5 BART Basics for Newbies and Locals Alike
An OG BART train parked at Pleasant Hill. The new fleet may look different but the hassles are just the same.
BART is a core Bay Area experience. It unites all corners of the Bay except Marin (who needs Marin County anyway?). BART was built for the people and it belongs to the people, young and old, visitors and locals. The first time I rode by myself, I got lost.
The fundamentals are easy. Let other passengers off the damn train before you mob the car. When choosing a seat, remember, it is fine to sit beside others. Regarding the escalators: stand on the right, walk on the left; don’t be the douche holding everyone up. Carry headphones—people will play loud music in your vicinity.
The rest may be common knowledge, but even seasoned BART riders won’t know everything on this list.
Expect delays.
Mechanical failures happen. Yes, even with the new space-age trains. Ride BART often enough and you’ll notice they jam easily, preventing the operator from leaving the station. You may also notice a glassy-eyed look on your fellow riders’ faces as they stare at the blockage, just waiting. If the door is stuck open, causing that ungodly alarm to sound, please be a hero. Get up and pull it closed so we can get on with our lives.
Other fun reasons a train might run behind schedule are legion. They include track maintenance and repair, someone walking on the tracks or in the Transbay Tube, power outages and more. It helps leaving earlier than you otherwise might to ensure you catch a train on time. God, y’know, in Japan, trains run on such tight schedules that if one is late, attendants issue apology notes to their passengers’ employers.
The unspoken rules of eating and drinking on BART:
While eating or drinking on trains and train platforms is officially against BART and state law, the reality is different. The ticketable offense is also an understandable one. I can’t count how often I politely scarfed a breakfast sandwich on the train to school as an undergrad. So long as you’re chewing with your mouth closed like you were taught, nobody really minds. Your commute might be your only chance to drink some coffee and take a meal.
Besides, if the people toasting heroin on the train don’t get pinched, why would you?
So, if you feel like breaking the law and eating on BART, keep it sensible and keep it to yourself. You should have no problem unless you pull a rotisserie chicken from your bag. Read the room. As usual, it’s the people who abuse this social grace that ruin it for the rest of us. I mean people who leave chicken bones on the floor and used napkins on the seats. Take your garbage with you, goddammit. You can dispose of the evidence in a trash can at the station.
Keep a mask handy.
Admittedly not a piece of advice I would’ve given myself when I moved here in 2011. I thought it was overkill when I first saw people wearing masks on mass transit. I also used to think working while sick was normal, inevitable even. Then COVID happened.
Masks work. If you’re still denying that this late in the game, it’s a wonder you’re still alive. And it’s probably no coincidence that the first time I caught COVID was when cities started lifting their mask regulations. In the two years and ten months I went without catching COVID, I caught a cold only once.
Other than keeping you safe, masks offer another benefit as well, particularly as a defense against strong odors. You’re sure to encounter strange and peculiar smells on BART. Spray the inside of your mask with an essential oil for when people smoke meth behind you. Not a big fan of weed, body odor, rotisserie chicken or the burning film-smell of melting drugs? Scented face masks are your friend.
Avoid the MUNI ticket machines.
Skip this step if your phone is fancy enough to support mobile Clipper (you bougie).
Need to reload your Clipper card? You may be tempted to use the MUNI machines to do it. After all, there’s rarely a line in front of them while the line for BART machines gets long. If the people using MUNI Metro utilize them, why shouldn’t you?
You’re welcome to try. I’m just saying, in my experience, a MUNI ticket vending machine can sense you’re in a hurry. That’s when it hits you with a card-read error or a “See Agent” message. BART machines on the other hand are like DMV workers. They move at one speed whether you like it or not.
Just wait. For their age, BART ticket vending machines are surprisingly fast. Get in the shortest line and pray the people in front of you are competent and quick. If you’re stuck right behind a confused tourist, please step in for everybody’s sake. You’ll refill that card before you know it.
On BART with a real emergency?
If you’re in Oakland or San Francisco, don’t bother flagging down a station attendant. They are only there to report gate jumpers and fetch phones that have fallen onto the tracks. They have seen so much in their time with BART, their only response anymore is indifference. BART cops are likelier to complicate matters—do you want another Oscar Grant?
A medical emergency is always reason enough to call 911. Not enough people know to give the dispatcher their location right away, so tell them your train’s nearest station first. Has somebody gone missing? You’ll be shocked at how cavalier the so-called first response is. If you’re certain a loved one is missing, I’m sorry, but your best bet is the police.
So it’s 911 for fire, medical emergencies and missing persons, but what about those assault cases we keep hearing about? BART and its surroundings have always demanded that you pay close attention. Just don’t turn your bad BART experience into an anti-homeless crusade. I’ve been threatened on BART and some madwoman once cut my partner for no reason. Although we’re not Chicago or New York, you have to fend for yourself here. That can be terrifying, especially if you’re a woman. I’d probably carry a taser.
But 9.9 times out of 10, your BART ride will be uneventful if a tad loud and smelly. That’s part of living in a major urban center. I’m not saying I prefer things that way. Plenty of world-class cities have clean(er) public transit (ahem, Paris). Love it or hate it, BART is what we’ve got.
Some brief BART bullshit before you go:
All aboard the scam tram!
- BART’s push to call its lines by their colors defies our habit of referring to them by their ultimate destinations. No one here uses the colors. With locals, lines change the older you get. Folks in their fifties still call it the Concord Line. I know it as the Pittsburg/Bay Point train. Both refer to what is today called the Antioch Line.
- There’s no getting around it. Whether you’re using BART everyday or just once to reach your downtown hotel, you have to buy a $3 Clipper card, then enough value to pay your fare. BART converted the last magnetic-stripe ticket machines to Clipper-only service at SFO in September 2023. If you can download Clipper to your phone, do it.
- The tram to Oakland International is an overpriced scam ($6 one way!). Make time, save some cash and ride the 73-Coliseum bus (AC Transit) from Coliseum BART to OAK for $2.50. The 73 mirrors the tram’s route and drops you off closer to the terminal.
- There’s a fee snuck into your BART fare to and from SFO. Riding from Powell St. to SFO costs almost twice as much ($10.55) as it does to continue onto Millbrae ($5.50). They f*ck you coming and going. Still, it’s better than a $50 cab, which lands you far from check-in. SFO’s BART station connects directly to the airport, no circumnavigation required.
Howdy! My name is Katy Atchison and I'm an Associate Editor for Broke-Ass Stuart.
I want to take the time to say thank you for supporting independent news media by reading BrokeAssstuart.com. Supporting independent news sources like Broke-Ass Stuart is vital to supporting our community because it amplifies the voices of a wide variety of diverse opinions. You also help support small businesses and local artists by sharing stories from Broke-Ass Stuart.
Because you're one of our supporters, I wanted to send over a pro-tip.
Our bi-weekly newsletter is a great way to get round ups of Broke-Ass Stuart stories, learn about new businesses in The Bay Area, find out about fun local events and be first in line for giveaways.
If you’d like to get our newsletter, signup right here, it takes 5 seconds.
You Might Also Like
