bad experience in train with bike

yesterday i rode bike to work, and suddenly weather decided to change (didnt get anything from weather.com :rolleyes:). and wind was gusting upto 40 mph and i have to ride 16 miles.

so i decided to take train home. they only allow bike riders upto 4 PM.
but it was not so comfortable. i had to pass my bike between passengers to get to end where bikes go. then while getting bike down at station i had to do same thing, pass between passengers and lift bike from stairs.

In all these i lost one of the back light.
overall i was thinking i better of riding bike even in gusting wind.
i am never taking train ever again. it was worse experience.

Weird -- why would they only allow bikes until 4? Because the train would be too crowded later in the day?

I'm sorry you had such a bad experience.

yes. train would be too crowded later on pick hours. so they dont allow bikes from 4 to 7 PM.

and even conductor was showing attitude. because he had to lift seats upward so that i can put my bike. because of 4 PM rule he let me in, instead he would not let me in train. (train was leaving 3:57 PM. so i was lucky :p)

I take my bike on the train every day, but luckily I'm on the less congested end of the line. I live close to London and lots of commuters use the train to get to work in London. They do limit bikes on the trains here too. I'm ok where I am, but going into London you are only allowed folding bikes during rush hours because of the crowding and congestion. I have occasionally had to sit out a train here too when it's been too full to get my bike on board.

yes, train rules can be a real hassle. sounds like the light rail experience we had in Sacramento. Bicycles could only be in one part of the car, but if people were sitting there; tough luck they wouldn't move for you. So (for example) they had nice places to hang the bikes but like i said, if someone else was sitting there they wouldn't move. So I had to stand and hold my bike for most of a 40 minute ride, most the time in a practically empty car.

Northern CA mixed commuter: bike to light rail, take train, get off train and bike to work....reverse.

Bikes are allowed on all cars except the first car and limited times on the major line (into San Francisco). Folding bikes are allowed any time, any train, any car.

We've had a technical problem on the train that's reduced trains on certain lines for a few weeks.

Add the cost of gas and it's more crowded these days.

Add new cyclists on BART especially new or newer riders who don't know how to position their bike to make seats available and WE are inconveniencing some passengers (I've seen some absolute doozies!!!).

I've just copied to my calendar the schedules of the major teams in the area. Why? Because when there's a home game at the hour I'm going home the train's always crowded. So I'll bike to work on days there is not a major game going on.

We have bike on the train here in Salt Lake, but I always get nervous and shaky picking my bike up the stairs, and then I see the flashy lights and freak out, before I realize that it's my own little blinky. By the time I get off, I'm a nervous wreck.

A bus driver here yelled at me because I was too slow putting bike on the rack in front :( it was only my second time! Mean, angry bus driver.

but here's a GOOD experience on the train :p I frequently see this cyclist with her two "book store cats" on the train. I think you can meet them at a book store in Berkeley.

They ride the cat carrier to the store and back home each day on the bike. Here's one popping up to get petted, the other is quiet, both largely sleep through the bike ride.

similar rules on time period for no bikes on subway train during rush hour in Toronto and here on Skytrain in Vancouver. Montreal allows bikes..though when I was there, we used subway train only once with bikes...and it was such a long time ago.

Vancouver has only begun to allow bikes at all on its Skytrain in the last few years. My partner was behind the advocacy effort there with his organization to push for it. lst year was trial basis and then made permanent.

The advantage of Toronto is that the train is alot wider (except for light commuter train in Scarborough North). Last few years, there is also helpful subway train maps that identify which stations has an elevator. Vancouver hasn't quite caught up to this level of detailed info. in each train car..but maybe it'll happen after the Canada Line extension is completed in Nov. 2009 which will take you from airport into downtown Vancouver. There will be a bike deck along this new line....again my dearie and his group were lobbying hard for this cycling route....and they ..won..several million dollars to do this ...for cyclists.

Meg & I are planning to take our bikes on the commuter train Friday to Nashville, then ride back. I asked about this along time ago and was told to bring a bungi (sp?). I hope there is no problem.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by frnz

A bus driver here yelled at me because I was too slow putting bike on the rack in front :( it was only my second time! Mean, angry bus driver.

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Frnz
always report fractious bus drivers. they are so utterly accountable! either take the number off the back of the bus or just tell them what time you got onto the bus and your location. they can pinpoint the driver.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by mimitabby

Frnz
always report fractious bus drivers. they are so utterly accountable! either take the number off the back of the bus or just tell them what time you got onto the bus and your location. they can pinpoint the driver.

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I commend the ones who are good, too :cool:

There's a commuter train in Nashville???

Cool!

Which way does it go? (I bet from Franklin, not from Mt. Juliet.)

Karen

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Tuckervill

There's a commuter train in Nashville???

Cool!

Which way does it go? (I bet from Franklin, not from Mt. Juliet.)

Karen

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WRONG! Starts in Lebanon, with stops in Martha, MJ, Hermitage, Donelson, and ends at Riverfront Park.

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