I always knew it was possible to be assaulted on BART .....
.... and it finally happened yesterday. A 4-car train heading into SF on Saturday afternoon was, as usual, packed, with about a dozen people standing on each car. As a grandma with my 2 grandsons with me, I was tired and really wanted to sit and -- lo and behold -- on the last car found one seat empty (in one of those 4-seat facing-each-other configurations). Only problem, there was a backpack in the seat and a small, empty baby stroller in the space where the sitter's legs would be. I asked the gentlemen sitting there if he would mind moving his backpack, and he moved it. I then moved the empty stroller about 6 inches so I could fit my legs in, and this action unleashed a torrent of rage, threats and verbal abuse from the woman sitting directly across from the open seat (who had a baby in her lap) -- shocking in its intensity and inappropriateness for my committing a perceived offense by touching the stroller. She was on her cell phone and started loudly saying things like "white bitch better keep her hands off my shit" and "I'll kick her ass" to the person on the phone (all the while still holding the baby), and glared at me with smoldering eyes.
In hindsight, of course I should have gotten up and moved to another car and stood during the trip through the tunnel, but I stood (sat?) my ground and talked to my grandsons (who were standing in the aisle next to me) about their summer activities. When the train arrived at Embarcadero station, the family sitting in the 4-seat configuration on the opposite side of the aisle (who also had a baby stroller but didn't use it to obstruct any seats) got off, and everyone had to squish in a little to let them through. The ranting woman opposite me used this opportunity to push her baby stroller towards me aggressively, striking one of my grandsons -- who was standing in the aisle -- in the leg and pinning my legs. (It was not necessary for her to move her stroller to let anyone through as no one was getting off on our side of the aisle.)
I then moved the still empty stroller back several inches and she erupted in a full-blown rage, handing the baby to the person next to her, standing up and moving towards me aggressively. I stood up and moved over to the now-empty 4-seat space to try and dodge her swings (she did hit me in one arm). I was trapped in this area by her (she was about 4 inches taller and 50 pounds heavier than I am) and I yelled for someone to call the train operator or BART police, but of course everyone acted as though they were deaf and blind except for one brave gentleman who I would like to thank (for possibly saving my life) who stepped in between us so she couldn't hit me again.
By then one of my grandsons was crying (I've since taught him how to call the BART police on the intercom if he ever experiences this kind of situation with me or ANYONE on BART). Anyway, this woman was yelling that I had touched her baby (an outright lie -- I never came within 2 feet of her baby, who was in her lap and never in the stroller) and telling me she had "metal in her pocket" (which I guess meant a gun). I was getting off at the next stop anyway, and the brave gentleman who intervened blocked her so I could leave. Thank you, thank you, thank you, whoever you are!!! At that point I probably should have gone to the station agent and reported it, but I was afraid she was behind me and high-tailed it out of BART as fast as I could.
Only later did I truly realize how dangerous a predicament it was and that you just never know what kind of crazy, aggressive maniac is sitting next to (or across from) you as you ride through that tube. Anyway, moral of the story is to move at the first sign of such deranged behavior as it is not in the realm of the rational and thus is totally unpredictable. Also, please, please BART riders, help your fellow BART riders if something like this happens in a train you're on. You might not want to physically intervene, but get on the intercom and request help. Next time it could be you who are facing a situation like this and in need of help!!
Wow I'm so sorry. Had I been
Wow I'm so sorry. Had I been there I would definitely not have stood for that shit and would have intervened as well. I hope you don't let people like this win and let them sour you on BART. They are the scum of the earth and will get theirs soon enough.
...and because no one
...and because no one reported her dumb ass, she will do it again to someone else. And again and again. Should have gone to the Agent's booth. The next person this bitch assaults might not have someone help out and might end up seriously injured. Every crime that goes unreported is a pat on the back for the bad guys who know you are too afraid to do anything. It's why we have so much crime. The fear of the assaulted ones and the cowardly apathy of all those who pretend not to notice someone getting assaulted are what criminals count on and the public seldoms fails to disappoint. The man who broke it up should have thrown her ass right off the train.
Agreed.
Agreed.
Smartass should of moved.
Smartass should of moved. Either get your ass beat or get up and move somewhere else. Obviously there are assholes like the one who assaulted you. You should of thought of moving first.
As an operator, I hate to
As an operator, I hate to hear that you had to deal with that on the train.
However, because you, or nobody else bothered to contact the operator, the woman that assaulted you slept in her own bed last night.
Physical assaults are taken very seriously by BART and BARTPD, and if you, and others woulda have held your ground and got BARTPD involved, that train woulda been held, and she woulda been dealt with accordingly. And trust me, there was a BART cop near since this occured in downtown SF. I'm willing to bet that there was one or two upstairs that woulda ran down and handled that. You and the witnesses coulda stuck around, provided a statement to BARTPD, and she would have been arrested for assault.
But like it was stated earlier, because no one chose to stand their ground, she's gonna do it to someone else now. She ruined you and your family's day with her actions, and she continued on with the rest of her day repercussion free.
"The problem in America is not the criminals, but with the people that do nothing about them".
Uh, no, I think the main
Uh, no, I think the main problem IS with the criminals. Unfortunately the victims of crimes are often victimized a second or third time by the so-called "justice" system (and in this case the victim would have had to deal with BART employees who, despite what they say, usually do little or nothing but stand around and talk to each other -- even the BART police, who I've never seen on the train but only standing around near the agent's cages). So let's not blame the victims -- it IS THE CRIMINALS who are to blame. (Nevertheless it is very unfortunate that no one bothered to use the call button to alert authorities when this assault was actually occurring, but instead sat there like brain-dead fish.)
yes, the criminals are the
yes, the criminals are the underlying problem. however, if you do nothing about it they will continue to bully you and others. and more than likely they will become more bold as they go. case in point: the second time op moved the stroller the lady became not only verbally violent, but physically violent as well. not to blame the op, but she should have gotten on the intercom IMMEDIATELY during the first encounter when the lady was shouting racial slurs. by keeping her mouth shut, there were no consequences for the criminal.
The time for a BPD to be on
The time for a BPD to be on a train is on the long haul runs ( though the tube & some parts of the concord or Dublin lines )
Once there is captive audience the bad guys know they can get away with it and they have the time that is when/where people like Randi Banks starts her begging, start their shit with people etc.. (specially in the tube where there is no cell coverage)
boy what a crock.
boy what a crock.
"The problem in America is
"The problem in America is not the criminals, but with the people that do nothing about them." In the context of the current discussion, that would mainly be BART police who are getting paid to protect BART patrons yet are seldom seen actually doing much enforcement beyond issuing parking tickets or similar basically useless activity. The absence of a police presence that enforces the rules and protects patrons sends a message to the losers. The message is that the rules aren't so important and that they have a good chance of getting away with whatever. It is sad that people can't just behave, but that's the way some people are and they need someone to tell them what they can and cannot do until such time as they get the message.
police can't be everywhere
police can't be everywhere all the time. where were the police when my car was stolen right out of my driveway? should they station a police officer on every city block? obviously they can't do this. if you look at a vast majority of crimes, i'd say at least 99% are REPORTED to police by victims or witnesses. you can't just keep your mouth shut and expect the police to read your mind (or this blog).
BART Police wouldn't have
BART Police wouldn't have done anything anyway because they wouldn't be able to locate her because she disembarked the train. Sorry, but this is typical crap from the thug blacks we put up with. Like the woman should even have a kid anyway. She probably abuses the hell out of it. I'm sorry I wasn't there too. I would have shoved that stroller up her welfare a$$. I"m tired of these black bitches on their cell phones talking like that; all they do is bitch moan and complain because they are a bunch of fat lazy welfare bitches.
Well said Baby Hitler.
Well said Baby Hitler.
Why is this guy/gal a "baby
Why is this guy/gal a "baby Hitler" for telling it like it is?? The blacks should have their own "ghetto" BART car to ride in so the "whites" 'can't touch their shit' and we don't have to be around them--segragation existed for a reason. I hate to say it and I used to be THE most un-prejudiced person in the world until I moved to the East Bay and had to ride BART daily. The blacks love to say crap to white people and attempt to act superior when really they are just plane ignorant, unemployed and blame it all on everyone else.
just because blacks can't
just because blacks can't tell the difference between a boeing 747 and an airbus a380 doesn't make them second class citizens.
OOps! I'm the dumb-dumb who
OOps! I'm the dumb-dumb who can't spell!
LOL..... boopiejones...
LOL..... boopiejones... plane ignorant....
African-Americans are ignorant.
Asians are ignorant.
Whites are ignorant.
Hispanics are ignorant.
Humans are ignorant.
Defeat the cycle. Not every single individual is ignorant. The ones that are ruin it for the whole group of people.
By the way, I can tell the difference between a 747-200 and a 747-400, and between a 747-300 and 747-200ER. Can you?
The winglets?
The winglets?
Yep! And the -200SP is
Yep!
And the -200SP is notably shorter. Looks stunted. Chubby.
Sorry, I'm hardly plane ignorant! =)
Thank you PPID911. Well
Thank you PPID911. Well said.
Ignorance and bad behavior comes in ALL colors.
Beecause jerks and idiots
Beecause jerks and idiots come in EVERY color. Not just brown.
Yes, that would be nice
Yes, that would be nice since they hate everybody anyway and they'll steal your iPod, too. It's funny, when Bart did a public announcement regarding iPod thefts on the trains, they suggested using different colored ear buds, but why didn't they say who the thieves were? Ooh, maybe the Asian kids are the perps.
I don't sympathize for
I don't sympathize for you.
You didn't report this incident. Maybe if she had a gun and shot your ass, these assualting mothers can be behind bars where they belong. Shame on you for not doing anything. Maybe when your grandchildren grow up and ride BART by themselves, they will do what you didn't. Or just do what you did and post on a web blog.
-Hockey Player
I agree with you Hockey
I agree with you Hockey Player
mace in the fizzace.... have
mace in the fizzace....
have at it BART PD...hahahaha
I don't think that law
I don't think that law enforcement is responsible for "policing" society.
I do think that they have a responsibilty for enforcing the rules (read: laws) that the society has put in place.
I read the original post and it seems to have started with rudeness and drama. I know that the situation took on a life of it's own and turned into a mess with strollers being pushed around and threats being made.
Uughh, rambeling...
Here's my point.
There is nothing that a cop can do if someone is voicing their displeasure or shooting hard looks at someone (read: rudeness and drama). In our society it's okay to do these things. It's our right.
Once it gets physical it turns into something else. And the cops should handle that.
But, YOU GOTTA TELL THEM!!
Grandma, it seems to me, made a few poor choices. And then failed to back those choices up with resolute affirmation.
Some shit I let go.
Other shit requires a more direct response.
Like this...
"Look BITCH, you gonna roll up on me like a man, then you should be ready for my fuckin' shit! You will BLEED you fuckin' whore. I WILL KILL you and your WHOLE FUCKIN' FAMILY!!!
Fuck with me now, BITCH!! And I don't give a flying FUCK about your uncle the crackhead lawyer. You wanna know why, CUNT? Because I 'aint got shit, and I don't give a fuckin' shit. Fuck with me BITCH, FUCK WITH ME!!"
ooohh, that kind of felt good
jbap21
Wow...this sounds terrible.
Wow...this sounds terrible. I can't imagine something like this happening around the RockRidge or Macarthur stops, but I now only ride 3-4 times a week, since I've gotten such rude service from BART employees regarding charging my wife a $4.50 excursion fare to pay our parking fee one day (when I forgot to pay it.)
"Everyone acted as though
"Everyone acted as though they were deaf and blind except for one brave gentleman who I would like to thank (for possibly saving my life) who stepped in between us so she couldn't hit me again."
A couple months ago, a woman went off at me one evening on BART. Apparently I had been standing too close to her, so she wanted to "beat [my] motherfucking ass" and what not. Only one (one!) person on the entire train intervened. He called the train operator and police met the woman at the next station. But the rest of the train? The 20+ people within earshot of us. Well, they just "politely" stared at the ground for 10 minutes. What a bunch of jerks.
This happens all to
This happens all to often.
People are selfish about some things, and don't want to interject themselves in other things.
C'mon people. Speak up and report it so we can get this trash off of BART and make the ride safe and fun for everyone.
It might have been Grandma one day, but that same person could do it to you tomorrow, in a week, in a year, (probably be dead in five years...) if we don't stop them and put them away.
Just for fun, here's my 2
Just for fun, here's my 2 cents.
We all need to take responsiblity for our own security. As I've suggested before, buy a gun, learn how to use it and carry it at all times.
The police will NEVER be around when you need them, that's the nature of the uniform. As long as it's visible, everyone's safe.
Whether BART police were called or not, if that crackwhore bitch had half a brain left, she'dve been long gone before they appeared.
I was glad to hear that another valiant soul saved the day for you. Shame on the pussies who spectated passively. I'd really expect no more from the apathetic BART crowd.
Back to my "take responsibility for your own protection" suggestion.
Personally, if I'd been there I'd likely have handled it identically to your savior, although I might not've been so nice. Verbal attacks are one thing and bitchy attitudes are allowed in our society, as noted among the replies, but once it got physical I'dve loved to jump in and set that bitch straight and given her a slice of jbap style street justice. I actually enjoy such an invitation to a confrontation like when some bitch talks shit in my direction and if I'm in the mood swiftly respond in kind to contribute to an escalation. It's how I get my cardio:-).
Of course the points about your own mishandling of the situation were also well founded. Unfortunately the inconsiderate BART riders didn't offer up a prime "reserved" seat by the door for you to rest your weary and elderly tootsies in. That regulation, if it were ever "enforced," would've saved all the drama. Then of course, you should've known better than to push up on a crackhead, who immediately showed her stripes as such. Then you should've been well prepared after your initial encounter for the immediate violent attack after touching the crackwhore's sacred welfare baby carrier. Then, after all the other misjudgments, you let her get away with her outrageous, psychotically antisocial behavior. It's been mentioned that she's VERY likely abusing the shit out of that baby as it is. Shouldn't you, as a grandmother, have more regard for the obvious welfare concerns for her crack baby and try to break the cycle by seeing that the cycle of abuse ends with her? This would have required a strong showing, to demonstrate for your young charges "the right thing to do" in such an important confrontation.
Perhaps next time, while this admittedly potentially deadly pscyhopath was being held at bay, you could have then walked over to the console and seen justice all the way through.
Of course I can also see the wisdom in removing your precious loved ones removed immediately from danger, but some follow up once removed would have been nice. I think that specifically for these incredibly rare occurrences does BART spend nearly 40 MILLION dollars each year not including those countless, relatively useless station agents. I'dve loved to have heard the results of this probably 50+ million dollar per year machine run through its paces.
As my peeps know though, I'm a big fan of personal responsibility. Of course I can take care of myself in pretty much any situation, but if you live in fear, then you need to take steps to remedy that, be it a self defense class or buying a gun. Looking around for a policeman or a call box or hoping that somebody else will "call for help" or even intervene on your behalf is NOT taking responsibility for your own safety.
So I'm not really a proponent of being a whiny tattletale. I am in favor of adminstering a hearty beatdown if it's called for or defending one's life with deadly force if necessary. But if you didn't bring your whipass or your gat, then at the very least you should take steps to protect others once you're safe.
Meanwhile I hope that you're educating your grandkids on what you SHOULD have done in every detail so that they can be responsible and positive contributors to their community and our society when they face similar circumstances as Hockey said.
I think I need to weigh in on the criminal versus "victim" debate as well (it's expected of me). I think my stance should be obvious by now. Criminals are bad - they will ALWAYS exist. To think otherwise for a second is pure folly. To plan and be prepared is the only course.
The criminal "justice" system is broken beyond repair and should NOT be depended upon for anything but enriching itself, just like cops should be depended on for nothing except enriching themselves by writing tickets and being lapdogs for corporate interests. To echo the sentiments of others I've never seen a BART cop do anything but shoot the shit with an equally useless station agent on the rare occasion that I see them at all.
You have to TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR YOUR OWN SECURITY. Sorry, I think I'm repeating myself.
As usual I'm not sure what PP means by "Not every single individual is ignorant. The ones that are ruin it for the whole group of people." I'm always suspicious when I hear crap like this, especially when it comes from a jack booted thug. This is exactly the kind of propaganda that has us on the verge of living under complete tyranny right now. Due to a terrorist attack we must all: disarm, allow the government to read our email, log our googlesearches, study our bank accounts, listen to our phone conversations, read our mail, lock us up with no charges, no lawyer, suspend habeas corpus, force us to carry ID and publicize our social security "national identification number," show our "papers" at every checkpoint, submit to extensive invasive searches to travel, etc. We are devolving into a fascist society because of "a few bad apples." Whatever happened to the "American" ideal of freedom and justice "better 1000 guilty men go free than 1 innocent man be wrongfully imprisoned?" Please scrutinize the propaganda of those who purport to be authority figures.
Sorry to hear about your car Boopie and your typically bad customer service experience "Wow."
"Plane ignorant" - ROFLMAO!
Two cents well spent! I
Two cents well spent!
I actually slogged through the whole post and am currently looking for ther nearest Fall Out Shelter.
This post was the BOMB!
I don't agree with everything you said, but alot of it.
I could even hear the chains, straining and cracking under pressure, as they forced you to stay with the prescribed subject matter.
Then, as you turned the corner and entered the "criminals vs. victim" debate, the chains broke under the pressure brought on by the change in medication.
(it was expected)
Nice post.
better living through chemistry
jbap21
;-}
;-}
The government isn't
The government isn't interested in your lame ass googlemail. And being forced to listen to other people's baby's mama phonesex is not fun at all.
I don't agree with the
I don't agree with the woman's violent reaction to you but I must say I don't agree with you touching her things without asking her either. You say you asked the gentleman to move the backpack on the seat but then you say you moved the stroller on your own (with no mention of asking the owner to do so first) and you point out that the baby was not in the stroller as if to justify touching it. What made you make a distiction between the two items and people and decide to ask with one person and not another? True, from the sound of it the woman with the stroller overreacted but I think it was a violation common courtesy (which is really what you were seeking yourself, isn't it?) to touch and/or move someone else's things without asking first. Why did you do that and not think that she would get upset? Why not just move the backpack yourself too?
Well I hate to see people
Well I hate to see people take things to a level of "race" because "two wrongs don't make a right", but seems like the black chick was a bit smarter since she obviously accomplished her goal.
Stop allowing ignorance/pride/ego to cloud your mind and make poor decisions. Why put yourself in a bad situation to save face, but end up with egg on it in the end? Grandma should have called the TO (after moving to another car). Venting about it after you stupidly decided to stand up and fight, but almost got the "beat down" won't stop it from happening again. You think fast (like the black chick) and get the TO on the intercom, hopefully they would have kept the doors closed and waited for BART PD.
Who cares if the lady touched
Who cares if the lady touched her stroller. That sad sack of shit knew she was blocking the seat with her stroller and therefore relinquished her right to being treated with any sort of courtesy. Blocking seats, cursing and hitting an old woman and her grandkids as her infant watched, are you fucking kidding me? Nice parenting. She's going to try that on with the wrong "white bitch" and get an epic ass kicking.