Your place to share stories on and off the bus.
Eric Fischer finds cool things. He then shares them on his Flickr account with anyone who has access to a computer. Today, he shared this, the 1958 logo to “RT,” the “San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District.” At the time, it comprised five counties. Those were the days …
I really wish I could leave some money in Eric’s tip jar. I mean … Burlingame BART? Check it out:
Photo by Flickr user anitakhart
Let’s start with the carpet. Why would Bay Area Rapid Transit, one of the country’s busiest commuter rail systems, decide it was a good idea to upholster the floor?
The result is Eau de BART, the stomach-turning scent that hits you in the face every time you board a train to San Francisco.
Oh man. Our transit system is getting dissed…nationally! Okay, I agree that the cloth seats are a bad idea. What’s more barftastic: BART, Muni, or the NYC subway?
(Thanks for the tip, reader Dave)
Photo by checkerboard_secrets
A couple of Saturdays ago, I happily boarded BART at 24th and Mission to head downtown for some serious shopping. I was flying solo, the sun was shining, Anthropologie was calling my name…I was happy.
I stepped onto BART, surveyed the seat situation, and chose a row right in front of the door between the cars. I moved to the inside seat, trying to be a considerate BART rider.
At 16th and Mission a shabbily dressed man boarded the car and plopped down right next to me with force, taking up more than his allotted seat. I edged closer to the wall. He rummaged through his bevy of plastic bags until he found what he was searching for: an ancient-looking, jumbo-size can of Vienna Sausages. With a pop that lid was off, and sausage juice began to fly–some towards me even! I moved as far away as I could from this man as he went to town on his snack. He methodically whipped out each sausage, one-by-one, shaking the excess juice around the car and licking his fingers.
I really didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. I’ve smelled worse and seen worse…but this was the first (and hopefully only) time that cold Vienna Sausage juice had been flung in my direction.
This dude was almost done with his snack when we pulled into Powell and I politely said “Excuse me” so I could get past him. He was visibly irritated to have his dinner interrupted in such a way. I was visibly irritated to have been showered with drops of processed meat juice.
Back out in the sunshine, I shook it off (no pun intended) and proceeded to enjoy my shopping trip. No point in crying over spilled sausage juice, right?
Photo by dannyman
CCT has the deets. Here are some highlights:
Music demon
He’s listening to this music, and it’s so loud you don’t need to share his headset — you can hear it at the other end of the carriage. He won’t have any hearing left in 12 months if he keeps up this noise level. Despite the misconception that this is not limited to young people and rap music, this blasting of tunes is also regularly displayed by 30-somethings with country tracks and the familiar middle-aged AC/DC fan in his business suit — easy to spot with the foot beating to Angus Young’s guitar.
Headbanger
Not to be confused with the Music Demon, these are the BART riders who wear their handbags, satchels or computer bags over their shoulders and walk down the center aisle banging heads and shoulders as they go, oblivious to the damage they cause. This species is often experienced in the center aisle on domestic flights as well. Be careful because they are also known to attack your cheek, your ears and the occasional eye. Advice: Put your bag on the floor between your feet. I would like to get off the train in a half-hour without damage to my facial features.
Read more at Contra Costa Times, whose URL-generation baffles the mind …
Photo by Stuart of Caliber SF. Click the photo for a larger version.
Incidentally, this is the 100th post on BART Diaries! We couldn’t have made it without your stories, so keep ’em coming! Post a BART diary here, or send it to bartdiaries@gmail.com.
Vic over at Mission Mission posted about this awesome BART busker band, the California Honeydrops. In the video, they discuss why they love playing for BART riders. It’s worth a watch, and their music is really cool. Tip ’em if you get the chance, eh?