Troll Takes On B.A.R.T.

We just came out of the Caldecott when traffic sputtered to a standstill. As we crept along, I am dialing 511 to find out what this is all about. Me and my boss, who I car pool into the city with, feel if we know what the problem is, we're more in control. The idea of not knowing why there is a delay is unbearable, unacceptable.  

As we passed the on ramp near Telegraph Ave. one man was trying to back up his Mini Cooper against the flow of cars behind him. Then, he was out of his Mini and waving his arms in a “GO BACK” gesture, yelling at drivers behind him.  The drivers behind him are yelling at him to get back in his car and MOVE IT! He seemed terrified of getting back on the freeway.

I wondered for a moment what he knew about this delay that we did not. Was there a spill of radioactive material just ahead?  An alien invasion?

Well, we found out soon enough. It was no alien. But some troll did manage to get on top of a BART train and was having the time of his life in a police standoff.

I managed to get one crude image from my IPhone before we moved on.

Links below for the rest of the story.

KTVU

CBS

ABC

UPDATE 5-17-13
Looks like this guy was mentally ill. See link below.

SFGate

The B.A.R.T. Files: Just Finish One - The Art of Earning

It’s the noon train out of Concord.  Stepping into the car, I settle into my bedbug-ridden urine stained seat.  The car, typically empty at this end of the line, does not begin to fill up until Lafayette and Orinda.

I open my backpack trying to decide which book is up for rotation. It had been a week or so since I spent some time trying to unravel the monomyth as drawn out by Joseph Campbell’s, “The Hero With A Thousand Faces.” So, I open up where I left off.

Thus, this day’s journey begins.

The B.A.R.T. Files: Is this the Twilight Zone or Should I Just Change the Channel?

It was late on a Thursday night with no baseball game; no game means no baseball idiots would grace us with their obnoxious presence.

I was to be spared the mean mugging (the express threat,) the anxiety over the colors of my apparel (the implied threat,) and the certainty of standing in a cramped car with dozens of rowdy fans who smell of body odor, alcohol, and cannabis.

After working the last 48 with less than 6 hours combined sleep, I was looking forward to a peaceful ride home. It looked like the stars were moving into conjunction.

I get a bonus surprise when the train arrives at Embarcadero Station, a very light crowd with plenty of seating. As a settle into my bed bug-ridden, urine stained seat; I survey my fellow riders.

Coming Soon - The B.A.R.T. Files

Having started a new job in San Francisco, I am now riding B.A.R.T. daily. Because my work schedule varies, I ride at all hours of operation, first trains to last on some days.

The posts I designate as “The B.A.R.T. Files” are my experiences with the bizarre, the humorous, the sad, and most of all…hope.

I hope anyway.

Not every day reveals the kind of stories I post here. Some days are just routine. But, then, quite unexpectedly, something weird happens.

I struggle with my natural tendency, which is that of a careful observer of the world. Shy to get involved unless it’s related to my profession, past and present, I sit curiously watching, taking note, evaluating, and contemplating.

There is much to see on BART, depravity of many degrees, mental illness, loneliness, brokenness, selfishness, joy, sorrow, and many people just going to and from work, going about their lives so to speak. I am certain that I am all of the above to one degree or another.

The struggle continues nevertheless. I wonder if my natural tendency is just laziness. I want to help people in some cases, listen or speak with them at least.

In other cases, I recoil in resentment, annoyed and driven by cynical arrogance. I know that’s not good either, no different than being lazy.

But, making contact is fraught with many hazards, real and imagined.  Ah, the balance between cowardice and courage, between prudence and foolhardiness.

What to do? That’s what this is about too.

I look for the messages; listen for the hints, and whispers.

Thus, I share these stories with the reader (even though my Blog has no readers, ha ha.) It’s a kind of experiment in one sense. I want to see what happens if I get involved with strangers doing very strange and dark things.

Or, not!  Maybe in certain cases, things are left well enough alone. I don’t know.

I wish I did. Maybe you can tell me.

I’m sure I’ll fumble and bumble about quite nicely. That ought to be a good laugh anyway. Therefore, this little experiment won’t be a total waste of cyberspace.