Bike conundrum.. what to do...
I am a cyclist who only rides BART on the weekends to go to the East Bay for long rides. I've been doing it for 7 years now. To be clear, I never take my bike on non-bike trains and I never board the first car. I usually get on at Orinda, maybe Pleasant Hill to go all the way to South San Francisco. But things have gotten wierd for me these last two weekends.
Here is the situation: I get on BART and am WIPED OUT! My long rides with all the gorgeous hills and the heat just leave me half dead when I'm done. I rush to catch the train and savor being able to sit down to rest my legs which are now almost useless. I almost feel like an 80 year old man with a sore back and weak legs. The train is mostly empty and there are three places I can legally sit. Since I can't block aisles or doors, I have to sit in the two seniors seats next to the back edge of the facing seats or the one seat near the wheelchair area. I really don't like either of those choices because as a bart rider i have to vacate when a senior or disabled person needs those seats. Usually the one near the wheelchair area is usually taken (its preferred of the three evils). I sit in the senior seats and have an option to block half the door and half the aisle and take only one seat or sit with my bike completely against me blocking the one seat next to me. The latter method does not block the aisles or the doors, and the empty seat is barely empty because the bike is too close to the seat for legroom and the handlebars are leaning in over the seat. Using random stats from posts here, I can't access 90% of train and if I stand, I take up room for 3 people.Its better to take up room for 2 then 3, right?
I am fine until we get to Macarthur when a full trainload of people board. This is where not blocking the aisle or doors is really helpful. Everyone can get on safely without my blocking an entry or exit. People see the seat next to me and think I should make it available for a senior (or whomever else) to sit. There are other healthy, young people in the other senior seats. Call me a douche, but I will only give up my place if all the other senior seats are taken by seniors. My legs are still sore and if I get up, I am never sitting down again! Thats because as soon as the seats I can sit in are the most valuable ones and are quickly taken by boarding riders (senior/disabled or not). And then, the seat is not that appealing with my bike taking up most of the person space for it anyway. Moving my bike out of the way to let someone sit, then moving it back would also be rude to the one who needs to sit. Might not evene be practical if the train is now super crowded. Remember I boarded when its empty, thats OK. the train is now crowded. If the train is really crowded, SRO, I can't get up if I tried, there is no room to move. So I tend to think its best for me to take up one extra seat than block aisles/doors/room for 3 people. Most seats become available again after Powell st (except the places for a cyclist to sit).
Now the question.. what should I REALLY be doing?
There is no law that says you
There is no law that says you cannot sit in the senior/disabled seats. The law only says they must be made available...by Bart. That being said, you should probably surrender that seat if someone needs it. You won't go to jail or be fined for not doing so, but you may get rapped on the knee with a cane.
I am speaking as someone who
I am speaking as someone who rides daily as a commuter, without my bike, and on the evenings and weekends with my bike, so I see both sides. When with my bike, I always give up my seat, unless there are empty seats available. Being tired isn't a valid excuse for taking a senior or disabled person's seat, since it was a recreational ride, assuming you are otherwise healthy.
What may solve your issue, since they generally run 10-car trains on the Bay Point-SFO trains, is to board one of the last 2-3 cars, or the 2nd/3rd car from the front. These cars usually don't fill up on weekends, except during the busiest hours. Most people will crowd into the middle cars, not realizing that there is plenty of space just a few cars forward or back.
As a rule, you take up the least amount of usable space if you sit in the seat behind the bar which says "BIKES HERE", just inside the door of many cars. You simply lean your bike against the bar, and sit 2 feet behind it, taking up only one seat.
Thank you for your comment. I
Thank you for your comment. I do like the "new" bike space areas because its clear to everyone thats where bikes should be, but I can never find them when I need them. They are not any car I've been on in the past several months (I did see one as the first car the other day). I've even noticed the bigger places that look like they were bike spaces have the stencil removed and they are wheelchair spaces now.
Perhaps its been the wierd coincidence these past two weekends I get to the top of the stairs and the BART is already there so I run to the closest car to get on (I usually have a 10+ minute wait instead of barely missing it by 2 seconds).
Is there a way to tell which cars have the bike spaces, or even which trains will have them? I am willing to modify my routes to be longer or shorter to be on a train that has the bike spots. If not, I'll take your advice and move to the end of the station and get on one of the last cars, even if I have to wait another 20 minutes.
This may be a good
This may be a good opportunity to send a suggestion to BART about affixing a bicycle logo on those cars with designated bike use. In Europe, some subway and inter-urban trains have bright, clearly marked cars that have set aside room for bicycles and strollers. A quick search on Google will provide an illustrative idea.
This is the best idea of all.
This is the best idea of all. I always ride in the first car so I can avoid the Green Saints of Ecology and their
rolling coat hangers; designating special cars for them would spare the rest of us from their obnoxious
company.
I love it, you always crack
I love it, you always crack me up.
and spares us from yours ;),
and spares us from yours ;), its a win-win.
Completely late to this
Completely late to this party, but I just wanted to thank you for actually thinking about this. A lot of cyclists sit down in the seats for the elderly/people with disabilities and have no problem blocking the doors, etc. I realize they want to get in and out as quickly as possible and moving inward is usually not worth the trouble, but I'm tired of having to maneuver around bikes and wiping dirt and who knows what else off my pants.
So, I sincerely thank you for your courtesy and thinking about this.
Your login is exactly my
Your login is exactly my question:). Oh No, What to do.. Not only is moving inward not worth the trouble, its against the rules. We can't block aisles,so there goes 90% of the train. On a trip that spans several stations you can't stand next to the opposite door since they will also open (and we have to move from side to side between those stops).
I totally agree with you about wanting to keep my bike as far away from others as possible so they won't get grime and grease on their clothes, or getting stuck on the gears or chain. It just seems that there is really no way to be completely courteous to everybody. This is why I tend to sit in seniors/disabled (or others who need special access to train doors) seats when a bike spot is not available and use both seats. I can be out of the way of everybody, even on a packed train. The one downside is the unused seat other riders think should be made available to seniors, even before the younger individuals sitting there have to get up. That of course will force my bike to be in peoples way. Like the ones that sit with their bikes half blocking a door and the aisle, at least the seat next to them is available. Its damned if you do and damned if you don't.
I tried sitting in a back car the other day, didn't help. They get just as crowded. When will BART grant us a bike priority car on every train? We are totally fighting for our right to sit at the back of the bus.
While I see all kinds of
While I see all kinds of riders with bikes on BART, just like the population as a whole, there are courtious people and not so much. I try to fit into the courtious contingent. I have given quite a bit of thought and consideration on how to use BART so that it works for both me and my fellow riders.
I guess my route and the times I use the system also aid me in my quest. I don't get anywhere near SF or Oakland downtown stations. The cars usually have more than ample room and if not, I don't board. I ensure that I arrive at my morning station such that I am the first to board so that I tend to get one of the bike locations on the train. In the evening, I mostly stand, but position myself on the side of the car where the doors don't open as frequently. If in a station where I'm in front of the open doors, I step off and out of the way reboarding after others have exited. I also get near the door when coming to my exit so that I'm the first off so no one has to get around me.
I also have a very simple bike expressly used for BART and use wax based lubricant for the chain that is not greasy and does not accumulate much grime. If someone is not paying attention and is getting close to the chain, I will tap or nudge them to let them know.
I think it all comes down to basic respect and polite behavior for others around me. I just hope I get the same sometimes, even in this self absorbed world we inhabit these days.
I use a bunjee cord to afix
I use a bunjee cord to afix my bike to the bike space railing or wheelchair railing. If someone needs it I move it but it allows me to sit in any of the seats - not just the ones at the bike/wheelchair space.
actually.... you must hold
actually.... you must hold your bike at all times.
Regardless of any other rule, bikes are never allowed on crowded cars. Use your good judgment and only board cars that can comfortably accommodate you and your bicycle. Hold your bike while on the trains.
I started carrying a bunjee cord on my bike for all weekend bike rides, in case I get the famed bike spot. But I would still be right next to my bike in case it comes loose.
Its hard to follow all the rules,ain't it? Dare I say the rules are somewhat draconian?