october 4th, 2007 marks the day of my new nemesis. it has been awhile since i have had a nemesis. i had one in middle school and then one in college, but since then, life has been....what can i say? ... empty? but now i have evil BARTman.
let me set the record straight. i hate taking my bike on BART, especially while wearing my biking clothes. (this is mostly because people are creepy, as evident by one particular sketch weekend.)
because of annoying commuting hour restrictions, it is very difficult for me to BART to work with my bike. that is why i usually "casually carpool" into SF (basically organized hitchhiking for people to get in the carpool lane and not pay the bridge toll). but anytime i want to bike directly afterwork (like when i go riding w/ michiko in marin, or when i was going to the tuesday sprints in fremont)...i have to get on BART by 6:51. sometimes i'd be late and instead get on the 6:55 train, and the guy at the kiosk never cared. that is because these times are completely senseless and arbitrary, as the trains are EMPTY at this hour.
anyway, three weeks ago my nemesis turned me away because i was five minutes late. (he was new at the kiosk.) as he was giving a ridiculously hard time, we both watched about 5 other bikers go in and down the stairs to the train, none of which was stopped. interesting that they were all in street clothes, and i was the only one in my spandex (cause i work way out in laurel heights and have some big hills to go up on the way to work and get really sweaty.) he was actually nice that day and called other stations to see which i could go to-- but it was pointless because the time restrictions are the same. i apologized, but he would not let me in. but he conveniently left his kiosk right when i was walking up the stairs to go for a smoke break, and then i snuck on that train.
well, yesterday this happened again. except this time he was mean. really, really mean. i was walking into the station about 15 feet behind another biker (in street clothes). he let that guy through and then yelled at me. I pointed out that someone was right in front of me and he said: "i'm not talking about them, i'm talking about you." then he said some more nasty things to me. he let me downstairs "that time" but said "next time you aren't getting in here." all this and the train was empty.
i really don't know why this guy has a vendetta against me imparticular, as he isn't stopping anyone else. the first time, i was very apologetic. i mean, it is 6:55 in the morning, why could you possibly care to yell at someone? it can't be that his boss is giving him hardtime, because he isn't enforcing the rules with everyone...just me. i'm just trying to get to work an hour and a half early, cut me some slack! there is plenty of room in the train cars. other bikers are going downstairs left and right. i am very sorry i look like a fool in my spandex, but i am self-conscious enough about it on BART...why am i the only one you stop?
yes, in all fairness, i should have left my house 5-10 minutes earlier. he is just doing his job. but i don't see why i am the only one who gets shit, when so many other bikers go right by him no problem. BARTman is my new nemesis.
well, after i finally got to work, i left early and went biking with michiko in marin. we were totally flying, going like 10 mph in a tailwind. those old guys with baskets on their bikes could barely keep up with us. when i got home, i measured my quads, and just as i predicted, 59.75cm. looks like i am on the downs. which means some of my pants will stop looking like spandex too...well, maybe at least for a couple of months.
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