Laura Yee
Laura Yee
Jul 24, 2017 · 5 min read

It’s time to write my first post whooooo happy dance (:

It’s hard to get started on one of these things ya know? But if you’re interested at some point then I think it’ll happen eventually. For me it wasn’t for any particular reason or particular time in my life but just because I feel like it and want to do it. Don’t know how long this typa feels or mood to write will last but for now I’ll go with it.

So I want to write about my commute since this is when I have some time to write my thoughts and will probably be the time i write most of my thingamajigs moving forward.


Oh commuting, dear dear commuting, you make my mornings long. Now I know why one of the main reasons my father retired was that he was tired of commuting. Although it was a bit different since I take bart everyday vs him who got to commute in the comfort of his own car and have a secured parking spot in a private parking garage at work. I would love to have that option if i could because I don’t mind traffic and I love driving.

Commuting on bart is the practical way to go. I don’t use gas, I don’t deal with bay bridge traffic, the amount of travel time is probably almost half the amount I’d drive, and allows me about an hour more of sleep time in the morning. Thanks to living at home and having retired parents who love me, I also get a ride to and from bart everyday. Thanks mom and dad, there,now it’s in writing!

Alright, the actual commuting part now. There are many things that go on in these public spaces that only commuters really understand and learned from doing it on a daily basis. The number one thing I want to point out is the fact that there are lines and there are things to understand about these lines that form. In the morning, depending on the time, even if the line has 12 people in it, only 4 may make it on. Or if it’s really crowded some people who prefer to wait for another train will step aside for others to get on. But at no point in time should anyone go straight to the head of the line if they weren’t in line or if someone is ahead of them. There was one morning where that happened and a man behind me told the girl “hey lady there’s a line” and it was one of those already packed trains and 10 of us were trying to get on.. It’s not as if she didn’t see it but she was acting like it, I would have said “RESPECT THE LINE!”

In the evening it’s a bit different. I find there are many more runners who are coming down the escalators and trying to literally slide through the doors to make the train. But there are lines at these times too. More people are likely to ignore a person who cuts in these lines because everyone is so tired and there are so many destinations of trains compared to the morning when it’s basically the city. But I have found that people are unaware of the “step aside, then step back in line” unspoken rule that people do when they are standing in line but it’s not their train so they step aside and then move back in their spot once that train is gone. In my experience, when I step aside people who are getting on that one do pass me but people behind me who aren’t getting on the train also move forward passed me to get ahead which is not suppose to happen. I’m clearing a path for those who are getting on, not for everyone to pass me up or lose my spot. There was a time when a father and daughter were behind me and a lady in between us who was getting on a train. After I stepped aside and the lady got on the train I would have been the first person in line for the next train. However it didn’t seem like that was the case because the father and daughter used my stepping aside as an opportunity to move up the line equivalent to the spot i was standing in. Maybe they were still going to let me on first but he really could have just not moved forward so i could stand where i was standing before after i was trying to be courteous to the woman behind me.

The other part that’s hard about being on bart is when folks don’t want to move from ther spot so others can get on the train. Certain areas of the trains stay half empty because people don’t want to move inward or have someone directly behind them so they take up more space than necessary.


Just a few things for people to be aware of to make Barting more pleasant:

-If you have a backpack, don’t wear it on your back. Place it at your feet whereever you are standing.

-If you are standing under a black strap but are not using it, slide it over somewhere away from yourself so someone else can reach for it.

-If you are standing in front of the exit door, go off of the train instead of making people squeeze passed you to get off.

-If you’re standing in front of one of the connecting doors, dont lean against the red intercom button.

-If you have a suitcase headed to or from SFO, please don’t take up a second seat so your suitcase can fit in. Sit in the aisle seat so someone can still sit on the inside seat.

-It already says it on the train but please be aware of how loud your headphones are, I know it fluctuates based on how loud the train is but if we can hear the beats out of your headphones then its too loud.

-If you’re holding ona bar,strap, or seat handle and declide to use that same hand to wip your nose or pick your nose, please don’t put that same hand back down to hold on because that is gross.

-If you’re going to talk on the phone, please at least use a hushed tone.

-If you’re performing on the train please at least make sure you won’t accidently hit someone standing nearby and clear the area or give those folks a fair warning that they may be in the way.

Advice for new commuters:

Try to check schedules if possible.

Accommodate for extra time because multiple trains may go by before you can actually physically get on one during prime commute hours. Time of day/year will also cause the times/amount of trains running to vary. ie. in the winter right after the holidays there is a shortage of trains because there isn’t as much demand with people out of town.

Think about the location/which stop you are going to/from so you know if you are able to get a seat or how parking is. ie. There’s more of a chance of parking spots available at NorthBerkeley vs. Macarthur. You are more likely to get a seat going back to the east bay at Civic Center vs. Powell.

P.S. i wrote this on my iphone.

    Laura Yee

    Written by

    Laura Yee

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