Bart
drives me nuts sometimes. No, I am not talking about that Bart. Him, I love.
I am
talking about Bay Area Rapid Transport system. It has been couple of months
since I started using this system again after a break of close to 4 years. As
you can imagine there has been quite a few changes. The price of the ticket has
gone up and the space on the train has gone down. The cost of parking on Bart
lots have gone up, and it seems that the number of cars on the trains has gone
down. The 10 car trains which were a pleasant sight are a rarity now–a-days.
Bart
seems to be minting money and I sincerely hope that some of that money is being
planned or being spent on system upgrades which are sorely needed. With the
trains crowded as they are security and health scares are a reality that has to
be addressed sooner rather than later. The measles scare is a grim reminder.
For example, I really can’t believe that the driver door on trains is made of
glass. The Bart police, like the 10 car train are a rare sight.
My
experience is limited to the Fremont line, but it seems that the riders seem to
have changed quite a bit too. The biggest change that I noticed is them being
disconnected. It is such an irony. Even though most of them have smart phone or
various other devices by which they are connected to the world, they seem to
have lost touch with their immediate surroundings. It is almost like human
machines getting turned off. Once they are inside the car and settled in their
seats, every head goes down, and then rarely look up. I am very sure that this
set of riders is going to suffer major neck issues as they get older. There is also some kind of “Bermuda Triangle” effect going on. It seems that the people who
grab the reserved seats are the most impacted. They get disconnected so
bad that they usually need a tap to get them to respond.
Ladies
and seniors will be standing right next to them, but these seated riders are
oblivious to that fact. Don’t get me wrong. Pregnant and disabled people are
pretty much given a seat every time. It is in the case of seniors and
ladies that I think there is a huge confusion. It is that gray area which
wrecks havoc with the mind. Should I get up? Does she deserve to sit? He seems
to be around 50, but he seems fit. The debate keeps raging. Their mind and
heart tells them to get up, but the body tells them to don’t even think about
it. Excuses keep piling up and at one stage; the body usually wins out. Then
there are those that go to sleep immediately or put on their shades and
“sleep”. They just don’t want to go into that debate mode.
Bart,
to make this crowded ride a little bit more fun, here are some potential ideas.
“Guy’s don’t sit Tuesdays”, “5 stops and you are out Mondays”, “Funny Hat
Friday”, “Tag and you are out Thursday”. Riders can do their part
too. Getting up and offering up seats just once a week could make a huge
difference, or maybe offering seats after 5-6 stops. The smile on the other
person’s lips will be reward enough that will make your day and heart feel
better. It is crowded in the cars and there is standing room only. If you are
having a debate inside your mind, that probably means you should be getting up
and offering up your seat. It is crowded, but that doesn't mean that
respect and common courtesy should be booted out of the car. It is amazing
that loud music is disallowed on trains and we usually frown on that. But,
talking loudly on phones right next to someone else’s ears is considered OK.
Bart,
we can’t live with you and we can’t live without you. So, why not compromise
and enjoy the ride while it lasts. Let us all do our parts. How about trying to reduce the time between trains? Or maybe add a few cars
on the trains. It is hot and getting hotter. With ridership increasing, the
riders would really love the extra space.
To
take care of the extra expense, here is an idea. There is a huge untapped
potential for fines. I see riders smoking on platforms, eating and drinking. I
have seen people slipping out without paying their fares. Catch and fine them, please.
I
spend 6% of each day on this train. It is a big chunk and I would love that to
be rewarding. As they say “Life is not about the destination, but about the
journey that gets us there”. So, here is to hoping that things get better.
Cheers!
