Major system delays

So this morning I woke up to text messages from BART as early as 4:57, notifying me of major system delays due to mechanical issues. As the morning went on, my phone was in a constant of  alarm with updates from BART texts regarding the delays increasing.  To add to the fury, ABC news got in on the action and alerted subscribers (me) about BART delays. So, in order to learn more information about how my morning commute would unfold,  I logged into my Twitter account and all hell broke loose in my brain. Tweets from SFGate, BART ABC among many others notifying anyone viewing there was a major BART delay AND a fatal crash on Highway 24 that was "snarling" the morning commute.  Is it helpful to know about these types of issues ahead of time or does it just better to be blissfully ignorant and live in the moment?

I was in full panic mode at this point.  Should I drive to SF,  have someone drive me, get up and not shower or put makeup on and just rush to the BART station now in hopes I could catch the last train in existence? Anything short of renting a helicopter were on the table as options. One would think that a relatively intelligent and sane woman would not panic,  no such luck. Besides, if you ask my husband,  I possess neither of those qualities as of late.  Nonetheless,  I drafted a text to the new boss, explaining my fear that BART was so delayed that I was going to be late, but that I was doing my best to get to work today. Thank god I drafted it but did not send it. My second error was to call the family. I tried my sister first because I figured she had to go to work and she would be awake. No answer. I contemplated calling my retired parents to get much needed advice from my dad. I figured he was a subject matter expert since he commuted into SF for 35+ years. Thankfully I waited on this call too. My sister eventually called back and after I explained the situation with BART,  she said,
"Don't go into work,  this isn't your fault, you can make it, oh well". All during this time, I continued to get updates from and about BART delays.

Ok, decision time, I reflected,  what's the worst that can happen? I am just stuck on a train. I am just going to go for it and see what happens. I hopped on a train at N. Concord Station and we cruised through to Rockridge with no issues. Then, the train stopped. People were packed in the train like sardines, the windows were dripping with condensation or whatever nastiness was in the air.

 

The Operator came on and indicated we were going to be slow moving from here on out to Embarcadero. Then we sat between MacArthur and 19th for about 20 minutes. We were finally told by the operator that the issues were cleared up and we would move through to SF without any further delays. At full-speed he said. Then...there was a medical issue at 19th Street and we were stopped before we reached that station. When it rains it pours. We waited and waited and waited. Some knucklehead had the nerve to say, "Doesn't that sick dude know how much he is inconveniencing hundreds of thousands of people by having a heart attack.". Uh, he said it out loud and I'm pretty sure he's just an asshole. The whole train when quiet after that. Bad karma dude.

 

For the most part, it was no problem for me. I eventually sent a text to my boss, who rides BART from Walnut Creek. She was stuck on a train behind me still in between Walnut Creek and Lafayette.  Taking the train was soo much better than having to drive. I wouldn't even know where to start between the 680/24 traffic to the tunnel and them merging onto the Bay Bridge.

 

Finally the trains moved out and as each station passed by, I was hopeful I would make it to SF by lunchtime. And I needed to go to the restroom.

 

I made it to SF 1 hour and 50 minutes after I stepped onto the train at N. Concord. I ask myself again, is it helpful to know about these types of issues ahead of time or does it just better to be blissfully ignorant and live in the moment. I still would have gotten on BART this morning and I still needed to get to work, whether I knew about the problems or not, it would not have changed anything.  I guess the only thing I can think of at this point is because I knew ahead of time that BART was having issues, I made sure ot use the restroom before I left the house. Then being stuck on the train would have actually been miserable.

Okay, time to get to work for a few hours and prepare for the evening commute home!