The gods of transit have tested me

Submitted by Leila Bengali on Tue, 06/02/2009 - 17:50

 I rarely have problems with either bart or caltrain, both of which are part of my car-free route to work.  But, on the first day of the Challenge, bart was delayed in the afternoon so I missed the train that takes me from the Millbrae station back to my station stop.  Trains that stop at my station only come once an hour in the afternoon, so I was kind of bummed.  I even called my dad to see where he was - just leaving SF and heading south.  I was super tempted to ask him to swing by and pick me up, but I didn't because I had a really good book and an hour really isn't that long.  After getting home, I felt pretty good about myself; I had not given into the temptation to take the easy way out and drive home.

Then, the next day, I walked to my caltrain station and heard this series of announcements:

Caltrain 211 is 12 minutes late

Caltrain 211 is 13 minutes late

Caltrain 211 is 15 minutes late

Caltrain 211 has been terminated at San Carlos

After about an hour of waiting, a train finally came and I made it to work.

I've learned that when you commit to taking public transportation, you just have to accept that some things are beyond your control.  If you can live with that and not get overly frustrated when your train is late, then it can still be an enjoyable commute.  Sometimes you have to sit in traffic jams when you drive, right?

 

Comments

And you can't read a good

by andrea_o - 06/03/2009 - 21:33
And you can't read a good book in a traffic jam -- at least you shouldn't! What are you reading?

Not to worry, I don't read

by Leila Bengali - 06/04/2009 - 13:10

Not to worry, I don't read in traffic jams, though I have seen people doing all kinds of crazy things while driving/stuck in traffic/ waiting at lights (curling their eyelashes, shaving, brushing their teeth - what's the best one you have seen?)

I just finished reading "Me talk pretty one day" by David Sedaris.  It was very funny and very good.  Now I am reading "Thinking in pictures and other reports from my life with autism" by Temple Grandin.  It's very good because her voice really comes through and it's so different than any other author's that I have read.  

 I am close to finishing Grandin's book, any suggestions?

I hear you, Leila - most of

by GreenbeltStephanie - 06/17/2009 - 08:00
I hear you, Leila - most of the time, Caltrain is on time almost to the second, but when there are delays, they are usually pretty severe. And I have the same challenge transferring from BART to Caltrain. There's a perfectly timed connection in the morning, but fewer trains in the evening that go from Millbrae to San Mateo. Sometimes I'll take the 390 express bus down El Camino from Millbrae instead - have you tried that? The advantage of Caltrains express train schedule is that you get home a lot faster than with just local trains, but the disadvantage is that trains that goes between the two stops you need are few and far between. All in all, I think I prefer the express train system since most of the time things are on time and run smoothly. My favorite book of all time is The Fifth Sacred Thing by Starhawk Other winners: Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell or How I Paid for College by Marc Acito

I agree.  I often have to

by Leila Bengali - 06/21/2009 - 15:35
I agree.  I often have to run to make a tight connection between bart and caltrain in the afternoon/ evening and if the bart is even just a bit late, than I can never make the train.  I have just recently tried taking the SamTrans busses home instead (390 or 391, I think).  They are slower, so they are usually my fall back option.  I just applied for a bike locker at Millbrae, so soon I will no longer be held back by caltrain delays.  yay! Though it is nice that both caltrain and samtrans leave from the millbrae station so if one is delayed or you miss the train, there is always a second option.