? Ha, joking again.

Pick-up line of the day on BART

People generally don't chat with each other on BART, so when one strikes a conversation, my ears perk up. After all, it is my job as the writer of BART Musings to share with you all interesting things I see/hear during my commute, right??

A man, likely in his early 30s, was sort of looking at a woman, also likely in her 30s. She's cute, well-dressed and busy knitting. And because she was preoccupied with knitting, she wasn't aware that this man was totally checking her out. He sure didn't hide it. Then, there was some passenger movement in the train due to a stop at the MacArthur station, and he ended up standing next to her seat.

He then said to her, "I always thought knitting was one of the hardest things to do. How did you learn it?" She then said something about how she picked it up from friends, looked away and continued knitting. Then, he said, "Wow, that's so impressive. I'd love to see some of the things you've knitted some time."

Urgh, I felt bad for her. She said, "Oh, I don't have it with me. It's really not that hard."

The man should have taken that as a hint and just stop talking but he said, "No, it's really impressive. You look like you're really good at it too."

She smiled and looked down again. There really was nothing left for him to say after that, so he finally took the hint.

What to do with one empty seat and 8 people staring at it?

Interesting situation on the train this am. One seat opened up and there were at least 8 of us looking at it. Not that this means anything but I was the only female amongst 7+ men. No seniors, pregnant women or physically handicapped passengers in sight. 3 seconds have past and no one stepped towards the seat. Finally, I walked toward it and sat down. Then I hear two guys chuckling, "I guess she feels entitled."

What the heck?? Any of them could have taken the seat!!! I waited 3 seconds, I didn't take the seat because I'm female, I took it because if I didn't, someone new entering the train will!

I didn't yell back at them but I did turn my head and give a not so nice stare. If they wanted the seat, why don't they go then?? GEEZ!

No complaints...for now!

With reports indicating the state jobless rate at yet another record high of 12.5%, makes me think twice about complaining about BART, my shuttle mis-connections, and the worsening parking situation. At least I have a job to commute to, right?

While I shall remain appreciative that I'm not one of the 12.5% Californians that are unemployed, my temporary no complaint policy (**along with the jobless rate news, I am also about to head into a one week vacation, so I'm in an extra great mood) will likely cease after the Thanksgiving holiday, once I head back to work.

With that, I want to wish everyone a very happy Thanksgiving!! We all have much to be thankful for.

New Poll: BART Parking!

I'm noticing that BART parking has become an issue even in the reserved lot! Curious what everyone else is experiencing with BART parking?

Do not hold the train doors open!!

As many commenters suggested, I really should have included this in the top 5 etiquette blog! How could I have forgotten?!?!

I don't care if your friend or wife is just running up the escalator-- when the doors need to be shut, they need to be shut!!! Some passengers just don't realize the consequences when these archaic doors get jammed! It could cause a delay up to 10 minutes when these doors need to be fixed by a technician.

Someone held open the doors this morning as it was closing to squeeze in. Luckily, the train operator was open to close/open a few times to get it working normally again. This passengers was then scolded by the T.O. over the speakers-- GOOD! Glad that he was called out like that! He got so many stares in our train car that he walked over to the next one.

Hey BART Newbies! Learn these rules of etiquette on BART

Daily BART commuters understand and abide by some unsaid rules on BART. It is very easy for us to spot who the newbies are. Now, don't be offended, take this lightly, you'll learn!

The past couple of days have really tested our patience, not just because of the crowds and lack of parking but also because of the disruption in etiquette and routine. There are many rules on BART but here are the top five than you must follow immediately to avoid dirty looks, curses or much worse:

1) Please keep to the RIGHT on the escalator if you choose to stand instead of walk up or down. If you feel like getting some exercise, or are in a rush, then take the left side on the escalator!

2) Whether on the right or left side of the escalator, NEVER come to a sudden halt just because you are near the end of the ride. When you suddenly put on the brakes, people in back of you will run into you, causing a domino effect. Keep walking when the escalator ends and continue walking on the floor.

3) AlWAYS have your BART ticket handy BEFORE you arrive in front of the ticket gates. Do not hold the lines but digging for your ticket in your purse, computer bag, wallet, pocket..etc.

4) Do not block the train doors when people need to enter the train. Step slightly outside of the train if you have to and let people in! The train will not leave without you. Not that close.

5) There's no need to make your way to the train door 2 minutes before your station, especially not in a crowded train. Your pushing and shoving prior to arrival make everyone around you extremely uncomfortable. There are others that will exit with you-- you will be able to get out!

I just read that the Bay Bridge will reopen by commute hours tomorrow am so newbies probably won't need to use these for awhile. Keep these handy just in case the bridge closes again (hopefully a scheduled closure, not a sudden breakdown!)

BART over-crowded due to Bay Bridge shut down-- my nightmare commute today

Where do I even begin? First, the parking situation! Everyone probably purchased a one day reserved parking pass and there were no spaces left by the time I got there! Good thing I set aside some extra time to circle the vicinity and found 3/4 of a space that I managed to squeeze into. My doors have little dents already so what's one more?? Then, the dangerously crowded platform. It was chaotic. Lines were forming from all directions.

By the time the train arrived, it was already max capacity. In the specific car I was lined up in front of, all 12-15 of us managed to squeeze on. Keep in mind that Orinda is usually not that crowded! I was practically hugging the woman in front of me-- thank goodness she was clean and pleasant, and even told me that if I needed to, I can grab on to her arms or her gym bag.

Every station was packed. The train got to be ridiculously over capacity but passengers kept on rolling in. To make things worse, it was stop and go the whole way. At the 30 minute mark (typically I'd arrive at CC station in 30 minutes), we were only at 19th Street.

Infrequent BART riders got up at 19th Street Station thinking that was Embarcadero, which caused more chaos with all the unnecessary pushing and shoving.

At West Oakland, those waiting on the platform could not get on and screamed inside the train for people to clear the path for them somehow. They managed to squeeze on and sat on the ground before there was more room by the legs than up top.

Once I finally got to CC Station, I lined up for my company shuttle. One arrived and it got to max capacity before half of us got on. I had to wait for the next.

It took me about 1.5 hours to get to work today.

CAN WE HAVE A BETTER WORK FROM HOME POLICY DURING THIS TYPE OF SITUATION?????

Bay Bridge closed indefinitely..again

BART riders beware-- go the BART stations early, claim your parking space early, pack light, be ready to stand and be pushed...because it is going to a crazy commute with the Bay Bridge closed after repaired cables crashed and struck three cars! Just now (9:30pm PT) KRON4 news reports that the closure is anticipated to be 24 hours. BART and ferries are prepared to accommodate extra riders but we know it's still going to be a mad house.

This is going to be nuts! I wish I can work from home tomorrow.

Why I will get the swine flu vaccine

I've never gotten a flu vaccine in my life-- I've always been able to fight off colds and flus within a reasonable amount of time. I'm not someone who is overly wrapped up in the swine flue pandemic scare but I will likely get the swine flu vaccine because I am a daily BART commuter; I have little control of the close contact that I have with strangers; I know nothing of their whereabouts; and most importantly, if I contract the virus, I do NOT want to give it to my 1 year old knowing the deathly impact it has on kids.

A friend of mine who works in the One Market building said someone in his office has the swine flu. How many people who work at One Market take BART?? I'd imagine a very high percentage!! We'll all be exposed to the virus at some point and I'd much rather be protected, if not for myself, for my little one.

I'm not about to wear masks any time soon but am certainly more aware of passengers with bad coughs and drippy noses around me. It is alarming although most people still do not take it seriously.

Do you care much about the swine flu?

Another great use of funding by BART management.

Awarding an "energy efficiency" contract to a company run by former Black Muslim Bakery associate. Is there really no other company in the Bay Rea that offers more experience and credibility in energy to upgrade BART's energy system? Especially when the "company" has already been tied to questionable projects under public scrutiny

Ridiculous.

This is why you shouldn't drink coffee on BART

It's been weeks since I've been able to write anything. (SORRY!) First, work got a bit crazy and then, I was out of town for business. After that, I went on a long overdue vacation and finally came back to work today.

With the rain, BART was miserable. The seats and floors were wet and sticky. The stations had puddles everywhere with rain pouring down the stairs. Then you have passengers who knowingly shook their umbrella dry inside a packed train or unknowingly placed their wet umbrella right on your bag. It was an awful ride home.

On top of it all, the train smelled like old sour coffee because some passenger spilled coffee everywhere. Imagine if this is one of the carpeted old trains-- the stain would be permanent. At least this spill can be mopped up.

Can't say I missed BART while I was gone but it is better than being stuck in traffic on a stormy day.

NEW POLL: BART..and you're there??

Have you guys seen this commercials? They're hard to miss-- they're everywhere! While I think it's great that BART is encouraging non-commute use, part of me can't help but chuckle when I see those ads. Seriously though, it is very convenient to take BART from the East Bay to some places in the city but to other destinations in SF, the total cost and time each way exceeds what a drive would entail, not to mention the hassle of having no space for yourself and your things.

So, the question is...when heading to the city on weekends, is BART your first choice in transportation?

My answer is "only on a few occasions." Most of the time we choose to drive because it is just easier with a baby and all the accompanying items. We've taken BART with the baby before, and it was fine, but the long gap in train schedules, the broken elevators, the crowded conditions and the connecting bus rides once we arrive, just make the process more difficult. Timing our drive across the bridge before the peak makes driving a heck of a lot easier than taking BART.

Suspicious carry-on on BART? No problem!!

Interesting observation this morning. A man was carrying a beat up pink paper box, one of those pink boxes you get from bakeries or donut shops. This pink box was a bit ripper up, and it had duct tape all over. It also appeared to be heavier than just donuts or a cake as the man carrying it looked like he was balancing a hefty weight as he walked out of the train and up the escalators.

I know the box could be carrying a host of things, and most likely very harmless items! But, it did look a bit suspicious with the excessive amount of duct tape wrapped around the box, in all direction, and the heavily taped corners. I didn't immediately jump to the worst conclusion but I did pause for a moment to examine the box.

I saw BART police officers straight ahead. The man with the pink box walked right past them, and the officers didn't even look twice.

Obviously nothing happened with the box, otherwise, we would have heard by now, but still, as an officer, I would have at least looked carefully for a second at this out-of-ordinary carry on.

I didn't think this was a huge concern but the box did raise some eyebrows. Just glad it's nothing bad-- maybe the man was just carrying books in the box??

Bridge opens on time unexpectedly

I guess my earlier post makes no sense now. Passengers still found trains to be overcrowded, although that could just be the result of the post-Labor Day weekend normalcy marking the official end of lower ridership due to summer.

Brace yourselves

You've heard by now that the Bay Bridge will not reopen until Wednesday at 5am due to a cracked steel link. What does this mean for BART commuters? No parking spaces, longer lines getting onto trains, jam-packed cars and more probable delays due to sudden increase in ridership. BART will be running longer trains so forget the "favorite" train habit and walk all the way down to the end of start of the train if you want to be able to breath!

Bay Bridge crosses 260,000 vehicles a day. With a sudden extended shutdown, I'm guessing tomorrow will be a bit chaotic. Friday was to problem at all since most people worked from home or took the day off. Tomorrow, Tuesday, will be a different story.

Sighting of the day

I saw a car with a green bumper sticker with white font that said, "My son just beat up your honor student."

I know people joke about those honor student bumper stickers but to actually display a bumper sticker that denotes violence...hmmm, not sure if it's just humor or if it's just plain inappropriate. I tend to think the latter.

85% says that BART does not care enough about customer service

My "non-representative" and "un-scientific" poll has closed. Just want to call that out since I've gotten comments and emails about how these poll results cannot be used as supporting data. It is simply a survey for the BARTMusings readers-- I'm not claiming that it is an AP poll by any means!!

Now, the topic at hand. 85% voted that BART does not care enough about customer service, and a surprising 14% (a bit higher than I expected, although not so surprising as many BART employees do visit this blog) voted that BART does care enough.

What I plan to do is post this survey a year from now and see if BART has made any improvements. You have a year, BART, to make us think differently.

"Out of my way!"

Saw an annoying man today who rolled people over with his 2 suitcases just to scramble to the vacated seat at the opposite end of the train. As soon as a woman vacated her seat, this man literally yelled, "Excuse me, make way, excuse me," while rolling his suitcase over several standing passengers, just to claim that seat. While he was standing earlier, he was sighing nonstop as if he was exasperated by his circumstances on BART. He is definitely a BART newbie and just had this look on his face that screams, "I do not belong here!"

I was looking at the same seat but once I saw that he started gunning for it in such a desperate fashion, I was like, "hey, it's all yours!"

What a fool. Go take a cab then if you can't take standing on BART.

Getting territorial at the Civic Center station

There seems to be an increase in station performers these days. Today, a female guitarist/singer with a dog got upset at 2 younger guitarists for getting too close to her "zone". In the short conversation that I overheard, she was saying that there are some rules around here and that they need to find another area in the opposite of the station because she is typically here on Wednesdays while Joe (?) is here on Thursdays.

Interesting. Her dog must have sensed her frustration and loudly barked at the "intruders". She said to them, "he is telling you to leave". The 2 young guitarists gave her a look and went looking for another corner to occupy.

Union to vote again! OT policy on the table!

Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1555 will be voting on the newly proposed agreement from BART which includes reduced overtime, limited forced layoffs, and higher health benefits premium for workers. Although union president Jesse Hunt believes this proposal will be ratified by members, I can't imagine train operators and station agents easily giving up their cushy overtime pay!

We'll see what comes of this vote and what exactly was part of the negotiated agreement.

Hand sanitizers on trains

I know this will never happen and I certainly don't want it to happen at OUR expense since we all know by now that it would likely require 3 BART employees to install each hand sanitizer dispenser, and upon mid-way through installation, they'll need to take a break, or something like that.

But as I was riding BART to work, holding the overhead bars, I was just thinking, wouldn't it be nice if they provided sanitizers onboard, next to the doors? Grocery stores and convenience stores do it now and in most cases, I can't imagine that it would add a ton of expenses, but knowing BART's inefficiency and inability to keep a balanced budget, I don't see this happening, nor do I want to suffer the consequences of it happening.

I've written about the sanitizer they have on select platforms now. I wonder how much that costed us??

Anyhow, I carry my own bottle of Purell anyways but having sanitizers readily available could do us all some good.

Then again...the people who need it most, probably are those who won't use it anyways.

The life of a BART janitor

The same salary report reveals that BART janitors earn $96,000 average a year. I wonder how their workload is divided and if a station (or train) is ever thoroughly cleaned? I saw the same rotten food stain at the Market/8th entrance of the Civic Center station 2 days in a row.

That is just one example. I see many a spills, half full alcohol bottles..etc not cleaned up in a timely fashion. Maybe they feel that just putting a yellow signage over the spillage or trash is good enough?

On the lighter side-- Love Connection Update

Back in April, I wrote about a man and a woman exchanging phone numbers on BART. A very sweet story actually.

Today, I actually saw them again! And from what I can gather, they are a couple! They sat together and gave each other a peck when one exited first.

If this works out, I bet he'll propose on BART too.

Pro-union or pro-management? What about pro-riders???

A few commenters have shared that bartrage.com is pro-ATU and has been deleting anti-ATU comments? I haven't followed it closely enough recently to confirm whether that's true, but multiple people have chimed in about it. Some suggest that somehow ownership has changed and it is now run by BART union members?

Regardless what is the truth behind this, it is a shame that riders' comments have been censored and deleted. That's really too bad-- from what I remembered, BARTrage was a brutally honest open forum for riders to vent about anything! In fact, readers have asked me why I don't make BARTMusings.com the same format. I think of this blog as an e-editorial. I share my views and enjoy receiving feedback from everyone, whether they are positive or negative. In fact, some of the things I've written about are ideas and observations from riders.

I'm not pro-union or anti-union. Nor am I pro- or anti-management. My personal goal is to simply write about issues, serious, light or plain silly ones, that riders deal with on a daily basis.

BART labor agreement reached but riders still lose long term

Although the strike is averted, this drawn out and very public dispute between BART management and employees have only divulged the ugliest, greediest and most dysfunctional side of the transit system that all of us depend on.

We ride BART mainly because we have to, to earn our livelihood. We pay nearly $10 a day to cross the Bay with arrival as our only expectation. We've come to not expect any comfort, timeliness, helpfulness or cleanliness. The bottom line is...riders will continue to lose. Fares will increase yet again and again to compensate for unjustified deficits.

While BART operations will carry on as usual tomorrow, I, and many others, now feel an increased bitterness that these BART employees who put minimal effort into their jobs, who will continue to deliver the minimal, will earn double the average Bay Area salary at our expense.

Thank you, BART, for opening our eyes and showing what type of organization this is.

AMU BART employee responds to BART strike backlash...

"The next time the 350 ton BART train gets you there safely, remember you thought the train operator wasn't worth his salary." (Quote taken from CBS5)

How self righteous and out of line!!! Isn't it their job to get us there safely? Should they win a medal for it? Should they be recognized too for announcing the right stations at the right time, and open doors upon arrival?

Oh, excuse me, sir, I'm so very sorry, I owe my life (and my BART fares and taxes!!) to you so you can make double the average Bay Area salary.

BART strike Sunday

Train operators and station agents are going on strike this Sunday. The good news for us is that they are probably the most easily replaceable bunch! Ha! (go ahead, send me your hate mails!)

Start recruiting and training new employees now! Show them that their inflexibility and greed will lead to no good. Good luck to them finding another job that will allow them to take longer breaks than work hours and rack up excessive overtime pay!

New Survey Question-- Do you support the pending BART strike?

Amalgamated Transit Union has rejected BART's latest offer and threatens to strike, vote and let us know how you feel about it?

Union rejects offer, BART strike looming again

Amalgamated Transit Union rejected management's latest offer and threatens to strike as soon as Friday.

I'm really about to lose my self censorship and professionalism here. What is the point of "negotiations" if no compromise has been made? The unions cannot expect one side to concede completely. This is ridiculous! How self-righteous can they be????

Two other unions agreed to the latest offer. Is there anyway for BART to replace the workers of the ATU? Is there a contingency plan?

Like I've said before, with some proper training and similar background, these workers are 100% replaceable.

Always there to help

If you've read my blog before, you'd know to read the subject heading with a sarcastic tone.

An acquaintance who is not a frequent BART user decided to take BART to a conference. He walks through the ticket gate with his ticket and realizes that he left something in the car. He asks the ticket agent if he can slip out to get something without having to repay. The ticket agent says there are sign that indicate no re-entry so there's nothing she can do.

The acquaintance asks again and the agent points to the sign and ignores him. In the end, the acquaintance exits and repays.

Now, we know there are rules and people need to follow them. But what makes this hard to accept is the fact that many suspicious characters, from homeless, to family of 4, bikers, friends of agents and performers slip through the side gate with or without the ticket agents' knowledge on an hourly basis and nothing is done about it. Yet, a paying customer who isn't a frequent BART rider, who asks to be excused, cannot???

I've seen exceptions made knowingly before so it is obvious that they have the authority to do that but they choose not to for this particular person. Why the double standard???

And of course, these ticket agents are just so useful and helpful when questions are directed at them. (not!) I've been given the pointing index finger before too to signs and maps. It's as if they can't speak??? I've also seen tourists been given the same attitude. That is a sure way to attract tourists to SF!

I'd like to see these ticket agents put in a bit more effort and enthusiasm into their job! We all know that they are well paid!

Should have just taken BART today

If there was ever a day that I have to describe as a huge mess, today would be it! I had an early morning call which I took from home, and then seeing that there was no traffic across the Bay Bridge, I decided to drive instead. I wanted to be able to enjoy my freshly brewed cup of coffee and listen to some sports news.

While there truly was no traffic across the bridge, just about everything else went wrong. I didn't realize that the fuel light (Prius) was already flashing until I got on the freeway. There wasn't an easy detour for me to get gas so I took a chance and just went on driving. I made it across the bridge and to a gas station but the stress I felt wasn't worth it. At this gas station located in a crime ridden and homeless populated area, I quickly found out that we can't pay at the pump and must go inside. As soon as I went to the cashier, 3 homeless that looked like they were high and drunk (can smell the alcohol) waited for me by my car. With my wallet and key in hand, they asked me to spare a few dollars (yes, not even change, but asked for a few dollars!) and cigarettes. I nicely said no again and again. I couldn't just go into my car because they pretty much blocked my door. Finally, I decided to go to the cashier again and pretend i was shopping for gum. Eventually, the homeless left and I snuck back into my car.

I parked my car in the work parking lot and stepped out with my bag and coffee. My shoelaces were undone and I tripped and spilled my beverage. As I bend down to tie my laces, my iPhone flips out of my bag and suffers more damages.

I arrive at my desk and turn on my computer. It was frozen of course and I cannot get it to restart.

To make a long story short, a big mess of a day so far. Hope the rest will be much better.

BART ridership drops

SF Chronicle reports that BART blames the recession for the 9% drop in ridership from May to June.

The recession and layoffs definitely had something to do with it but summer schedules, lighter summer traffic, vacations, and increased fares all likely led to the decline in ridership as well.

It's nice to actually get parking space and a seat now. Don't fret, BART, ridership will pick up in late-August and be back to normal in September. I'm not looking forward to crowded, standing room only trains but that's just reality. For now, I'll enjoy the lighter trains and having the option to drive occasionally to SF with the breezier traffic.