Commuter Q

[Trek420]

Today on BART the train operator made an announcement that "bikes are not allowed on any train during peak commute times

Those of you in the Bay Area know that bikes are allowed on any train but the first car, just not during peak times and directions on the SF line.

I was on the Richmond line.

alrighty then.

So I thought "self? should I say anything?" and I go to the intercom to the driver at the end of the car and I ask him "you just said bikes are not allowed on the train. I'm looking at the bikes on BART poster, it says something like this 'bikes are allowed on any car but the first car, and not during peak times in peak directions on the SF line.' This is the Richmond train right?"

crackle crackle

"uh, yes"

"so bikes are allowed, yes?"

"uhm, well I there was this pasenger complained and..."

"I bike to work often and don't want to get hassled by a passenger who heard that we are not allowed so to clarify...we are allowed unless it's too crowded right?"

"uh, yeah"

"thanks"

A passenger seated nearby me gives me a thumbs up.

A few moments later the driver announces "Attention, this is a correction to the earlier announcement...." he makes the correction and apologizes.

Same passenger smiles, two thumbs up

I went back to the intercom and thanked him.

He says he usualy drives the SF train and gets confused driving different lines.

I laughed and asked, "now you remember which track we're on now right?"

[CorsairMac]

wooohoo CorsairMac gives Trek 2 thumbs up! go get em girl!!!

[Geonz]

STand up and be COUNTED!!!

Huzzah!! (Tho' it was that thumbs up person that really made it work...)

We need to remember that next time we get a "get on the sidewalk, lady!" ... we can educate them, a few at a time...

[Lise]

Go, Trek! And points to the conductor for correcting himself publically. I'm hard pressed to imagine that happening on Chicago's El trains.

[ladyjai]

great story trek. Goodonya for acting on it. Sometimes I just want to lecture folks...

I'm with the group on traffic laws. Don't break them, and never ever tell someone else to break them

Personally, I'm a roadie (and own only one bike!). I'd choose route A, or an alternative consisting of asphalt. One thing I've learned as I commute, is that there are many options. I am tickled to find new routes that provide either increased average speed, increased mileage, climbing, shortest possible safe route, etc. (sometimes routes suprise me, as i didn't think they were possibilities until I tempt fate and ride them)

While I always will have to ride a portion of that not-so-fun Osborn road, there are a myriad of ways in between. my work even let me change my work hours to 7-4 so that i can have a safer commute, and that time change renders the morning hours infinitely safer.