Showing posts with label BART. Show all posts
Showing posts with label BART. Show all posts
December 4, 2011
Hottest Guys on the London Tube
The New York Times pointed me to this fantastic blog called TubeCrush which has photos of hot guys who are riding the London Tube. The photos are secretly snapped and posted by women. Bring this to BART!
January 14, 2010
What Goes Around Comes Around
Well, I just got a $75 parking ticket in my neighborhood for "double parking" my cousin Ben's car. I have had it all of one hour and there goes enough money to cover my gas and electric and wireless bills for the month. I've seen cars park in this space before, but nope, it wasn't legal.
At first I was furious and said a few good f-ing words. Then I decided that the money I was going to use for an Oakland business license has just been realocated to their parking fund. That may still hold true. But now I'm seeing it differently and believe that this money is going to come back to me in some way because I'm a good person doing good work on behalf of Oakland. I'll even put out there that I see this $75 investment coming back to me in the form of a very affordable car for purchase. Not a $75 car but one that is within my budget.
I know, back and forth I go on buying a car. But it hit me over the holidays when I was sitting here in Oakland and only able to go as far as BART could take me. I need further access! I live in one of the most beautiful, if most debt-ridden states. The bike works great. City Car Share is fine for short runs. Now I'm ready for wheels - four of them.
Okay parking Karma gods - I know this is going to come back to me in good ways. Let's just say, I set this as your challenge for an opportunity.
At first I was furious and said a few good f-ing words. Then I decided that the money I was going to use for an Oakland business license has just been realocated to their parking fund. That may still hold true. But now I'm seeing it differently and believe that this money is going to come back to me in some way because I'm a good person doing good work on behalf of Oakland. I'll even put out there that I see this $75 investment coming back to me in the form of a very affordable car for purchase. Not a $75 car but one that is within my budget.
I know, back and forth I go on buying a car. But it hit me over the holidays when I was sitting here in Oakland and only able to go as far as BART could take me. I need further access! I live in one of the most beautiful, if most debt-ridden states. The bike works great. City Car Share is fine for short runs. Now I'm ready for wheels - four of them.
Okay parking Karma gods - I know this is going to come back to me in good ways. Let's just say, I set this as your challenge for an opportunity.
July 30, 2009
Two Wheels Win
Having had four wheels for a few days I now appreciate the freedom I have with just two. For some reason I was constantly in that car driving all over the Bay Area and running errands. I could feel the tension rising as I attempted to merge into traffic and navigate my way around streets that are so easily ridden on my bicycle.
So, my grand conclusion is that I love riding Ike the Bike. He keeps me happy, healthy, relaxed, and flexible. It is a funny thing to say but I feel like with Ike I have more time to breath. Perhaps it is the BART rides or even the cardio-focus of pumping my own way along the roads. Driving a car is so passive and I was so distanced from life on the street.
Looks like I'll keep using City Car Share when I need it and otherwise take Ike, the bus and BART.
So, my grand conclusion is that I love riding Ike the Bike. He keeps me happy, healthy, relaxed, and flexible. It is a funny thing to say but I feel like with Ike I have more time to breath. Perhaps it is the BART rides or even the cardio-focus of pumping my own way along the roads. Driving a car is so passive and I was so distanced from life on the street.
Looks like I'll keep using City Car Share when I need it and otherwise take Ike, the bus and BART.
May 13, 2009
Bike to Work Day
Tomorrow is Bike to Work Day and I am a member of the Fruitvale BART BRATz team. We are competing with other Bay Area teams to accumulate points, based on how many miles we bike, throughout the month of May.
For the big day tomorrow I will be riding to BART, taking Ike the bike into the City, riding to meetings, take Ike back on BART and then ride to a board meeting in Alameda.
April 24, 2009
What Would You Do?
Last night I was riding BART home from SF to Alameda. It was a crowded 8:45pm train filled with all kinds of folks, some gathered in small groups and others riding alone. As the train doors closed at the Montgomery Street station a man leaped onto the train and grabbed the overhead handlebar as we began to speed away. Nothing unusual here.
The man, who appeared to be in his late 20s, early 30s, was dressed in a suit but had a very strange behavior that was out of step with his appearance. As the train began to travel he spread himself out like a bird, using one foot to touch the ground and one arm to hold on to the overhead bar. He began to talk to himself and make strange facial expressions. Again, nothing unusual here.
As we reached West Oakland BART and folks began to exit, some of the seats opened up and he sat in a spot next to the door. He was surrounded by women of various ages, some traveling alone and others with friends. As the train doors closed and we began to move he started grabbing his face, bending over, swirling around, talking to himself and acting generally insane. All the women were looking at him curiously but no one asked if he was OK. I was a few rows away watching the scene.
Next we stopped at Lake Merritt BART and here he stood up, then bent down, crouched, stood, leaned out the door, leaned back in and then grabbed his face. Now he was green. Again, everyone just stared. Frankly, he was quite scary and I for one thought he was either insane or... I don't know what. The doors closed and then for some reason they opened again. All the women were staring at this man, waiting for his next move. I got up, ran out the door with my hand in the air to get the attention of the driver. Then I ran up to the front car (we were in the last one) where the driver was leaning out waiting for me. She was a very nice woman who wanted to know what was wrong. I told her that a man seemed to be going insane and was very sick in the last car. She called for help. We waited a few minutes until help arrived and then I ran with the officer down to the last car.
The train had now been stopped for about three minutes, very short time and an excellent, quick response by BART officials. Some people were looking out the doors but generally passengers were fine with waiting a few minutes - even if they didn't know what was causing the delay.
When the officer and I arrived at the final car there was already a BART official standing inside keeping an eye on the guy. A woman in a seat near the door looked at me with fierce eyes and screamed at me, "did you do this? Did you call the police? What is wrong with you?" Thankfully the officer said, "we are from health and safety, to arrest anyone, we're here to help this man." Still she screamed, directly at me, "how dare you have this man arrested, what is wrong with you?!? That man didn't do anything wrong!" (I noticed that during the entire journey this woman talked to herself and didn't look up from here lap.) I looked at her flabbergasted and said, "I thought that this man was ill and I was worried. My intention was to help him, not to hurt him." She was still furious with me.
The BART officials helped the man out of the car. He was green, sweaty and could barely walk. As the doors closed I sat down in the sick man's seat. The woman continued to screamed at me while a man tried to get her to back off and calm down. Now I sat amongst the women who were sitting around the sick guy. They started to talk. "He was very drunk. I'm pregnant and if he puked on me I would have puked too. What if he had gotten into his car and driven away? I knew he was going to get sick and I was afraid it was going to be on us. You never know with all the violence on BART what is up with someone. You did the right thing. Don't listen to that lady. He is going to get arrested for being drunk in public. He'll be put in a holding tank to sober up..."
I don't regret what I did. Working in a city you see mentally and physically ill people all around you every day. I suppose that this time I decided not to stand by. The one thing I could have done differently was to talk directly to the man to see if he needed help. My instincts told me he was dangerous - seemed like he could freak out. In reality he was drunk beyond his senses. I probably helped five women stay clean and dry. Perhaps I stopped a man from driving drunk. In the end I didn't let that angry woman get to me. She was scared by the presence of the cops (something to hide?) and took it out on me.
Just another evening in the City by the Bay.
The man, who appeared to be in his late 20s, early 30s, was dressed in a suit but had a very strange behavior that was out of step with his appearance. As the train began to travel he spread himself out like a bird, using one foot to touch the ground and one arm to hold on to the overhead bar. He began to talk to himself and make strange facial expressions. Again, nothing unusual here.
As we reached West Oakland BART and folks began to exit, some of the seats opened up and he sat in a spot next to the door. He was surrounded by women of various ages, some traveling alone and others with friends. As the train doors closed and we began to move he started grabbing his face, bending over, swirling around, talking to himself and acting generally insane. All the women were looking at him curiously but no one asked if he was OK. I was a few rows away watching the scene.
Next we stopped at Lake Merritt BART and here he stood up, then bent down, crouched, stood, leaned out the door, leaned back in and then grabbed his face. Now he was green. Again, everyone just stared. Frankly, he was quite scary and I for one thought he was either insane or... I don't know what. The doors closed and then for some reason they opened again. All the women were staring at this man, waiting for his next move. I got up, ran out the door with my hand in the air to get the attention of the driver. Then I ran up to the front car (we were in the last one) where the driver was leaning out waiting for me. She was a very nice woman who wanted to know what was wrong. I told her that a man seemed to be going insane and was very sick in the last car. She called for help. We waited a few minutes until help arrived and then I ran with the officer down to the last car.
The train had now been stopped for about three minutes, very short time and an excellent, quick response by BART officials. Some people were looking out the doors but generally passengers were fine with waiting a few minutes - even if they didn't know what was causing the delay.
When the officer and I arrived at the final car there was already a BART official standing inside keeping an eye on the guy. A woman in a seat near the door looked at me with fierce eyes and screamed at me, "did you do this? Did you call the police? What is wrong with you?" Thankfully the officer said, "we are from health and safety, to arrest anyone, we're here to help this man." Still she screamed, directly at me, "how dare you have this man arrested, what is wrong with you?!? That man didn't do anything wrong!" (I noticed that during the entire journey this woman talked to herself and didn't look up from here lap.) I looked at her flabbergasted and said, "I thought that this man was ill and I was worried. My intention was to help him, not to hurt him." She was still furious with me.
The BART officials helped the man out of the car. He was green, sweaty and could barely walk. As the doors closed I sat down in the sick man's seat. The woman continued to screamed at me while a man tried to get her to back off and calm down. Now I sat amongst the women who were sitting around the sick guy. They started to talk. "He was very drunk. I'm pregnant and if he puked on me I would have puked too. What if he had gotten into his car and driven away? I knew he was going to get sick and I was afraid it was going to be on us. You never know with all the violence on BART what is up with someone. You did the right thing. Don't listen to that lady. He is going to get arrested for being drunk in public. He'll be put in a holding tank to sober up..."
I don't regret what I did. Working in a city you see mentally and physically ill people all around you every day. I suppose that this time I decided not to stand by. The one thing I could have done differently was to talk directly to the man to see if he needed help. My instincts told me he was dangerous - seemed like he could freak out. In reality he was drunk beyond his senses. I probably helped five women stay clean and dry. Perhaps I stopped a man from driving drunk. In the end I didn't let that angry woman get to me. She was scared by the presence of the cops (something to hide?) and took it out on me.
Just another evening in the City by the Bay.
December 8, 2008
Ike's Leash
Bridge, Tunnel, BART Disorder
I've been resisting biking in the dark, cold nights of winter. Okay, dark but not too cold as this is California after all. I'm geared up with very good lights and warm clothing so all you worriers can worry a bit less.
Tonight I'm heading into San Francisco to see my co-worker Kay Hilton's play. The ride to BART was surprisingly easy. However, I think I'm getting the bridge, tunnel, BART disorder which many East Bayer's are afflicted with when considering expedition's into the big scary city. The only problem with my affliction is that I work there!
November 16, 2008
September 27, 2008
Gussied Up
Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T
September 26, 2008
Double Fisted Crackberry-ing
I am on BART heading into San Francisco and there is a guy doing a conference call on one Crackberry while furiously typing away on another. I can only imagine that he is texting with some of the folks on the call. Even more impressive, he seems to be the one running the conference call. Now that is a crack addiction.
Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T
Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T
August 26, 2008
Commuting Buddy
On my Bike-BART-Bike commute today I had a wonderful surprise - my co-worker Theron and I were in commuting-sync. It is funny enough that Theron lives just 10 houses away from me here in Alameda. Even stranger that he has the same folding bike - the US version (hum, does it have a cool name like Ike? I'll need to find out.)
Riding back home in the dark with our flashing safety lights we took an adventurous route along quiet back streets in Alameda. It was like being a twelve-year-old again. We did all kinds of silly riding, speeding up, slowing down and making crazy eights. Really a fantastic way to cap a commute.
Riding back home in the dark with our flashing safety lights we took an adventurous route along quiet back streets in Alameda. It was like being a twelve-year-old again. We did all kinds of silly riding, speeding up, slowing down and making crazy eights. Really a fantastic way to cap a commute.
July 17, 2008
Living Sustainably
For the past few months I've been writing about finding personal sustainability most often in the emotional realm. Now that I'm back in San Francisco I feel like that is so quickly becoming a reality. But sustainability is more than just about emotion it encompasses economic and environmental issues as well.I experienced this in action when I stayed with Matt and Rachel in DC for May and June. They are living what I would call a sustainable lifestyle and perhaps others would call it Green. Their home operates more as a collective in terms of sharing a house with roommates, keeping expenses down through conversation, a focus on recycling and using public transit and bicycles as much as possible.
Last night I had the most wonderful conversation with a new friend Miriam who is a sustainability consultant who believes that collaboration is the key to success. Needless to say we had a lot in common. During our conversation I reflected on my choice to rent a room in my friends' house, to use public transit and my bike to get around. Yes, some of this is motivated by the high costs of living in the Bay Area, but it also stems from my desire to live sustainably.
Sustainable living in the East Bay of San Francisco seems to be the wave of the present (as opposed to the future). In a conversation this morning I learned that the Fruitvale BART station has a free valet bike parking from 6am to 8pm at the Fruitvale Bike Station operated by Alameda Bicycle.
I was so concerned about riding my bike and parking it at BART. Today I tried it out and the service is fantastic! Riding my bike adds 20 minutes on to the commute into San Francisco but it saves me $1.75 each way and I get my exercise. Plus, the route is direct and safe with a really wide bike lane.In yet another conversation today I was thinking out loud about how long I will live with Stacey and Stefan. The woman I was talking to said that I should stay as long as possible to save my money. Rents are going up as people move out of their houses and rent apartments instead. Living arrangements such as mine are going to become more common. Yesterday's New York Times confirmed this with their article, Homeowners Take in Boarders in order to make mortgage payments. That's exactly my current situation. It is such a lovely deal for all of us, especially since we've been friends for over ten years.
As the economics of living in the US get more challenging with costs of fuel rising, job market potentially dipping, food costs increasing - you'll start to see more people evaluating their lifestyle choices in order to live more sustainably.
July 16, 2008
Giving Off a Friendly Vibe
This evening I think I was giving off a friendly vibe. After hanging at my new favorite cafe in the Mission, La Boheme (great decaf Chai lattes, casual atmosphere, filled with creative types and always a place to find my friend Andrew), I headed down to 24th Street BART station and started tapping away on my crackberry. An older, professional looking man approached and asked if he could sit next to me. I made space and continued my crack addiction while he pulled out his crackberry and started looking over my shoulder. I didn't know what to make of his actions so I kept an eye on him and noticed that he was comparing his crackberry to mine.
"You're Blackberry is so sleek" he said.
"It is the newest one - I got it on Monday." I responded.
"Oh it is so nice. Mine is not so nice. It is too big. But it is for work so I have to carry it around."
"This is an addiction - you can keep getting the latest and greatest ones - just look at people going crazy over the iphone." I commented.
"Yeah, I guess this one works for me. Oh, gotta go, that's my train. Nice chatting with you." He reaches over and gives me a nice pat on the shoulder.
This guy didn't try to pinch (British term for stealing something) my crackberry, he didn't try to pick me up, he just wanted to chat about our technology.
Then I got on the train, took a seat and pulled out my new book The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by Michael Chabon. The woman in the seat next to me said.
"Ooh, do you like the book?"
"Just started it, on page 11 and good so far."
"I'm reading Salomon Rushdie. His latest book is fantastic."
On and on went our conversation and it extended into clothing, mortgages, Victorian lifestyles, and Alameda - where we both happen to live. The woman offered me a ride home and I said yes. Well, should could have tried to kill me or something crazy but I decided to take the chance. We chatted the entire way.
It is still a reverse culture shock to have people be so friendly to me after my time in the UK, especially on London's Tube where even if the person next to you is reading the same book as you no conversation is made. I love that folks from the San Francisco Bay Area are eager to make small talk and get to know people. In the past I would have shied away but now I'm "living out loud" and trying to connect to people. Seems worth the effort.
"You're Blackberry is so sleek" he said.
"It is the newest one - I got it on Monday." I responded.
"Oh it is so nice. Mine is not so nice. It is too big. But it is for work so I have to carry it around."
"This is an addiction - you can keep getting the latest and greatest ones - just look at people going crazy over the iphone." I commented.
"Yeah, I guess this one works for me. Oh, gotta go, that's my train. Nice chatting with you." He reaches over and gives me a nice pat on the shoulder.
This guy didn't try to pinch (British term for stealing something) my crackberry, he didn't try to pick me up, he just wanted to chat about our technology.
Then I got on the train, took a seat and pulled out my new book The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by Michael Chabon. The woman in the seat next to me said.
"Ooh, do you like the book?"
"Just started it, on page 11 and good so far."
"I'm reading Salomon Rushdie. His latest book is fantastic."
On and on went our conversation and it extended into clothing, mortgages, Victorian lifestyles, and Alameda - where we both happen to live. The woman offered me a ride home and I said yes. Well, should could have tried to kill me or something crazy but I decided to take the chance. We chatted the entire way.
It is still a reverse culture shock to have people be so friendly to me after my time in the UK, especially on London's Tube where even if the person next to you is reading the same book as you no conversation is made. I love that folks from the San Francisco Bay Area are eager to make small talk and get to know people. In the past I would have shied away but now I'm "living out loud" and trying to connect to people. Seems worth the effort.
July 13, 2008
West Oakland on Fire
This weekend The Crucible, a fire arts organization located in West Oakland, presented their 8th annual Fire Arts Festival. To celebrate my friend Rachel's birthday we headed out with her husband David and took the opportunity to practice night photography. Because of my fancy camera I was considered "media" which was fantastic since I got a photo pass.
The scene was OTT (over the top as they say in the UK). We arrived at dusk and all was pretty mellow, except for the growing crowds. But as the sun set we were jolted into the evening by a HUGE blast of fire. 
That pretty much set the tone - stand back from the roaring flames. Just writing about it has set my heart racing. Rachel, as always, was fearless.
That pretty much set the tone - stand back from the roaring flames. Just writing about it has set my heart racing. Rachel, as always, was fearless. 
As for the photography opportunity, we were not disappointed. Our intention was to get photos of the BART trains passing overhead. We were continuously amazed that this festival was happening, in Oakland, just feet from BART.The image with the stilt walkers is very strange. 
Notice David in the right corner and a little bit of Rachel.
Notice David in the right corner and a little bit of Rachel. 
Images: The Crucible Fire Arts Festival 2008
July 5, 2008
Independence Day on the Move
It seems that I'm always moving to a new city over the July 4th holiday. Way back in 1995 I moved from Salinas, CA to San Francisco. In 2005 it was from San Francisco to Houston. This year it is from San Francisco to Alameda. Not a far move but a huge life style change.Alameda is a secret little island off of Oakland. Getting to it is a bit like trying to find the mythological Avalon. Once you're there it feels like you've stepped back in time to the town that slept through the 1960s-2000 and is just arriving, somehow, at 2008.
I love Alameda and have always wanted to live there. My favorite yoga studio is there - Alameda Yoga Station which is a huge selling point. So to give it a try before committing I'm renting a room in my friends Stacey and Stefan's house for a couple of months. They live in an Easter Egg colored Victorian. The house is fantastically situated two blocks from the beach, Trader Joe's and cute shops. The big challenge will be the commute into San Francisco. Although it is close to BART the station is not walkable. A cross-bay commuter bus runs and so does a ferry to San Francisco, plus the famous casual carpool picks up just a few blocks away.
My second day back in the area I recruited my friends David and Rachel to drive me around Alameda. As we approached the beach the skyline was filled with parasailers and as we got closer to the shore we were blown away by the number of people biking, roller blading, running, walking and sunbathing. "This is Alameda?!?" asked David and Rachel. Yes! - see why I want to live there?
June 30, 2008
MUNI Meltdown
Well, I had my first Alameda County Transit, BART and MUNI experiences today getting from San Francisco to Oakland and back. Getting to Oakland was not too much of a problem. Getting back was quite an adventure. It ended with Nicole having to rescue me from Giant's ATT Park after MUNI shut down due to baseball crowds. Could I have felt any closer to 15 years old? Thank goodness for good friends.
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