BART Rage is reasonable.
Okay, I'm originally from Boston and I've ridden some of the trains in NY. We have a light rail/streetcar kind of system in Boston which is pretty damn efficient. It's price is reasonable and the fare is the same regardless of your destination (generally). Transfers are free and easy and there is almost no way to fare evade. The trains run late, generally until around 1:45am, which I suspect was accomplished by a taxicab lobby, although it may have been a way to keep unruly drunks from puking all over the cars, of course getting those drunks home safely and keeping them out from behind the wheel might be an arguably greater goal. I don't know the origin/history of that random cessation of service hour. Point being that it is far superior to SF's BART schedule. Now this is in a system infinitely older than the BART one. I bring this up because I'm the reason you all now have the All Niter busses reinstated to the East Bay. I hashed this out with BART at significant length, backed up by some decent research. BART tried to claim that their hours were so lame due to their need for constant and extensive "maintenance." I immediately called them on their bullshit citing New York's and London's centuries-old transit systems that run all night or close to it. Why the hell would the BART system, which is a baby, require such constant "maintenance" other than gross incompetence and mismanagement. Of course this only became an issue requiring my intervention once I moved from SSF to Berkeley and abandoned my car in favor of graduate school and my TREK. So BART came back with reminiscences about the days when BART operated during extended hours and that the ridership wasn't there. That they were losing money on empty trains. I assured them that I would start a petition and gather however many thousands of names they required to get their heads out of their asses and change their schedules. All I wanted to know was who to send them to and if they preferred emails, phonecalls or printed signatures. As their bullshit got thicker and thicker I started to CC the mayors of Berkeley, Oakland and San Francisco as well as the Governor's office. Shortly after my offer to gather signatures - which would have undoubtedly created quite an army of discontented BART riders, and my CC'ing BART announced the reimplementation of the 800 All Niter Bus from SF to the East Bay. It's not 24 hour BART, but it's a far cry from nothing, which is what you guys settled for before. As for BART lies about lack of need/demand/ridership, the 800 bus started very limited, and as word gradually got out the busses filled up, then they doubled the service to every half hour during peak hours and on weekends and then even those busses filled up. I feel satisfied that I've done my civic duty with the current stopgap measure in place. As for drinking on BART - water is NOT included in the definition of "beverage" it is a necessity. I think that coffee is one of the greatest hazard beverages as it stinks, it's hot, it stains, and people seem to enjoy leaving half full cups on the floor. Of course the whole trash issue on BART is due in my opinion to the dearth of proper trash receptacles. They should be plentiful and regularly maintained. There should also be trash receptacles on the trains themselves, perhaps in the gaps between trains so that they won't take up space and they won't stink up the cars. The trains are cleaned at the end of every run (although a true steam cleaning nightly would be nice), so I have no problem with clean trash, like papers or clean wrappers, but actual food and drinks that stick and stain and smell are a real nuisance. Talking about the dearth of trash receptacles, what the fuck is up with the lack of seating? Why isn't there an abundance of benches at the stations on the platforms? It's truly fucking retarded how spartan the accommodations are on a system that should be serving millions per week. I say "should be" because I don't think BART will ever achieve it's proper place in the Bay Area's transit scheme until the prices come down. The trains are relatively nice and comfortable with their upholstered seats compared to a light rail, albeit deafeningly loud (which is a huge class action suit waiting to happen) but the prices are absolutely outrageous in my opinion. For a couple of students the combined costs for commuting can approach $300+/month and that's just to goto school and back, not including errands or social outings. A single person who actually has to depend on public transportation can easily spend over $200/month with high bus fares, outrageous BART fares and now the added insult of parking fees for those still in love with their cars or too lame to bike. I think $300 might be closer to the truth. Why the fuck would people waste that kind of money on all that hassle if they have the option to drive? My 45mpg Geo Metro would take me 450 miles on a 10 gallon tankful and I was paying $24/month for insurance. With quarterly oil changes that's about $60/month for infinite convenience, or even better I could ride my motorcycle and use the carpool lane, avoid tolls and park on the sidewalk wherever I am going in the city (under a building overhang). Okay, BART is a ripoff. Their crappy ticketing system robs people who can't be bothered to combine their fucked up tickets. It's a huge scam and I think they're robbing riders far in excess of the hypothesized losses to "fare evaders." As for BART "police" and their priorities, sure, you need a few around to make sure people aren't mugged, raped and murdered at the stations at night, but with all the cameras I'm sure if 80% of them were laid off nobody would miss them. Hey, I think I just saved BART riders a few (25+) million dollars. Why do BART "police" need vehicles? Shouldn't they just be riding BART and patrolling problem stations? Okay, so if you must eat other than a power bar and drink other than water, trash receptacles should be provided. Do away with 80-90% of BART police. Extend BART hours. How about better planning of trains? Why the fuck am I always being shoehorned into a packed 3, 4 or 5 car train? Why are there not more trains with more cars on to accommodate special events, like ball games, concerts, festivals, etc.? BART doesn't seem interested in addressing any of these actual needs of the community. This is deplorable and pathetic. Personally I'd prefer shorter trains more frequently. The only BART employees worth a damn in my opinion are the train operators, who generally do a hell of a job. BART should hire more drivers to run more trains. Then maybe I won't fairly regularly get stuck in 20, 30, 40 minute and more delays. These happen far too frequently for my taste, especially on weekends. Trains should run every 5-10 minutes, not every 20 minutes. This inadequacy of service, accommodations, customer service and outrageous fares will forever keep BART ridership appallingly low, far below what it could be if BART did not maintain a monopoly on Bay Area "public" transportation. The way to increase revenues is to improve service and lower prices to attract new riders. Otherwise BART will forever be relegated to serving only the poor, who have no alternative, who are forced to ride it. People will never abandon their cars when it is far cheaper and more convenient to just turn the key and brave the traffic, eating and drinking as they please. And why the hell is smoking (as well as eating and drinking) prohibited at outdoor stations anyway? That is a stupid rule. If you're too intolerant to deal with the smell of a cigarette, then stand upwind, dumbass. Okay, now on to the inconvenience of coupling the BART experience with a bicycle. BART is extremely discriminatory in its bike policies. Of course the SF Muni needs to be sued for the same discrimination. BART forces bikers to park their bike, process their ticket, retrieve their bike and walk through a special and inconvenient gate. When I'm running for a train, and I've got a full backpack on, both hands controlling my bike and now I have to fumble for a ticket and run around in a crowd, while leaving my $1500 bike unattended, that is a discriminatory system. Only the elevator at North Berkeley actually addresses this deficiency, having a ticket machine next to the elevator. Many BART elevators are painfully slow, not to mention woefully cramped, sometimes making entry and exit extremely difficult and hazardous. This brings me to the idiotic interpretation of the "no bikes on escalators" "rule." When I lift my bike up and place it on my shoulder my bike is on my shoulder, not on the escalator. It never touches the escalator and people in a rush can easily bypass me on the left. This poses no risk to anyone. Elderly people with huge luggage and morbidly obese people on the other hand pose a significant danger/hazard to the public. On more than one occasion I've had to assist elderly people with heavy luggage while carrying my bike on malfunctioning escalators. Of course the "no bikes on escalators" rule is appropriate for those too ignorant or unable to carry their bikes who actually place their bike ON the escalator inviting a true hazard and blockage should the bike get away from them. These people are akin to a 110 pound girl with a 120 pound pitbull. They are just ignorant menaces to society who represent the "bad apples" that ruin life for the rest of us who responsibly handle our own personal business, sometimes even with aplomb. In contrast, being forced to carry bikes up and down stairs poses a real threat and dangerous hazard for all parties. I've damaged my delicate sprockets and components on a couple of occasions dinging them on the hard metal handrails on the steep and treacherous stairways. I also feel much less stable and imagine many are much more prone to misstepping and falling while climbing or descending stairs with a cumbersome bike instead of standing stationary on a moving staircase. The elevators are often inconveniently placed, poorly marked, inadequately large (I frequently have to share the elevator with regular people - I can't figure out why they're riding the elevator aside from convenient proximity to their car) and not uncommonly dysfunctional. Now for bikes on trains. I've already suggested to BART that they build some bike friendly cars. These would have extensive bike racks in-car and be the last car on a train or a clearly marked car. Seating would be arranged so that bikers could place their bike in a rack and sit comfortably without the interference on non-bikers and likewise, non-bikers wouldn't have the inconvenience and lost space of bikers in their midsts. This would be equal and fair treatment akin to the "no bikes allowed on the first car" policy. I hypothisize that bike and non-bike cars would all be less crowded since we all know that a biker with a bike take up 3 or 4 spaces that could be occupied by non-bikers, while I suspect that a customized bike-only car could more efficiently accommodate just bikes and bike riders. Say racks at each end of the car or on one side of the car to accommodate 50 or 60 bikes with riders sitting in the middle or on the other side. I think I did the rough math in my head one day on BART and it seemed like it would work out perfectly. I think lastly, that BART is also inviting a class action suit from disabled people who cannot add fare at regular add fare machines. Disabled people, who are obviously (typically) the least able to easily get around, are forced to collect all their red tickets and take them to stations far away during limited hours to obtain their proper disabled fare. This is a very clear case of discrimination in my opinion and I deal with it regularly as my partner is disabled, we are low income - living on student loans, and she rides BART at least daily. How BART can continue to get away with not offering a monthly/unlimited ride pass and not offering students a discount rate is indicative of the typical California devaluation of education that makes us the most incarcerated state, choosing to build prisons instead of promoting education, and also that BART is making a lot more money on those wasted/unused fares/tickets than they'll ever admit.
Okay, so let's review:
BART rates need to be drastically reduced to be appealing to drivers. I think $2 for everyone, everywhere, half off for students.
BART needs to provide more trash receptacles including trash receptacles on the trains themselves. I suggest in between cars.
BART needs to be more friendly for bikes - on escalators, with special cars, with bike friendly ticket machines, and during peak commute hours to encourage biking to BART instead of driving.
BART should extend their hours and make trains run more frequently.
BART should save money by eliminating 80% of their "police" force. (Did anybody else see the unbelieveable article in the Chronicle last week describing what BART was going to do with some extra funds they were expecting? Hire more BART police! Can anybody else fucking believe that is what BART thinks is the most urgent issue that requires immediate funding? 42 stations, 300 cops, and we need more? How fucking clueless are the people who run BART? It boggles the mind.) Instead they should hire more low cost cleaning people to make the cars sparkle. (The nicer the facility, the more people will respect it)
I think those are at the top of my list. I'll append as necessary.
- Big Daddy's blog
- Login or register to post comments
"BART rates need to be
"BART rates need to be drastically reduced to be appealing to drivers. I think $2 for everyone, everywhere, half off for students."
We've tackled this issue so many times before. You're beating a dead horse. Get over it. I am not even going to venture into this arena.
"BART needs to provide more trash receptacles including trash receptacles on the trains themselves. I suggest in between cars."
Yeah, just toss the trash in that space! Screw it if an emergency evacuation is necessary, or if a homeless person stinks up a car and you want to move. The signs that read "DO NOT STAND BETWEEN CARS" are not just there for decoration. It's a safety issue. Plus, if people weren't eating on BART to begin with we'd have no need.
"BART needs to be more friendly for bikes - on escalators, with special cars, with bike friendly ticket machines, and during peak commute hours to encourage biking to BART instead of driving."
Bikes on escalators is a SAFETY HAZARD. We don't do it to be mean. I've responded to several calls where bikers have (IN VIOLATION OF CALIFORNIA VEHICLE CODE) taken bikes on the escalators, for whatever reason lost control of them, and resulted in injuries to innocent passengers.
The faregates you are referring to are not for bikes, they're fore the disabled. Bikers have their means and have been making it work for decades.
During peak hours you can NOT have bikes on trains because they crowd seats and standing space. You mention that bikers sometimes take up in excess of four seats. Seats that they are NOT entitled to. They purchased ONE ticket, they're entitled to ONE seat. Chyea! That's a concept. They should be asked to move from seats they are not occupying with their person, and if they fail can be fined. Bikers on commute trains are similarly subject to citation.
"BART should extend their hours and make trains run more frequently."
Deja vu! We've had this conversation on this website several times, and again this brings us into a gray area I'm not going to venture into.
"BART should save money by eliminating 80% of their "police" force and instead hiring more low cost cleaning people to make the cars sparkle. (The nicer the facility, the more people will respect it)"
Who are the "police"? BART Police are SWORN OFFICERS, who have passed CA-POST and are licensed in the entire state of California. I think most complaints (and rightfully so) are that there are not enough BART Police Officers. Do away with 80 - 90% of Officers and you'd be left with about 15 sworn Officers.
You want to instead hire cleaning staff instead of police? That in and of itself says quite a bit about your mental capabilities. That's a fancy way of saying you're a freakin' idiot.
Why do we have cars? Let's say you're getting stabbed at 12th Street Station. Although we're just a bunch of Powerbar eating, bottled water drinking pansies, you call BART Police for help. Yet the closest Officer is (bear in mind, 15 officers divided by six shifts divided by 42 stations equals less than one Officer for 20 stations) at Milbrae, and the other Officer is at Dublin/Pleasanton. We'd just catch the train (and transfer several times) to come save you. Brilliant!
"I think those are at the top of my list. I'll append as necessary."
Please don't. You'll just end up looking like an idiot.
go back to boston.
go back to boston.
That's the lamest copout I
That's the lamest copout I hear all the time. "If you don't like it, leave." Actually I'm the one who actually gives a shit and is fighting for change. Your apathetic whining instead of brainstorming and pushing for change is exactly what's wrong with California. That is why the richest state in the nation is getting the lowest scores in education and the has the highest percentage of citizens incarcerated. Let's not address it and discuss it, and come up with something better that works, let's stick our heads in the sand and posture with baseless pride while we wallow in our own ignorance and filth. Of course I'm not much for giving up and whimping out. I leave that to the natives who let things get so fucked up here. Boston's Big Dig may not have ended up being the world's greatest construction project thanks to endless government payoffs, graft and bureaucracy, but at least they had the balls to recognize a problem, address it, plan for the future and take action. Action on the grandest scale the world had ever seen. While greedy contractors, developers and politicians cut corners to the point of being a threat to public safety, any Bostonian will tell you about the problem and what needs to be done and who should be prosecuted and sued and then actually do it, not puff up with false pride and defend their deficiencies and fuck ups by telling people who complain to "like it or lump it" or "love it or leave it" or some lame cliche like that. They save that for redeeming social arguments like "if you don't like abortion, then don't have one" or in defending the first amendment "if you don't like what's on TV or the internet then change the channel or shut the damn thing off." I'm not a pussy. I don't walk away and give up. I stay and fight. I'll leave the shit talking to you. Do you give a shit about your community enough to run for public office? I have. I'll tell you what, I'll stay and fight for something better, a California that I can truly be proud to inhabit. You can take your sorry, defeatist/quitting punk ass and push on to Seattle. I hear the grungy slacker crowd there is welcoming all you lame ass flakes and losers.
Hey big pops why the f***
Hey big pops why the f*** would you care if the state is getting the lowest scores? Move back then you big turd. Mind your own business and f*** off.
Excellent exposition of the
Excellent exposition of the typically witty repartee of the poorly educated. Awfully defensive, aren't you?
Nice copout on not
Nice copout on not discussing what obviously needs discussing. BART rates need to be reduced. Raise bridge tolls. Raise city parking rates. Raise meter violation ticket amounts. Impose a higher tax on gasoline to fund public transportation. Send the money to BART. Apparently our tax money isn't enough to provide adequate public funds for our public transportation. That is pathetic and indicative only of gross mismanagement. Public transit should be FREE to the public. Drivers who clog the roads, clog the city and foul the air should shoulder the burden they impose on those of us who choose to be responsible and not contribute to the problem. Drivers cost obscene amounts of money (the Road Builders Lobby is Washington's most powerful and wealthy lobby) to build and maintain roads and highways, traffic controls, pollution costs, vehicular injuries/accidents/deaths, etc. They are the primary reason for and target of "law enforcement." End the madness. Make them "pay to play." I may be new to this discussion, but I will not accept your copout to abandon the idea of discussing positive change and progress to improve public transportation.
As for your comments about my suggestion about a trash bin in between cars, I honestly don't know what the fuck you're rambling about. The space between cars is dead space from what I see. It is enclosed, so I see no relevance to a discussion of "evacuation" plans. I only suggested a wastebasket. These would not block anything for anybody. I don't know what the fuck you're talking about "a homeless person stinks up a car and you want to move." You really lost me there, or perhaps I lost you. I was suggesting that people might clean up after themselves if it were more convenient to do so. More convenient to dispose of trash if trash receptacles were more readily available/easily accessible. And it was only a suggestion to avoid losing a seat to a trashcan on the inside of the train and avoid any odors that might emanate from the can, although the cars are typically fairly well ventilated. These cans would be emptied at the end of every run when the train is cleaned also. Your further comments "It's a safety issue. Plus, if people weren't eating on BART to begin with we'd have no need" are standard "law enforcement" tactics to increase public intolerance for individual rights and responsibility thereby increasing the sense of need for "more law enforcement" with "more powers" to use and abuse against the public. If one ignorant/inconsiderate person dares to leave a mess after eating a burrito then nobody should every be allowed to eat any food on BART ever again, except under threat of "citation" What a pile of propaganda bullshit. Are adult members of the American Public really deserving of all being treated like the most incorrigible preschoolers? This kind of brainwashing propaganda is what is leading us quickly into being a fascist police state devoid of personal freedom.
I'm also not suggesting people congregate in between cars around the trashcan, just that they could drop their trash in the can as they walk from one car to the next.
I'd sure like to read the details about the bicyclists who caused the injuries on the escalator according to you, although I know from personal experience that falsification of public documents, reports and citations is standard operating procedure for you guys;-) I'm guessing it was some weakling who did not have control of their bike at anytime and assuredly had them ON the escalator, not on their shoulder as they should have that caused the problem. But while you brought it up, how many similar such incidents occurred with bikes on the stairways?
As for your complaints about bikes taking up too much space on cars, especially during rush hours, I wholeheartedly agree/concede and therefore call for my "bikecar" idea to be tried. I think if all bikers could occupy one car they could fit better and everyone would be happier and cozier.
I see you are choosing to copout again on rehashing the discussion about extended hours. Take heart though, I already solved that problem for you with the 800 busses. I'll just leave you all wondering why a transit system in relative infancy requires such extensive and constant "maintenance." I suspect more gross incompetence and mismanagement, but what can you expect from such a poorly educated citizenry. I remember seeing the "linepainters" make the most amazingly slow and arduous production out of something so simple it should have taken a hour. They actually milked the clock so much they squeezed several days out of the project. It may have even gone on for weeks.
I'd sure like to know who is complaining about too few BART police? I'm sure the propaganda and lack of personal responsibility and initiative might lead the ignorant to "cry for help." But I know that personally I can't ever remember being HELPED by a cop. Are there really a lot of people getting HELPED, protected and served by cops? Cause I hear nothing but horror stories about abuse, indifference, menace and discourteousness. They just seem like loose cannons with guns aimed at the public most of the time. Okay, maybe 1 in 100 or at best 1 in 10 are decent, professionals who give a shit. The rest just seem like cowboys with guns and badges which they think gives them license to do as they please as they serve only the elite in society while suppressing and oppressing the masses. With this in mind I stick strongly to my suggestion to do away with 90% of the force. 15 cops on per shift for the 42 station system sounds perfect to me. One cop per 3 stations. If they actually did their job, walking among their public as the servants that they're supposed to be, and providing visibility and reasonableness in encouraging public responsibility then that would be more than sufficient. I'd sure like to hear you quote those numbers again, cause your math seemed WAY OFF. I'm not sure if you're suggesting that 10 or 20% of the BART force equals 15 officers. So you're saying that there are either 75 or 150 BART cops total on the whole force? And what the hell are you talking about "six shifts?" Since BART's barely open 18 hours per day, are you saying that you guys only work 3 hours/day? You're going to need to break that math down in detail for me if you hope to rescue any modicum of credibility. Especially since a 3 second googlesearch just showed me 300 BART police with 215 peace officers (and that's a huge shitload of government employees overpaid to ride a desk on the public dime in my opinion!). My point being that your bullshit fascist propaganda won't fly here. Do your job, serve the public, walk your beat, ride your trains, get out of your cars and 15 cops per shift will be just fine (maybe more at night, less during the day). And why the hell would you get there any faster in a car, stuck in traffic, then on a train, on a track? I've heard and seen BART police called and your response time SUCKS anyway, so just ride the damn trains and do your jobs and the BART riding public can save millions. And if there really were an actual emergency, wouldn't there be tons of interagency overlap with city and state cops? You know damn well there is/would be.
You're calling me an idiot for noticing how many BART riders complain about dirty cars? I'll leave the name calling to you so that I can focus on what really concerns BART riders. Steam clean all that upholstery every night and BART riders will thank you.
As for Powerbars and water, that's me, although I never drink bottled water, only tap. It's much safer.
I leave it to the reading public to determine who looks like the bigger idiot.
"Raise bridge tolls. Raise
"Raise bridge tolls. Raise city parking rates. Raise meter violation ticket amounts. Impose a higher tax on gasoline to fund public transportation...Public transit should be FREE to the public" - how exactly will that accomplish anything? if you increase the cost of everything you suggest to the point where public transportation WAS free, what would happen once everyone starts using that FREE public transportation? THERE WILL BE NO MORE PARKING TICKETS, LESS GAS USED, ETC. AND NO MORE TAX DOLLARS LEFT TO FUND YOUR FREE PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION!!!
trash bins between cars: sometimes doors don't open on one car and people have to move between cars to get out. i know you'll blame this on poor maintenance, but shit happens. plus, i have seen situations where one car gets to standing room only but the adjacent cars are near empty. you can blame that one on inattentive boarders, but shit happens. plus, the bums like to smoke between the cars. add trash and you have a fire hazard. finally, the presence of a trash can doesn't make assholes any more prone to throwing their trash away. ever notice all the cigarette butts on the ground within 20 feet of an ashtray??? why the heck would someone give up their seat to throw away a burrito wrapper?
"Are there really a lot of people getting HELPED, protected and served by cops? Cause I hear nothing but horror stories about abuse, indifference, menace and discourteousness." name me one industry where the press regularly reports about the good things that happen. when was the last time you told your friends about a waiter that provided exceptional service? people don't talk about that stuff. the minute a waiter spills a drink on you or the valet scratches your car, however, you are going to tell ALL your friends. my car was stolen out of my driveway once. the cops showed up within 5 minutes and had located my car within 4 hours. no lo-jack or anything. did that make the news? nope. but the second a cop gets kicked in the nuts by some punk and then his partner nails the punk over the head with his nightstick, POLICE BRUTALITY!!! if there were no valets, you'd have to walk in the rain to get your car; no waiters, you'd have to go back to the kitchen to get food; no cops, you'd have to pack heat because there would be anarchy.
"Students half off...." I
"Students half off...."
I know for a fact that grant money (ie. free shit)just for transportation needs are availiable to those students that need it. Yeah, you gotta show that you need it. You know the routine, fill out the "Im Poor" papers and shit. But it's there.
"Off 80-90% off the cops...."
Dude, have you lost your mind? As much as I hate to say it, but...BART runs through some of the most crime prone areas in the state. Check out the latest California city poll and look where Richmond and Oakland rank. One cop for every three stations is, uh....STUPID!!!
Just say "Uh, No Cops" because it's the same thing.
The city cops 'aint got time to be running around train platforms and shit. And the BART fuzz aint got time to do stakeouts and shit.
Gotta have 'em....
jbap21
jbap21 - all good points...
jbap21 - all good points... for once.
And to the guy who started this, Big Momma, you're a dolt. If the police force were cut down 90 percent, it would be fifteen officers... PERIOD. Not per shift. Period. That's about three officers per shift. For 42 stations.
Mark
Hey Mark, if simple division
Hey Mark, if simple division is beyond your scope, then please, buy a calculator. 10% of 300 is 30, not 15. And just how the fuck do you divide 15 to arrive at "3" officers/shift? Are there really 5 shifts in a 20 hour day!? - 18hours on Saturday and 16 hours on Sunday. I want that fucking job if those guys only work a 4 hour day!
SAME AS I POSTED UNDER HIS
SAME AS I POSTED UNDER HIS OTHER HEADING, plus a little more
Hey BIG DUMB ASS, where do you get the figure of 300 BART Police Officers? From the BART website? http://bart.gov/about/police/aboutPolice.asp
This is the link to the website, more specifically the BART Police page on the website. I read in the first line that there are 206 SWORN (actual cops) BART Police. The balance are non sworn and are not cops. Please learn to read, research, comprehend, and make intelligent comments.
So 30 Cops total on patrol? Times 4 work days each = 120 beats divided by 2 shift a day (forget about any graveyard shift, what possibly could happen in the middle of the night) = 60 beats/shift/week. Divided by 7 days a week = 8.5 officers per shift to cover 4 counties. Oh yeah, now everyone is an officer there are no Sergeants (supervision) or Command Staff. Adjust the actual number to the fact that we're talking 206 Sworn Officers 10% gives you 20 Officers, 80 beats, 40 per shift, 5.7 Officers per shift, again with no supervision, and nothing during the middle of the night (don’t leave your car overnight in a lot EVER).
Yeah, thank goodness for
Yeah, thank goodness for BART pigs getting blowjobs from prostitutes during the graveyard shift. My car feels so much safer. After all, with that army of BART pigs I'm sure nobody's ever heard of somebody's car being broken into or bike being stolen or vandalized, right?
As stated on my other blog, your numbers differ only slightly from the figure I found, and if you work for the cops, then you're a cop. As for "supervisors" and "sargeants" put their lazy asses to work! Their "supervision" sure SUCKS!
I have never heard of any
I have never heard of any such "transportation assistance" programs at my school. I will inquire tomorrow.
One cop per 3 stations is only theoretical since they would usually be riding the cars/constantly in motion. But point taken regarding high crime areas.
Oakland is a shithole - check, Richmond is also a shithole - check. Okay, this is meaningful discussion, we obviously need 2 cops at all Oakland and Richmond stations at all times, or at least plenty of well manned cameras and better designed, more secure facilities. So now the question is "how many Oakland and Richmond stations are there?" or more importantly, BART must have stats on incidents at particular stations. Which ones are the most dangerous and how many are there? Perhaps there should be "command posts" at the 2 or 3 most dangerous stations = fulltime police "presence" or at least the semblance thereof. Thank you for your input. this is not fucking rocket science after all. My goal is to foment discussion, not bash and rant (although I obviously struggle with the second part:-).
You say "BART fuzz aint got time to do stakeouts and shit." Why not? What the fuck are they doing instead? Too busy hassling bikers or people eating burritos? Or chasing some indigent who skipped out on a $1 fare? Is that the best use of BART's "security force?" I think a stakeout is exactly what's in order. We're talking about busting serial purse snatchers, rapists, gang banger thug muggers, vandals, etc. right? Well, these are a few bad apples who should be staked out. These are the reason for those fucking security cameras to be there. Why shouldn't they be staking out and being smart instead of just acting like jack booted thugs all the time?
So I'll totally disagree with you there. I have a far higher aspiration for public servants paid highly by the taxpayers. I envision actual crime control and reduction, not just puffery and bullying.
Quote: Oakland is a
Quote: Oakland is a shithole - check
First of all, OAKLAND IS NOT A FUCKIN SHITHOLE. I HATE THAT GOTDAMN STEREOTYPE ABOUT OAKLAND WITH A PASSION. THAT'S ONLY BECAUSE THE TOWN SITS IN THE SHADOW OF ITS MORE FAMOUS SISTER CITY, SAN FRANCISCO. FOLKS FROM SAN FRANCISCO WHO HAVE NEVER BEEN TO OAKLAND, AS WELL AS EAST BAY SUBURBIAN STUCK UPS WHO COMMUTE TO SAN FRANCISCO TREAT OAKLAND LIKE SHIT IN SO MANY WAYS THAN THE OTHER. NOT ALL OF OAKLAND IS THAT BAD!! STOP WATCHING TV AND BEING FED NEGATIVE OVERHYPE; OPEN YOUR MIND AND GO TO DOWNTOWN OAKLAND, JACK LONDON, CITY CENTER, AUTO ROW AND LAKE MERRITT FOR ONCE DAMNIT.
True, Oakland does have crime but it is far from a complete shithole; Oakland has a split personality (Hills vs. Flatlands) but its better off this way than to be another Detroit or Baltimore for all I give a shit. It suffers an overhyped negative perception because Black people live there in East, West and North Oakland (west of Shattuck). To go back on topic, 12th Street, 19th Street, Rockridge and Lake Merritt are the safest BART stations in Oakland because it is downtown and North Oakland.
Lake Merritt station is NOT
Lake Merritt station is NOT one of the safest. At least not from what I have seen. There is an awful lot of riff-raff hanging out. There always seems to be a pretty large contingent of cops in the area, Alameda Cnty Sherriff for the AC Transit & Peralta School Dist.,BART cops and OPD.
Almost seems like a good place for BigDaddy to put his "Police Command Center".
WHAT? Lake Merritt BART
WHAT? Lake Merritt BART station is way nicer and safer that McArthur and Coliseum stations ever could be....Lake Merritt is child's play compared to those other two mentioned. And it doesn't smell like piss at Lake Merritt like McArthur and Coliseum stations do. Snot, blood, feces, urine, puke you name it, you can find it at those two stations. Gross! Consider yourself very lucky to have the presence of the BART cops there--they are near a station and always will be seen there. Almost zero riff-raff compared to other BART stations nearby.
I didn't mean to say that
I didn't mean to say that LAKE MERRIT was the worst of stations. It was just in the context of the stations mentioned (12th, 19th, & rockridge). There are other stations that are more treacherous (sp?) in the east bay for sure. I am not as familiar with stations across the bay, but i'm sure there are a few stations that are "dregs of humanity" freindly also.
Now wait a minute. Don't
Now wait a minute. Don't dregs of humanity still qualify as members of the human race in need of availing themselves of PUBLIC transportation? If they're not committing crimes other than being dark skinned or being in need of hygiene improvements, shouldn't they be allowed to ride public transportation? Choosing or being forced to live on the street is sad/pathetic, and is thanks to Reagan's emptying of the mental health institutions during his reign. Most of these people are war vets with PTSD and worse. They deserve pity not disdain, although you won't ever find me supporting their drug/alchol addictions with donations. Now gangbangers can be a real problem, but hopefully they behave themselves on BART. Large groups of adolescents of any color/race/sex can also be problematic, but isn't that what adolescents are supposed to do? I almost get more worried about the state of the nation and our futures when I see teenagers being too respectful of authority and docile.
I feel what it is your
I feel what it is your saying.
But, BART stands for Bay Area Rapid Transit.
Maybe BART can provide directions to all the other places with acroynims, such as...
HS........Homeless Shelter
VAH.......Veterans Admin. Hospital
DT........Detox
ACSS......Alameda County Social Services
Maybe folks in need should try hanging out where there is help for them.
Amen and bravo!
Amen and bravo!
Sadly, people who actually
Sadly, people who actually want help will manage to find it. Many others need help, but just don't want it for various reasons.
True, some self motivation
True, some self motivation is required. Shouldn't we make it as easy as possible to get help to those in need though?
Now wait a minute, I
Now wait a minute, I regularly spend time at Macarthur station, often very late at night too. Other than the occasional panhandler there I don't think I've ever seen a real problem. The bathrooms there are even fairly clean. I'm not sure if you're doing a full check of every surface including the tracks with a UV light CSI style or what, but I find myself questioning your judgment and these classifications now. I'm wondering if some stations and areas are getting a bad rap due to elevated melanin content or maybe just the presence of JBTs is enough to implant the suggestion that a station is "bad" or unsafe. Have any of you actually been the victim or personally witnessed any kind of crime at any of those stations you listed as "bad?"
I don't have to be a victim
I don't have to be a victim to know a bad scene.
It's that sixth sense thing, hair on the back of your neck thing, balls start to wiggle..........ooops, not that one.
I think that maybe some BART stations are within not-so-good neighborhoods, and the draw of lights and people attract an element of questionable character.
A station in a "bad" area becomes "unsafe" if your just hanging out, seemingly un-aware.
For anyone to question someone elses judgement of bad or unsafe might be a little unfair.
I can deal with bad ('cause I roll all hard & shit).
Unsafe is different.
I hear ya, especially since
I hear ya, especially since I roll the same way. My advice is for everyone to carry a gun and know how to use it. Problem solved.
http://www.morganquitno.com/c
http://www.morganquitno.com/cit05r.pdf
Oakland is the #24 shithole in the country and richmond is #10. the above link is your proof. although i agree with your post in one respect - oakland would be an even bigger shithole (read: higher murder rate per capita) if it weren't for the population in the hills.
Okay, Oakland and Richmond
Okay, Oakland and Richmond back to being shitholes - check. Perhaps the Hills should secede from the flatlands.
Thank you very much for the
Thank you very much for the clarification. It was very illuminating. I'm all for not "believing the hype." Seems there's some disagreement on Lake Merritt, although I'm not sure what "riff raff" means exactly and don't want to discriminate, but it does sound like law enforcement is "on it" and it does sound like a good place for a "command center" since all the cops are hanging out there anyway.
ALL of Oakland is NOT a shithole - check!
Lake Merritt is one of the
Lake Merritt is one of the safest stations in the BART System. If by "riff raff" you mean the elderly Asians doing Tai-Chee or whatever out front, you're absolutely correct.
Nope....Dude, are we talking
Nope....Dude, are we talking about the same station entrance?
I'm talking over by where the bike lockers are.
Come on now...how many Tai-Chee peeps you seen over there?
Uh...NONE?
It's a bunch of pan handelin', smoke bummin' folks over there. Every day!
Patrons of BART are regulated to standing inside the stairwell to wait for the bus or their ride.
Come on.......agree with me ONCE!!!
I agree! LOL. That entrance
I agree! LOL. That entrance is sketchy, but whenever we (police) come around suddenly the riff raff leaves! Isn't it interesting how that works? But yes, the tai chee senior citizens are over by the north entrance. I'd say the north entrance is very safe, and the south entrance is moderately safe. But remember Zone 1 headquarters are located in Lake Merritt station.
I can now die happy ;-)
I can now die happy ;-)
Okay, so we have a single
Okay, so we have a single station with a split personality - one "good" entrance and one "bad." We also have a couple of definitions that might require further elaboration. Does "riff raff" mean homeless people? Do they pose a real "threat?" Are panhandling and smoke-bumming crimes? Does their presence make a station or area "sketchy" or "shady?" If so then I think pretty much every SF station would qualify as well as downtown Berkeley.
An even more interesting insight: there is a "Zone 1 headquarters" right there at that station and yet it accomplishes nothing in the way of discouraging the "presence" of this "undesirable" element. So apparently the "presence" of JBTs accomplishes nothing, other than "scattering" the "scum" briefly when they occasionally pass by. Maybe we need to re-examine the whole idea of "command posts" at "problem" stations. Perhaps it should be more like more camera placement and more frequent patrols through stations with ACTUAL high crime statistics. We started with a premise that there are probably a few or a couple stations that are ACTUALLY more DANGEROUS than others, meaning more crimes (assaults, robberies, etc.) were committed against members of the public or against BART property itself. Perhaps someone could research and find out if that is actually true and if it is, what stations are ACTUALLY the most DANGEROUS.
I totally agree with almost
I totally agree with almost everything you've said so far. If anybody would take the time to actually read the huge blocks of text you've posted here, I think they'd get a very nice summary of most of the complaints most riders have about BART. Also, you do something unique for this website and actually propose what seem to be very real solutions. Well done.
Nobody's going to listen to you. Writing like this, you're only going to get offensive replies arguing against your ideas from horrible people like cops. You're too defensive. Here are some tips to get people to acknowledge your great ideas and to inspire them to take action:
(1)Write like a crazy person and you'll be seen as one. All of your ideas (no matter how realistic) will be ignored and shrugged off as insane ramblings. Don't be crazy. Nobody likes/respects crazy people, no matter how cool or alternative you think you may be by doing so.
(2)Don't badmouth Californians. I'd imagine that nearly all of the people on this site are either natives of or immigrants to this, the best state in the nation. You're not going to make any friends talking shit about us, plus it makes you sound pretty ignorant and downright silly. Do you really think that BART's problems can be traced back to some sort of "California" attitude that only you can pick up on? How long have you lived here? I'm sure that if you're not completely oblivious, you'll find over time that we are all pretty damn different, and you can't really group us all together. I know that in your head we're all blond surfer dudes who just want to smoke a bowl and don't care about anything, but doesn't it strike as odd that such stupid people would choose to live in such a great place? What made you move here in the first place? I think this is a great place for the "If you don't like it, leave" argument. We're not apathetic, but we also HATE pushy assholes.
(3)You started the all-nighter bus system, huh? Wow, good for you, if that's actually how it went down. Still doesn't give you the right to call everybody else lazy or stupid or apathetic.
Sorry if this sounds like I'm attacking you, because I really do agree with almost everything you said. I think somebody needed to at least acknowledge that you have some great ideas. I know it's hard to be a genius, but let's just try to be a little nicer about it next time and maybe you won't just have asshole cops shooting down all your ideas.
-BARTBatman
I don't need no stinkin'
I don't need no stinkin' badges.
I'm just an asshole, not a cop.
Sorry..........
He is nuts. Delgado in a
He is nuts. Delgado in a different guise. Maybe on speed. He sure isn't responsible for the all nighter bus service. That was a project developed by multiple transit agencies in cooperation with MTC and funded with voter approved regional funds. Nice try.
Oh Noes! Evil Delgado!
Oh Noes! Evil Delgado! Seriously, do you log on just to blame everything on him? Or... are you Delgado trying to make it seem like someone who isn't you is? My head hurts...
Talk about a thread
Talk about a thread deteriorating influence. I can feel the life energy being sucked from my body as I read your post. Must...resist...urge to kill myself..
Thank you very much Batman
Thank you very much Batman and points well taken. And thank you very much for reading any persevering. I try not to give in to the trend towards superficial soundbites and dumbing down. I don't want to talk down to the public. Unfortunately that might turn some off.
I've heard your comments before from friends in response to emails or correspondence. Unfortunately I don't censor or organize my "editorials" or letters as I would my academic writing. It just makes it more fun and engaging for me to spew my stream of consciousness and share my thoughts. I'm writing this for fun, to do all that extra stuff would make it work for me. But I very much appreciate your candor and input.
"Nobody's going to listen to you. Writing like this, you're only going to get offensive replies arguing against your ideas" I see where your intentions are here, and I appreciate them. I obviously got some of those naysayers up front, but now I've got the attention of others like you who actually read and think. I will not say "I told you so" but I like to think that my perseverance to engage on a higher intellectual level finally triggered enough discussion to exhaust those with gnatlike attention spans and rally more thoughtful troops to the cause. In other words, now that the riff raff is done, hopefully we can engage in truly meaningful discussion and debate.
So the above partially addresses your "1" but you will notice I'm trying to use paragraphs a little now. I like to ramble and diverge tangentially. It's fun for me to throw in philosophical arguments and social discourse to fuel the fire and broaden our discussion. I think it makes for more fun and interesting reading. Hopefully those who persevere will find it rewarding and not "the rantings of a lunatic." Time will tell, but I'll try to tighten my rants if/when possible.
#2. Sorry to badmouth Californians, although I meet very few natives compared to transplants. I arrived in 95 to seek out higher education. I see a lot of apathy and a lot of the dismal failure of the educational system and a lot of defensiveness instead of activism in response to my efforts to be civically active. This concerns me. I'm not really trying to make friends, just stimulate active discussion, debate and hopefully eventual action in my efforts to make the world a better place.
I'm not quite sure where you got "BART's problems can be traced back to some sort of "California" attitude," although I would like to see a lot more thought, planning and action to address some of California's major problems. I am an Arnold supporter in that respect. I think that he is moving this state in the right direction, except for building more prisons.
Perhaps the "attitude" you/I was referring to was that "if you don't like it, then why don't you leave" one which I addressed previously.
I know you're different, especially since the Bay Area especially seems to be predominantly transplants. I don't think you're all "blond surfer dudes" but I do wonder if smoking all the killer skunk weed that you do has made you a bit apathetic at times. I guess I'll disagree with you here "We're not apathetic." I am definitely prone to passion and activism - does that have to make me pushy? I'm trying to improve things for everyone. It seems hard to rally the troops sometimes though.
#3. It was nothing official, but I do have a series of very involved emails with high ranking BART officials which I started in October, 2005. The service initially launches in December, 2005, with a full launch in March 2006. The timing seemed pretty coincidental, considering there'd been no such service for 10 years previously.
Thank you for your comments, input and support.
No, I'm not from the East
No, I'm not from the East Coat and I totally agree with him.
For ALL of the money that we spent on bart AND parking (which is rediculous at the Daly City/Colma stations), there should NOT be any maintennance problems. And where do they find these rent a cops? I've witnessed a girl getting robbing while sitting on the Bart at night.
Sure it was a "rare" incident, and it seemed like one of passengers who was actually concerned about the victim's welfare did more about the crime than the cops did.
How does Bart not have enough money to be efficient? It is not efficient. The riders need for it to be EFFICIENT. Not late. Not dysfunctional. We're getting RIPPED OFF. That's what's going on,
"go back to Boston" doesn't justify the fact that I myself had to walk into work late becuase of "problems".
Boston or East coast has nothing to do with it. People have to tend to their business in a timely manner and if you don't want us all to add to the traffic, then Bart needs to step up and allow us to adhere to our business in a timely manner.
And the change bart tickets are annoying.
If he puts his collective thoughts into paragraphs, I would endorce it.
There are a couple of good
There are a couple of good ideas in there somewhere along with what seem to be a lot of rambling.
First off on the bike issues, BART is one of the most permissive transit agencies I can think of in the US. Does NY allow bikes on its subway? How about Boston? Which isn't to say that some of your ideas aren't interesting. But c'mon you even admit that bikes take the room of 3 or 4 people, so I think we can see why they aren't allowed at certain times. If you get a folding bike, you can even take it on these commute trains. The folding bikes are pretty equal in size to the luggage that most normal people would take on a train to the airport, so I don't see this as a matter of "discrimination." This is a matter of protecting other riders from bikers taking unfair advantage of limited space during rush hours. On the contrary, I'd consider privileging bikers above everyone else "discrimination." Some on here have suggested charging bikers double or triple fare. I'm sure you'd love that idea. :-)
I do like your idea of having an engineered solution to the bike mess, though. If bikes are fitted in racks in the right way I would think they would take much less space and help alleviate some of the problem. Certainly having your bike take up the free handicap space or blocking doors isn't a great solution. One problem with putting the bike car as the last car of the train is that trains have a drivers car on each end and what is the last car quickly becomes the first. Though there may be ways to tip bikers off ahead of time so they know where to be. Maybe with the new electronic billboards that are supposed to go in. And they would have to get on and off quickly and not slow down boarding time otherwise you'll see some angry lynchings of bikers occur by other passengers. Ideally it would be nice to have these cars serve dual purpose so they can be used as normal cars when not being occupied by bikes.
One way you can save money on transit is by taking the bus service provided to all UC grad students as part of their fees. Assuming you're a Berkeley grad student you have an unlimited (including transbay) AC Transit bus pass if you put the sticker on your ID card and show it. And there are two bike spots on the fronts of most busses. It certainly sucks in transit time if you're going transbay, but it's cheap and you can do all your reading while you're stuck in traffic. I'm sure as a grad student you have a lot of it unless you're completely unlike every grad student I knew or you just don't do any of it.
The ramble on the state of education in California might or might not be justified. I have a hard time saying, but it's not particularly persuasive as to why California ought to subsidize your transit fees more than for other people. I knew plenty of people who CHOSE to live in San Francisco and commute under the Bay to Berkeley because they liked the lifestyle, their friends, or their apartments there better. They certainly could've CHOSEN to live in Berkeley or Oakland to cut down on transit costs (and similar or cheaper rents).
Certainly BART seems expensive but I'm not sure raising more taxes is the complete solution. In any case, the fact that BART was built more recently (and is still being built out) and with odd rolling-stock seems to contribute to its expense. I'd imagine that if the rail that used to exist before the 1940s (such as Key Systems) was still in place it would be much cheaper than BART is (but alas it was bought and destroyed by General Motors ostensibly to make more money off car sales).
I'd agree that greater money needs to go into transit since building larger and more elaborate highways is likely to be a very bad dead end once really high oil prices become a reality. I'm sure we haven't seen anything yet in comparison to what is to come. Yet people have to hold their leaders accountable for these actions. I don't have faith will happen until driving a car becomes prohibitively expensive. Even in your beloved Boston, I'd wager most people drive cars if they're doing a suburb to suburb commute (which realistically most of the Bay Area does when they're not going into San Francisco, Berkeley or Oakland).
And by the way, no one likes outsiders that arrive in a state play games of being superior. Californians used to do it when I was living in a neighboring state. Apparently those from Massachusetts do it when they come to California. Canadians pat those from the US condescendingly on the head and make "tsk tsk" noises while hungrily devouring US culture. It might feel good to play superior, but it won't win you many friends or get many people to take you seriously.
Good point, BART does allow
Good point, BART does allow bikes versus NY or Boston, although they are a different kind of "streetcar" train, more like MUNI trains with their "no bike" policies. I am definitely thankful for that about BART. I think it is essential considering the sprawl of the Bay Area.
I think I was just bashing the horrible CA education system in general, because it deserves it.
California or CA taxpayers should subsidize public transportation, DRIVERS should subsidize it as further compensation for the PRIVELEGE of driving. They should do this for the reasons I stated earlier. There were over a dozen spare the air days last year and there will likely be many more this year. Driving should be strongly discouraged and the use of public transportation strongly encouraged. Drivers are fouling the air. They should pay for the privelege of destroying our health. I ALWAYS call in smoking cars. Do you? 800-exhaust.
Very interesting about the reverse commute from SF to Berkeley. I wish I could afford to live in the city, I would love that, and I would probably never ride BART again.
Good comments on bike racks, they'll need to be positioned so as not to block the pass through doors and I guess you're suggesting that the last car is not ideal either. Maybe the bike car could have a special marking/paint job/flag/light, something.
I'm not for raising taxes, just SIN taxes on gas (and alcohol and cigarettes and legalizing drugs and taxing them too) to help pay for public transportation. I'm FOR clean air and less noise (although BART doesn't help that at all), and cheap/free transportation.
As for the wonderful raildays of yore, thanks for mentioning GM for me. See "Taken for a Ride" for the best account of how GM conspired to destroy the country's rail system to sell busses with their new Detroit Diesel engines. We will never recover since they managed to win the war and pave over the tracks.
Personally, I hope gas prices go over $5 because only then will people start changing/curbing their driving habits. The air will be breathable. Ridership will increase and more people will complain and the system will improve.
But until then people will keep driving gas sucking tanks that are a ridiculous waste and threat to public safety.
I'm only pointing to Boston as an example of some better systems, worth examining, since they've had so much longer to perfect them. Again, I'm not trying to win friends. I'm trying to stimulate discussion that might lead to action and positive change.
PS. paragraphing is your
PS. paragraphing is your friend. It makes long posts easier to read and so people can see where one idea begins and ends. It also makes you look less like a raving lunatic on speed.
Paragraphs good, check.
Paragraphs good, check.
it's great that people have
it's great that people have ideas for their local transit systems but the problem in getting all worked up about solutions like a "bike car" and "trash bins between cars" is that most people don't understand how the system works.
the priority in train transit system is NOT passenger comfort or convenience it's safety, period. you can well imagine how a "bike car" would devolve into a mountain of bikes clogging the all important inter-car closure doors. if this happens during a fire in the tube is "big daddy" going to be responsible for people being trapped in a burning car?
trash bins were removed from parts of the system due to terrorism fears. BART is one of the top terror targets on the west coast and if a bomb went off in a trash can then it would be "why didn't they remove...."
BART is closed for 4 hrs a day, big deal. no place to sit? awwww. trains in boston are cheaper because everything is cheaper in boston. i just checked the MBTA's website and learned that i make more than The Assistant Superintendent of Transmission & Distribution and the power and support engineers!
this supposed "big daddy" should get better informed about BART before getting all worked up. last year BART was voted the #1 system in america by who? all the other transit systems, including boston. every system can and should be improved but not by know a it all.
If I'm on the car, I will
If I'm on the car, I will accept the responsibility of getting everyone I can out safely. That's just the kind of guy I am.
Those "terrorism fears" are pure propaganda bunk. That's an excuse to cut back on housekeeping services. Why would a terrorist bomb a platform when they could blow up a train packed with hundreds during rush hour or toss a bomb out of a car on a bridge and cripple the Bay Area? Where the hell did you hear that bullshit about BART being a top West Coast Target? San Diego with its anchored fleet is far above us.
"BART is closed for 4 hrs a day, big deal. no place to sit? awwww." Are you kidding? Those are the 4 hours we need it most to keep all the drunk drivers off the street! They actually kill people, every day! Would 2 party nights a week like Friday and Saturday be too much to ask to save lives? Maybe even Thursday and the nights before holidays they run all night. How many fucking hours of maintenance does a 35 year old transit system require? That is what disgusted and infuriated riders should be asking.
"No place to sit, awww." Get a fucking clue. Public safety is the only issue of importance my ass! My sore, tired, aching ass and feet. Shut up and get me a fucking bench willya?
Everything's cheaper in Boston. I don't think so. As for your fortunate salary/earnings - mazel tov.
I heard something about BART being voted #1, but I couldn't believe it. Was it last year? How many other times did it earn that vote? Was the fix in? Was it the last to get the vote. Nobody I talked to can believe it either.
Another BART blog agreed http://www.bartrage.com/node/332
They think there was a payoff. I'll have to agree. I want to know a lot more about this "award." Who voted? What exactly did it say? I couldn't find shit on Google.
But keep up the good work. I generally have NO complaints about BART drivers.
here's a link to the
here's a link to the announcement of the award. took me about 10 seconds to google it.
http://www.apta.com/media/releases/awards_04/bart.cfm
in my opinion, your atttitude is a major factor in why people are being so hard on you. just state the facts and avoid the "fuck this fuck that fuck you" crap and you'll get a better reception.
"Oakland is a shithole -
"Oakland is a shithole - check, Richmond is also a shithole - check"
Can't really say shithole, have you seen the newer houses in Richmond?
are you trying to say that
are you trying to say that the mere fact that a developer put up some nice houses in richmond means the crime rate will somehow go down? how exactly does the presence of a group of nice houses change the fact that the rest of the area is infested with crime?
i'd argue that the crime rate will go up. new houses, which i presume are out of the price range of the average richmond inhabitant, means more money is being poured into a small area of the city, potentially leading to resentment.
if i were a richmond criminal, i'd be doing all my crime in these new neighborhoods. nice house + richer homeowner = less chance said homeowner is a freak with a gun = safer place to perform a home invasion and nicer home contents to steal.
Those new cribs in Richmond
Those new cribs in Richmond are nowhere near any of the BART stations, or should I say BART station. Richmond only has one, way down in the middle of town. It's near the Social Security bldg and the new, or not so new Kaiser which has already reduced services out of that facility. All those "new" houses are out by Hilltop, off the Richmond Parkway across from the UPS bldg & the closed down Pinole Pt. Steel plant.