I'm cross-posting this from Claycord because typing it reminded me how angry I am at the people wrecking my commute every single day.

I have noticed that in some cars the seats that are nearest to the ends of the doors have big black stains under them... Does anybody know what this is?

I rode in a train today where the stains were so bad that the floor was sticky and the whole car smelled bad.

The NTSB just came out with their report about the June 2009 Washington DC Metro crash. The Washington Post has details.

I wonder if any of the issues identified or changes required will affect BART, given how similar the systems are. Anyone know?

I was peacefully listening to my MP3 player and when I got up to leave at the Embarcadero, I noticed that people weren't leaving the train very quickly. I took another look and saw a brawl going on right outside the doorway. A woman behind me started pushing me and said keep moving and get out, which I didn't take kindly since I was backed up against six or eight people in front of me. Anyway, everyone started to leave the train and as we left we witnessed two women in a fistfight! Two or more men finally pulled them apart. I was wondering what set these two people off.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/07/20/BA5A1EH6AH.DTL

The Feds forced BART to solicit public opinion on the fare reduction gimmick that would only last for 4 months that James Fang is pushing. (How convenient Fang is up for reelection to the BART board this November....) Almost 4 out of 5 passengers say they would rather see longer service hours and cleaner trains. Also BART staff disclosed that it would cost about $200,000 to change all the system's fare signs when the prices went down then back up again.

Whatever you think of the Mehserle verdict (I've heard involuntary manslaughter, plus a gun enhancement, resulting in a sentence that could range from 2-14 years.), please be safe out there everyone!

Lucifer has been given Moderator priveleges to help the time overlap for having a moderator around, bringing our active mod team to three. I'm sure he'll have something good to say to you all in the comments. I think he'll be a great addition to the team! Congrats on your "promotion" Lucifer!

http://www.vancouversun.com/killed+catch+Calgary+commuter+train/3187089/story.html

This is one of the worst incidents that can ever happen. Parents please hold your child's hand while on the platform.

goes into funding the BART director's pet projects so James Fang could get his stupid 3% fare rollback. And 50 cars will get a "deep cleaning" bet you the 50 cars getting deep cleaned will only be the ones with the slanted noses....

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/06/28/BA0C1E56RV.DTL&tsp=1

A list below of the pet projects the surplus is getting funneled into:

it was worst 10 years ago. I dug up an article

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/06/25/BA581E4ITI.DTL&tsp=1

i think the officer was totally justified, and i agree with linton johnson (i never thought i'd agree with linton on anything. what a shock; no pun intended) who said that by not tasing the guy he would be sending the wrong message - that you can put up a fight with a cop and they will let you go.

and add lynette sweet to the douchebag list. she's right up there with john burrass.

The feds just signed off on the environmental report to bring BART to the Berryessa area of San Jose. Apparently this is a good sign for the project getting $900M from the federal government towards its $2.1B construction cost. The Mercury News has more details.

The expected opening date for that extension is 2018.

Curious, I know BART won't do this in the foreseable future, but would platform screen doors be feasible anywhere on the BART system? I could see them installed at the stations in Downtown SF which get pretty crowded during Rush Hour. Or has the amount of people riding BART at Rush Hour not reached the level where it would require this?

http://www.ktvu.com/news/23942900/detail.html

OAKLAND, Calif. -- On Thursday, a Bay Area anarchist group promised action when the verdict comes down in the murder trial of former BART police officer Johannes Mehserle.

Oakland police said they'll be ready no matter what sort of trouble breaks out on the street. On Friday they'll begin training for possible civil unrest that could arise after the verdict is announced.

The Downtown Hayward station no longer smells like urine. After a couple of phone calls, they not only cleaned the restrooms, but the entire facility as well. I have to give them credit, now I hope they can maintain it.