Bikes on BART

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• Bikes on BART Etiquette - Are people that rude?
• Bike trailer on BART

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Bikes on BART Etiquette - Are people that rude?

Oct 2014

This is one of these what would you do situations. This morning I took my bike on BART during commute hours. BART has a designated area for bikes with a sign that says something like Bike Priority Area. Others may use, but priority is given to riders with bikes.

I entered the train there was a women with a suit case right next to the sign and where riders are supposed to park their bikes. I politely asked her to move he bag so I park my bike. She moved here luggage a foot which meant my bike when parked was not blocking over half of the BART door opening. (Let me add, while this was commute time the train was not packed. There was a fair amount of room for someone to move around, but not with a bike.)

With the doors about to close and the train take off, I politely asked her to move so I could park my bike. She gave me another inch but refused to move her bag so I could use the bike space and not block the BART doors.

As the beeping of the door began I said in a loud voice you are blocking the bike priority area, would you please move? At this time I was in the middle of the car with my bike, backpack and didn't have another arm to hold on to anything if the train started moving. I was beginning to panic I would go flying into other riders knocking them down.

To my surprise several men on the car stated yelling at me saying how rude I was for asking the women to move. I responded by saying she's blocking the one blocking the bike priority area and what do you want me to do? Then other people on the train stated yelling saying can't you see she has a suite case and is going to the airport, give her some room.

I'm thinking wait a minute, your attacking me for following the bikes on BART rules? Why don't you help the women move her suitcase so we can all get along. And you do realize the next three stops commuters will be getting on the train making it inconvenient for everyone.

The woman finally shoved her suitcase into the people sitting in the seat allowing me to park my bike as the doors closed and people gave me a ''Your a jerk'' kind of look until the next stop.

I told this story to a co-worker who told me he wasn't surprised. He said BART riders HATE people who bring bikes on BART and will use any excuse to attack a rider who brings a bike on BART. Anytime I take my bike on BART I am very aware of my surroundings. I try to minimize my footprint on BART with my bike and not inconvenience anyone. Likewise when someone gets on BART with a bike or in a wheelchair I try to help them so they can minimize their footprint so we can ''all'' use BART.

I really feel awful about this, but was I really the bad person? Are people who ride BART really that rude and hostile to people who take bikes on BART? - Why? Or was I a complete jerk for asking the women to move her suitcase out of the bike priority area? ANON

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What a sense on entitlement I read in your post. Take the sign allowing bikers to park their bikes there as a favor, not a right. You are actually not more entitled to that space than the woman with the suitcase. I see this self-righteousness in people about rules that go along their opinions all the time. The other day I saw a man angrily tell a woman that she needed to put her dog on a leash because 'it's the law', even though the dog was not bothering anyone. I had to bite my tongue not to ask him for his police officer badge. Who told him it was up to him to enforce the rules that he likes? You get on the BART with your bike, that takes more space than people without a bike; be thankful you are allowed to do that. Don't go lecturing others because they inconvenience you. Rules are a legality that protect a city from liabilities; they are not always necessarily ethically right or even humane. Don't be rigid about them. Anon

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Well, as a non-biker who commutes every day on BART, I really hate when people don't make room for bikes! Why can't people see that bikers from getting their bike into the priority area makes the train more crowded and worse for everyone? The sign clearly says ''luggage and strollers okay only if no bikes are present.'' I had a similar problem when I was pregnant. Several riders over the course of my pregnancy got very upset (with me!) if I asked them to move out of the priority seating, so I could sit down. Once, a man who was standing asked his wife to move, so I could sit, and she yelled at both of us. Sometimes, I think BART riders just like to hate. Good for you for sticking up for yourself! Joanna

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I give you tons of credit for trying to be a considerate bart-bike-rider. As for the woman with the suitcase, I think that people just don't realize how much room a bike takes. What annoys me the most about the bikes on bart is this: I'm 62 and try to get a seat in the spots reserved for those who are older (although I am not disabled). Quite often I see a young (say, under 50) bike rider sitting in the handicapped seats hogging them both! they spread their bike across both seats and take two handicapped seats while there are older people all around standing. I think the problem with bikes is the trains are just darned crowded, and if you are forced to stand near one, there are pedals and wheels with which to be caught and scratched. It will take time for people to get used to them and I applaud you for trying to be considerate! Been riding bart for 20 years

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Was this one of the first three cars? Because bikes are NOT allowed in the first three cars during commute hours, NEVER in the first car, and are asked to make room in crowded cars. People without bikes get priority. http://www.bart.gov/guide/bikes I do not know quite how to answer this question. BART is crowded, and it's really annoying when someone jams his dirty bike wheel into my work clothes. It's annoying when someone with a bike sprawls across the handicapped seats, leaning his bike across the empty seats while a pregnant lady stands above him, barely able to reach the straps. It's annoying when a bike rider insists on taking his bike on the escalator even though there are one billion signs saying not to do that. In other words, there are nice bike riders and there are nasty ones, and there are nice BART riders and nasty ones, and some days BART is hard and some days it's not. Seems to me you needed to not be so rigid about how you had to have this one spot on the train, been aware that you take up most room than most, and most of all, been a gentleman about a woman with a bunch of luggage. The one thing you don't mention is -- was there room for her to go somewhere else? Where was she supposed to go? I think the bottom line here is flexibility is key. Even if you didn't have the bike, if you are trying to stand somewhere and everyone in the car is saying ''leave that person alone,'' you really just have to pay attention to social cues and move on. Some days you'll come out ahead, some days behind, and it'll all even out in the end. Owning a bike does not make you a saint

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I think that the issue may be that there is a bike area to which bikes are supposed to be confined, but not a bike priority area from which you get to displace other riders if you happen to have a bike with you. So if you go to get on a full train and there is no room for your bike you have to either wait for the next train or go to another car - you don't get to tell people to move to make room for your bike. In the same way if someone with luggage went to get on the train after you were boarded it would not be reasonable for them to tell you to move to accommodate them - they would have to look for another car with room, or wait for the next train. I would also suggest that it is not exactly a reasonable analogy to compare yourself to someone in a wheelchair - they don't have a choice about transportation and mobility, you do. As a society we have decided that certain people should receive priority consideration in certain scenarios, on bart that would be the disabled, the elderly, the injured, etc. Having a bike does not give rise to a need for accommodation for limited mobility. I don't think the other riders were rude. I do think your expectations for priority space use were unreasonable. we all have to share - all of us!

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I hate bikes on Bart during the commute hours. It's one of the worst decisions the Bart folks have ever made. There is usually no room for bikes during commute hours (which last until 9 - 9:30am). People who are already on board the train, who already staked out the ''best'' standing spot of the standing spots available (Bart commuters know what I mean) shouldn't have to completely shuffle around to accommodate bikes. There is no ''small footprint'' of a (non-folding) bike on Bart. There just isn't. Bikes take up so much more room than people or luggage or wheelchairs or strollers. You have to stand much farther away from bikes than people, because if the train lurches, you would fall on the bike (ouch) or the tires get your pants dirty (drycleaners). That ''priority'' area for bikes, well it accommodates 3 standing people nicely and gives them something to lean on (the best type of standing spot). So when a biker want to take over that spot from people who are already standing there on a train that's crowded or about to get more crowded, I give the biker the stink eye too. Personally, I think they should have a car designated for bikes; people without bikes get on at their own risk. Bart is too crowded already

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I wasn't there, and neither was anyone else on BPN, so I don't think any of us will ever know, BUT I can tell you this: if I'm ever in a situation where a group of unrelated strangers are all telling me I'm doing something wrong, I'd be pretty sure I was violating the social contract in some way. Even more so if it's on BART, because in my (lengthy) experience with BART, I've found people are very loathe to speak up or interfere in someone else's interactions. I can also tell you that BART etiquette is that you don't ask people to move from the spot they're in, even if it the spot would be much better for you and you can't see any reason why they need to be in that spot. The only exception is if you are elderly or handicapped and need the seat near the door. And even then I've seen elderly people or people with canes who do not ask able-bodied people to move. Lastly, I don't understand why you needed to lean your bike against the wall. I would think you could hold the bike with one hand and grip the overheard pole with the other. Granted, it's not as relaxing, but it's probably more exercise, and isn't that part of the point of biking? BART veteran

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While I think that you did the best thing in your particular situation, I will say that as a rush hour commuter I find it incredibly annoying when a cyclist comes with their bike on a crowded train. Please, consider using the transbay bike shuttle instead. Wish bart had bike cars

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Here is what BART says on its website http://www.bart.gov/guide/bikes/bikeRules * During non-commute hours, bikes are allowed on all trains except the first car or any crowded car. * During commute hours (7:00 to 9:00 AM and 4:30 to 6:30 PM, weekdays), bikes are not allowed in the first three cars of any train. * 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. Were you in one of the first three cars? You didn't say. Was the car crowded? You said it was ''not packed'' but that isn't the same as ''not crowded.'' Since you didn't mention any nearby spaces for the woman's suitcase, and since it was commute hours, I assume the car was crowded and that is why the other passengers were angry with you. Certainly it is the case that you boarded a car that could not ''comfortably accommodate you and your bicycle.'' So in my opinion, you are the one who was rude, not the others. local mom

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People on BART are surprisingly rude and strange to say the least. It is not only with bikers, with everybody. I mentioned my negative experience to my friend. He agreed with me that BART somehow attracts all kinds of odd people... So just try to be calm and not to take it to heart... Victoria

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Hi there, I'm sorry you experienced such unfriendly behavior. I think people are still adjusting to the new rules that allow one to bring the bike on BART and then put it in that particular area. I have been very discouraged, too, as I try to follow the rules and still seemingly annoy people. But then I got over it. I need my bike to get around, and BART allows it. So long as I'm following rules and being friendly, I just over apologize and smile a lot. That seems to work and even the grumpiest people at least ignore me AND my bike. So glad BART made the decision. Now we just all need to get along. --Kill em with kindness

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As someone who has ridden BART four times a week for over ten years there is no ''bike priority'' area. There is only a seating area with a ''priority'' sign for the disabled and elderly. There is an area to park bikes, but if the train is too full my understanding is that bikes are supposed to wait for the next train. Because BART goes to SFO, there are often people with lots of luggage. Most people accommodate them. I don't think you should have asked her to move her luggage--there's really no where else to go with luggage. You should have positioned your bike elsewhere, or waited for the next train. From my observations on BART, most bicyclists are cooperative, except for the ones who sit in the disabled area and block the extra seat with their bike. my two cents

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I commute on BART all the time (without a bike) and yes, people can just really be rude. The whole bike thing is pretty new and yes a lot of people probably don't like it - they take up space and are not convenient. There are people on BART who want to get to work for the price of public transit yet somehow feel entitled to the comforts of being in their own private car. Just move on - they were wrong - you were right. Grow a thicker skin and just remember we'd all prefer to be in our private chauffeured limo - we just can't all afford it.

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It's uncanny how people can just make you wonder if you're the crazy one when you're being conscientious, polite, and following the directions. You did the right thing, they didnt, and maybe your friend is right about them being biased against bike riders. Sometimes people just act ridiculous under the circumstances, and you need reassurance from others that you didnt do anything wrong. Sounds to me like you did the right thing, don't worry about the haters. better luck next time

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Bikes are on BART to stay, but a lot of the non-biking BART passengers haven't accepted that yet. I don't know if it varies by line, but I ride from MacArthur to the City and back every day and you definitely see a cultural difference between the urban bikers of Berkeley/Oakland and the dressed-for-success crowd from the other side of the tunnel. BART have done a pretty good job of making bike spaces on trains and clearly signing and publicizing the recent changes in their policy towards bikes, but I have seen instances like yours where passengers are rude and needlessly obstructive to a biker, which is ironic, since a bike tucked against the wall is a lot better than forcing them to stand out in the middle of the entrance area trying to keep their balance. There is a certain discomfort with public transit among some riders - witness the incredible amount of personal space some passengers need, lest they should accidentally brush against another person (the horror!) and then contrast that with the conditions typical on other mass-transit systems around the world. I don't take a bike on BART often, but if people are obstructive and don't want to let me take the wall space I won't worry too much if they get a greasy chain mark across their pant leg... Urban Biker

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Bike trailer on BART

Aug 2012

Has anyone had experience with using a bike trailer on BART? If so, were you able to get the bike and trailer into the elevator at the station? Was it difficult to find the train that wasn't too crowded to take the bike and trailer on? How did the other riders respond to you? Biking mama

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My son and I tried taking a bike trailer on BART and it was really difficult. Many of the elevators are too small to fit both the bike and the trailer. So we (a 5'4'' momma and 7 year old son) were carrying the bike and trailer up and down stairs.

I'm not sure what route you'll be taking but check out the elevators ahead of time to make sure everything fits. Biking Momma

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I hope you are planning your trips very much outside of commute times!!!! Bikes take up a lot of space on BART, and most, but not all bike commuters work hard to minimize their impact on other riders. Adding a trailor will mean you're taking the space of 5 or 6 people, and would not have any ability to minimize your impact. As a daily BART commuter my reaction would be severe unhappiness. Why not get an attachment seat for your child? At least then you would be able to use BART without having such a big impact. I can't speak to whether your set up would fit on the elevators, but most are pretty small. Daily BART commuter

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We recently did this and it wasn't a great experience. My husband and I each had a bike and trailer. we went in different cars but even at 8am on a Sat morning when the train was pretty quiet I felt uncomfortable with how many people I bumped off of and some of the looks I got (perhaps people would be more sympathetic if I had kids not camping gear in the trailer - not sure - though I did have a 3 year old on a bike seat too at that time). It takes up a HUGE amount of space on the train. Most BART elevators cannot handle a bike and trailer, Ashby can, but the older stations can't. So you'll need to detach the trailer to get up the elevator and then you have the problem if you are alone with leaving one item alone at concourse and street level while you go back for the second item. On our way home on Sun afternoon when we knew that the trains would be crowded we opted to just ride the whole way instead. None of the BART attendants or the driver said anything to us about bringing a trailer on. Can't say I'll never do it again but I would only do when I have NO other options. like to bike too

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Trailers are harder to take on BART than the other options, but it can be done. When you get in the elevator you lift up your front wheel so your bike is standing vertically on it's back wheel, then pull the trailer in behind you.

If you have a Burley or other trailer with a hinge near the bracket, once you're on the train, you can kind of fold the bike onto the trailer and fit into one of the bike spaces or in front of one of the bench seats near the door.

The advantage of the trailer is kids can nap in them and be protected from rainy weather, but otherwise a bike seat is easier to use on transportation, can also be taken on the bus.

I also recently just took a longtail bike (xtracycle) on BART, and it was not too bad either. Just have to stand it on the back wheel in the elevator.

As long as you avoid the really busy commute times, I think it's doable to take any of the kid hauling bike setups on BART. Bike Commuters