...until the older guy started yelling into his phone to his sister (I think.) I thought maybe I was being cranky for having my peace disturbed, but at least 3 other riders gave him a look for yelling so loudly (even when he lost reception underground!)
I had never been more thrilled to enter the Transbay Tunnel than I was this morning.
As a train operator there are certain things I know about trains, when things go wrong, when something not running correctly etc. That you, the public dont. Afterall this is my job so when things go wrong with doors or delays and you have absolutly no idea what your talking about and jump to conclusions or began assuming things and in turn use that as an excuse to be rude to a train operator consider this, do we come to your job and tell you a thing or two about how to do it?!? In the defense of the rare but greatly appreciated nice people who ride BART there is such a thing as constructive criticism who have leanred the meaning behind it's not what you say but how you say it, we love you and thank you for riding BART and have a good day!
With that being said, to the old guy with the really ugly plaid shirt on(and not because it was Halloween either) and glasses at Berkeley station who just stepped off he Richmond train who felt the need to tell me to "pay attention" because he got caught on the doors which had been malfunctioning the entire way to Richmond...@*?/ #& @%%!!!
***FYI for you too literal thinkers this blog was not written while I was on the train.***
Just read an examiner article about this. Bert hasn't signed the contract, so the company profiding the wi fi can't get funding because investors want to see a signed contract. Delays by bart might prove really costly, because the longer they wait to sign, the shittier credit markets are becoming and the providers access to financing is going down the tubes by the minute.
But the biggest shocker from the whole article: wi fi service only works at under 65 mph. Correct me if I am wrong, but don't trains go much faster than that thru the transbay tube and other long stretches? So this means what? We'll get wi fi when stopped at stations or during suicide delays only?
I saw this article about bomb-proof trash bins and thought of BART. Hey, they have LCDs on them .. they could be used to enhance the train arrival/departure info (esp. if they put one as you enter a station so you know which trains are arriving, etc and flash (gasp) outages before you get to the turnstile, etc :)
My friends sent this to me at work.. Put anyone's name in there and their email address. Put yours in there too. It's so funny..
See link below: (paste in your browser)
http://www.cnnbcvideo.com/taf.shtml?id=-11294119-CXt5u.x&nid=wMygek7_1IziAsNZENlZYzE5OTEwODE-
-Chrystal Flanders
http://www.damnyouchrystal.com
Just curious, what happened at Fruitvale and Coliseum today? I got a service advisory in my mailbox that Fruitvale and Coliseum are now open.
What a day of frustration on Bart regarding bicyclists.
On my morning commute, my TO held up the train to wait for a bicyclist who proceeded to board the front car of the train, and the TO didn't say anything. I didn't mind too much, as it wasn't SRO.
On my evening commute, a bicyclist got onto the first car again (first door), during rush hour at Embarcadero into a SRO train, yelling at me (and the other people on the train) to "MOVE AND MAKE MORE ROOM." I really wanted to say that she didn't belong in the first car, in the station, or on that train in the first place, but I didn't want to cause trouble on a jam-packed car and the TO must have saw her and heard her...especially since she was the last person to board the first car before the doors closed. Yet, no announcements from the TO. I got my foot runover by one of the wheels too...I don't really want to know how the commuter near the gears felt.
Usually, when we see something wrong, we are encouraged to tell the TO. How about if the TO just shows his/her disregard at enforcing the rules?
Read it and weep. By the way, my SS is the clearly addled child referenced in the column!
Stump the Panel
12:00 AM CDT on Sunday, October 19, 2008
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Okay so I visited my future in laws this weekend and BM crashed the party.
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Hi everyone! I continue my quest to illustrate through example the result of poor parenting, poor boundaries, and allowing little entitled brats to grow into adult entitled brats.
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So I came to a realization this morning when I was in the shower and feeling really crappy about.
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So I get a voicemail saying to expect my child support to get cut in half because my EX has another kid on the way...(we have no court order, we just agreed on an amount)...he is not remarried, I am.
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Since the Bm thinks I'm being too "hostile" she has decided to only talk to my H the BF (she had been only talking to me because they couldn't get along) well I'm completly fine with him talking to he
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My husband and I have been together for 7 years. He has a 9 year old daughter with his ex-wife who has had a domestic partner (boyfriend) also for 7 years and they have 2 children together.
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So I cannot frikkin believe him! His shift ends at 6:15 a.m. and he can be home in like 15 minutes. So guess what? He rocks up at 7:20.
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Got a new phone service carrier complete with new phones to save money. No contract, just purchase minutes, etc.
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This is a collection of some shots from car #2565 this evening. I made a comment in a thread about the sad state of affairs on car #2561.
I found my answer see last....
For about 2 weeks I've seen multiple El Cerrito (Not BART) cop cars & motorcycles parked on Hill watching, waiting & pulling people over. I thought maybe they were catching people that block the keep clear section, or maybe cite the people who don't let pedistrians walk in the crosswalk. I was hoping that they would cite people for being greedy/impatient and jump into the left-hand lane to get into the parking lot (same people every morning) but I suppose they can't give a ticket just for being a rude jackass.
Anyway, does any one know the real reason why the police are there every morning giving out tickets?
Pedistrian right away enforcement...http://www.el-cerrito.org/police/
You believe this? I complained to BART about the many passengers bringing cups of coffee onto the trains, i.e., those hand-held timebombs just waiting to explode when the train lurches or the passenger trips, and this is their response. Unbelievable.
On 10/22/08, Mmoran@bart.gov wrote:
If such violators are observed consuming their beverages by the BART Police, they are subject to a citation. However, if simply carrying a beverage and not drinking or eating, there is no violation. Certainly the spilling on another of a carried coffee is an unfortunate event, but again this is not a violation of any regulation.
At the beginning of each month, I use commuter checks to get two high-value tickets. I started using the first one at the beginning of October, and used it 2 or 3 times (balance left was $55 or so) before I got the RED SCREEN OF DEATH at a turnstile that I had to "see agent" -- i.e. the ticket was demagnetized. I tried again the next morning, hoping it was just that one fare gate, but no luck. I admit that I probably hadn't kept it quarantined from my phone as much as BART would like. But, I get to work before 7am and leave after 7pm, so the only time to take care of a demagnetized ticket is during lunch, and I really don't want to spend lunch waiting in line in the Embarcadero Center station.
So I put off going and started to use the other high-value ticket, which worked fine. Yesterday, however, I got a screen telling me that ticket had "insufficient value." Without really thinking, I grabbed the demagnetized ticket. Or SUPPOSEDLY demagnetized -- it worked! And it worked again this morning!
How does a demagnetized ticket become un-demagnetized = remagnetized?
So BART has officially announced that we'll be able to use EZ Rider for parking starting in November. This is no big surprise. However, I didn't realize that using this program means we won't have to remember our parking space number anymore! Considering I had to walk back to my car to look at my space number this morning AGAIN, this is a pretty big plus for me. Totally worth $2 for a little hang tag, but I will probably sign up well before they institute fees anyway.
I hope they set it up so you can use the card just for parking so I can continue to use my high value tickets from work in the gates. The only problem I can see is at the Lafayette station, there is only one EZ parking pad, and it's positioned so people standing and waiting for it could end up blocking the gates if it gets really busy. Theoretically, there shouldn't be any waiting, but people are dumb so there will be, especially at first. Too bad they couldn't just integrate the parking system into the pads on the gates.
Full Story:
BART enhances EZ Rider with parking payment option
My wife and I are so frustrated with BART's constant mismanagement. Our comment cards always go unanswered. So we want to go and vent in person. Nevermind the bogus "service improvements" which never happen but seem to mysteriously justify constant rate increases, even though all of us are earning less each year.
Luckily she's still working off a large investment in disabled tickets purchased before they increased in cost 50%, so we actually haven't seen any rate increases yet personally.
Our primary complaint these days, since BART keeps lying about improving service, is the horrible weekend service. We frequently go into SF on weekends for the countless events happening there, as hundreds of thousands of others seem to, but despise the long wait times and especially the constant short trains.
Especially coming home after games, concerts, street fairs and the like, these idiots at BART send us 3, 5, 6 car trains, packed in like sardines (which is obviously a potentially deadly situation), elderly and bikers forced to stand for nearly an hour (thanks to the deficient seating we observe at ALL BART stations). This is also true every single evening after rush hour.
Why isn't every train full length? Why isn't BART improving its service commensurate with its rate increases? Why are there far too few benches (with backs would be nice) on platforms? Why does BART act indifferent to customer comfort? Why does BART think nobody uses their system after rush hour and on weekends? Why doesn't BART stay aware of large events and INCREASE train frequency to handle increased capacity? And most importantly, when is the next BART public meeting so I can ask them in person? And why don't they have such meetings every month?
It's enough to make you want to buy a car...wait, it does say "bart.gov" doesn't it? Maybe that's been their plan all along...then they can collect off your registration, your fuel taxes, your bridge tolls, your speeding tickets, your parking meters, your parking tickets, your insurance fees, your excise taxes, your parking garages, your inspection fees, etc., etc., etc....
I'm taking a class to write a business plan and I need to collect statistical data... Can you please click on the link and complete the few questions that are there? This would be so helpful. Also if you know of people who have about 3 minutes to complete, please forward the link to them as well...
link
Thanks..:o)
Chrystal Flanders
-http://www.damnyouchrystal.com
BART to look at adding, raising parking fees
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/10/22/BAJ213LJTS.DTL
Commuters who park in lots at some BART stations may start paying more as the rail agency scrambles to boost revenue and cut costs to keep the books balanced.
The BART Board of Directors on Thursday will consider reinstating daily parking charges at the South San Francisco, San Bruno and Millbrae station lots, where commuters have had free parking since 2004. In addition, the daily cost to park at the Daly City and Colma lots would go up $1. Already in the works is a plan to start charging for daily parking at the San Leandro and Castro Valley lots in April.
[click above URL for rest of article]
Let's go back to the Hayward Yard fires that have destroyed millions of your taxes dollars. Why so much damage? Because Rudy Crespo ignored the Hayward Fire Chief and ordered power on before safety checks were finished. Yet he keeps his job. Anyone else would have been FIRED. Last week a BART employee is killed by a BART train. Who is ultimately responsible? Mr. Crespo who is the Chief Transportation Officer and signs all those operation bulletins to prevent this kind of accident. One of those bulletins referred to the work order/simple approval procedures. This is where cards are filled out for each person that is under a work order/simple approval. This sign for has been in effect for years but it's followed and not check by CTO Crespo and his staff.
How many move lives and millions of dollars are you going to let he ruin?
Why is he still employed Asst. GM Mr.Oversier , Deputy GM Ms. Devone, GM Ms. Dugger & the BART Board of Directors.
And don't give him one of those golden parachutes to let him leave with dignity. Think of the Inspector that gave his life to do his job at BART.
Do the right think and fire Crespo. The public and employees deserve it.
Please, it's too early for those types of shenannigans.
And what was up with the trains this morning? I missed an earlier train but was right on time for my regular one. I noticed it came a little earlier (or was it a delayed train?) which was almost completely empty for my entire ride. Had a seat all to myself and the train never got even half full. It was like riding at non-peak hours.
Of course a co-worker who took an earlier train caught the brunt of the delay was not happy...
I live in the San Joaquin valley and use BART very frequently because of convience. How much longer is this single track stuff west of Dublin/Pleasanton going to keep going on? It drives me nuts. We had to wait 15 minutes at the top of the hill the other day because there was a train that was heading to SF that was having a mechanical issue and had to wait 10 minutes. All this while the guy sitting across the aisle from me was talking a mile a minute to himself. Just another day on BART.
Wasn't sure she'd make it to the other side in time when she realized she was on the side for Fremont instead of the opposite direction. Despite her heels she made it on the train just in the nick of time.
Boo to the station agent at Bayfair who was helping a woman find her correct train (I think) while she ATE IN HIS FACE. And yes, it was in the paid area. I realize others have said other commuters need to speak up if they spot someone eating on the train or the platform, but really now.
As I left I saw she continued to eat on the platform. So much for enforcing the rules...
P/BP train Embarcadero to Rockridge, 5:55 to 6:20
Old dude hogging the ADA seats with bags in a just barely SRO car. He doesn't move them until 12th Street, which is when the preteen girls get on. I'm guessing it was Disney on Ice or something, a bunch of them had Mickey Mouse ears.
So the people coming home from a day in the city don't get the seat, but the prepubescent valley girls do? He certainly didn't seem to mind when three of them crammed onto the seat next to him.
Picture attached, taken before West Oakland. Yes, I was sitting on the floor. I was tired.
where are you fucking BART cops in SF? why aren't you on the trains and on the fucking platforms on fridays nights? walking the trains at MacArthur ain't fucking hardly doing what a police officer should be doing when you HAVE all these DOD people on the trains. DOD is against the law.
if they are going to have 5 car SRO trains filled with 500 lb drunks who are falling all over everyone, not to mention luggage; it's dangerous.
BART continues to go WAY DOWN HILL, AT A FASTER PACE NOW THAN EVER.
WHY IS THE LAST TRAIN LATE EVERY SINGLE NIGHT? I had to stay after work tonight and I hope I never have to again. Every time I've caught the last train in the last year, it is late.
IF YOU CAN'T STAND UP, KEEP YOUR HEAD OFF THE PASSENGER NEXT TO YOU, AND YOU CAN'T KEEP YOUR MOUTH SHUT SO YOU ARE NOT BARFING OR DRUELING ON THE PERSON NEXT TO YOU, STAY THE FUCK OFF OF BART OR ELSE BART SHOULD HAVE THE BARFING DRUNK CAR. I'M AM SICK OF THIS CRAP. I WORK ALL NIGHT AND HADN'T EVEN HAD A BREAK IN 9 HOURS, IS IT WRONG TO EXPECT TO JUST BE ABLE TO SIT IN MY SEAT AND GO HOME?????????????????? I GUESS SO. BART WAS DESIGNED FOR COMMUTING ACCORDING TO THEIR STUPID 1964 PLAN SO WHEN DID IT BECOME THE PARTY TRAIN WHERE ANYTHING GOES????? I DON'T MIND IF PEOPLE ARE HAPPY AND HAVE HAD A FEW BUT DRUNK AND DISORDERLY, FALLING, ROLLING, AND THROWING UP IS ENTIRELY SOMETHING ELSE ON A CROWDED TRAIN.
THAT T.O. WAS SSOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO USELESS TOO.
BETWEEN THE DEMAGNETIZED BART TICKETS OF WHICH I HAVE ABOUT $100.00 WORTH IN MY WALLET NOW, MY TRUCK GETTING BROKEN INTO, MY ACURA GETTING BROKEN INTO FOUR TIMES, AND THE B.S. AND FILFTH YOU PUT UP WITH ON THE TRAINS, IS BART REALLY WORTH IT???????????????
I HAVE NO CELL PHONE, NO IPOD, AND KEEP MY BART TICKET SEPARATE FROM EVERYTHING AND THEY ARE STILL DEMAGNETIZED. THIS IS BART'S PROBLEM, NOT THE PASSENGER'S. GET OFF YOUR ASS AND DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT.
I've purchased newspapers from the kiosks or the sellers in the stations. I usually pay 50 cents, but I notice the Chronicle says it's 75. Sometimes when the regular newspaper guy isn't there, the substitute tells me it's only 25.
At Montgomery there's the stand that says it's only 25 cents. Does anyone know?
I was recently exiting at train at 12th Street with my bike. I usually try to get up early and get my bike off first to get it out of the way of the doors. As I was exiting the train a guy in back of me said that it was a rule on BART that bikes have to exit last. I told him I was not aware of that.
Is there any such rule?
I was listening to my scanner this morning on the way in and a BART employee was either struck by a train or electrocuted on the C-line between Lafayette and Concord. I can't find anything yet on the news. Anyone got anything???
On SFO bound train and getting this horrible feeling BART is in "half-ass" contency mode. Aparently there is a "medical emergency" at Lafayette, but rumor has it that someone may have been hit by a train.
Well service is being terminated at Concord, with hopes of a "bus bridge". Let's see if that's true. TO is saying there is bus service, so kudos to BART (so far).
I don't know if this has been covered or not, I've been a little behind in my RAGING lately, but I saw a note on a little kiosk thing at the Lafayette station that said EZ Riders will be able to use their card to pay for parking at the beginning of next month. I'll stop and read the whole thing on my way home. Sorry if this is old news! Too bad I almost never use my EZ-Rider card...
In my copious free time, I ride BART and wonder, "Are there any original parts left on any BART car, as delivered many years ago, or have they all been replaced over time?" Are exterior "shells" or logos original? Some obscure internal part that has lasted since the early 70's? I'm half hoping the answer is "no". Can any old timers answer this for me?
I heard that Hayward station was closed and was unsure if my route would be affected (it was not), but what the heck? That's totally crazy!
http://www.mercurynews.com/alamedacounty/ci_10711078
Last friday I was caught up in that mess with the fire. My train made it one stop and just sat there with no ETA. So I got off at lafayette and went back home. Back at WC station, the agent told me to exit out the swing gate and just tell the agent on monday that I was part of the fire delay and they'd let me in free (well, not really free, but I wouldn't have to pay for my friday "ride")
So this morning I get to the station and there is no one in the booth. I wait about 20 seconds. Some ghetto looking guy walks thru the swing gate constantly looking over his shoulder. The gate doesn't sound an alarm or anything. Then he heads for the bathroom, still occasionally glancing over his shoulder. Now I hear my train coming, so I decide I need to go. I hold my ticket where it is visible to anyone that might be waiting to bust me and I walk thru the gate. No alarm, no one stops me. Easy.
My boss is stuck because of the train delays. A little bird told me there's a fire on 7th St that's causing the problem.
The Richmond bound train is giving me a case of BART RAGE. Share my FURY!
I ride my bike to the Fruitvale BART station. There's a bike storage service there that's free and totally rocks the casbah.
Anyways. Sometimes, because I'm tired and riding slow, I miss the 6:15 train and have to take the 6:29 departing Fruitvale. It is supposed to arrive at Richmond at around 7:00-7:05
Since August, that EFFING TRAIN without fail, pauses mere feet from the station and sits like a lump for ten minutes. I miss the shuttle to the Richmond tech center, the 72M to Point Richmond, all of it as the infuriating train languidly schleps into the station at 7:10 or some rage-inducing late time.
@#$!!!
What is causing this? My understanding is that it's a previous train sitting on the tracks, blocking our way. Is it because the operators are wasting time? Is it because the operator has not received authorization to leave? Is it because the station is poorly designed, thereby making it impossible to accommodate the number of trains that arrive around 7 am?
Is there anything I can do other than
1. "take an earlier train" or
2. Drive, vote no on on every BART related initiative, hate BART with every fiber of my being, and mercilessly sneer those who HAVE to take public transit as opposed to those of us that CHOOSE to use it?
Imagine me waxing my Snidely Whiplash handlebar moustache for option 2 as I figuratively tie BART to the cartoon tracks. Dudley Do-Right can't save you now.
Great festive morning with little old lady?s with their Harloquin novels and a smack to the young punk who had his legs on the seat. Everything was fine until an old lady (I?ll use
this as an illustration, but clearly not the woman) gets up out of her seat and smacks this guy for having his feet on the seat in the Quad.
He immediately pulls his feet down. It was as if he had a flashback of his very own granny smacking him and pointing her finger, saying, ?Get your fucking elbows off the table Jimmy!? ha ha ha ha ha ha ..
Everyone around was shocked because he actually pulled his feet down and looked at the little old lady with a mystical look. A couple of us in the quad on the other side looked at each other and grinned
Then the little old lady goes and sits right in front of him to make sure he doesn?t do it again. As if to say, ?I dare you! I?ll smack you again? you little piss ant!!?
Oh !this one was one worth video taping and I wish I could have gotten a picture of the little old lady. She was a tree-hugger for sure and definitely got on at Berkeley. Hooray for the grannies who fight back by slapping the shit out of those who violate Bart protocol.
GO GRANNY!!!
-Chrystal Flanders
http://www.damnyouchrystal.com
Over the last few trips to the Balboa Park station, the up escalator from the platform to the toll gates (turn styles) were out of commission. No biggie, I'm healthy and they're not like the stairs at Civic Center station etc. Today I used the operational escalator and it looked new, (save the odd pigeon souvenir) that thing was looking pretty disgusting, now I almost feel like, if I needed to, I could actually touch the handrail. If only we could keep those damn birds out. Outdoor station though, so hard one. Anyway good job folks!
Last Thursday afternoon, took the Milbrae train from Berkeley on the way to SFO. Rode on the front car and noticed that the cab door was wide open... maybe the TO wanted some fresh air, I don't know. But it allowed a really good view of him. After we departed Ashby, I noticed he picked up a book and clearly was not paying attention to the tracks. His head was down and bobbing, either reading the book or dozing off.
I can't say for sure if he was reading the book or napping because I was sitting on the right side (in the direction of travel) so I could only see the reflection from his mirror. As we left the Oakland Wye to West Oakland, he put the book down and I got it on video that I would be willing to post if it's necessary. At Embarcadero, he finally closed his door when the train became SRO.
So, is reading a book or napping allowed while the train is in motion? Of course he's not operating the train in ATO, but isn't he supposed to be looking for obstructions on the track, regardless of BART having a grade separated right of way?
Okay, here's the link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ienb0em2sWQ
There's an interesting discussion of the BART to San Jose project and the impact that Measure B will have on that effort on the Mercury News site today.
Unfortunately, I moved out of Santa Clara County a few months ago, so I won't get to vote for it, but I really hope that the voters down there see the value and sense in this proposal and approve it. As a "special tax" it requires a 2/3rds vote, so it will be a high hurdle, but I'll keep my fingers crossed.