Via Akit, we found this amazing BART video, purportedly from 1982.

The transit system wasn’t exactly new at that point, but this ad sure presents it as if it were.

Trippy, to say the least.

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Reader Catherine sends along this article on Barbara Shawcroft’s Sea Legs, which have been documented here on BART Diaries before.

Yet another instance of art and transit colliding in beautiful and strange ways …

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Vic over at Mission Mission posted about this awesome BART busker band, the California Honeydrops. In the video, they discuss why they love playing for BART riders. It’s worth a watch, and their music is really cool. Tip ‘em if you get the chance, eh?

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BART rider Anya has this diary to share:

So BART had some serious rush-hour delays this morning. So when I got to Civic Center there was a mass of people waiting, already looking frustrated. The Pittsburg/Bay Point train pulls up LOADED with people. Naturally, when the door opens, it’s a typical battle to wrestle yourself into the train. Everyone is even more agitated and pissed.

Once we get to Powell, before the doors open, the train conductor says something to the extent of “sorry to have to start your day this way folks but look on the bright side — it’s a beautiful day outside. Forget about us and have a good rest of your day.” Everyone immediately lit up in smiles (as jam-packed as we were) and a few people chuckled.

Moral of the story: even the smallest gesture goes a long way on days like that. Thank you to that train conductor for being so positive! And to the other drivers — please try to stay positive and cheerful on the crappy days…. your words go a long way to make everyone else snap out of their angry commuter modes.

Got a BART story to share? Do it here at BART Diaries.

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BART rider Carleigh sends the following warning:

I watch the news every morning so I was as disheartened as anyone else recently when KTVU ran the story of a family pooch being stolen from outside of the Church and Market Safeway. I hugged my own little pup tighter that night and assured him I would only leave him tied up outside of Philz on 24th St and nowhere else!

But, I digress. Today I was hoofing it home from the top of Powell Street, sweetly counting the steps until I could (hopefully) get a seat on a Millbrae-bound train and rest my own weary dogs (heh).

Outside of the station in that weird plaza near the cable car turnaround was a very obviously homeless man, middle-aged with but a single protruding tooth, dirty clothes, smell of urine wafting in the immediate area (though I cannot indubitably attribute it to this specific man). However, what stuck out to me was that he was holding a red leash attached to the collar of a very designer-looking jack russell/possibly chihuahua mix in an also designer-looking brown hooded sweater with faux lamb’s wool lining (kind of like an ugg but a dog outfit?). The man was acting pretty manic, running the little dog in circles, and I didn’t get involved. I contemplated taking a picture and notifying BART cops downstairs but saw a couple of officers on their way towards this guy already.

I hope this pooch found his or her way home! (Unless, of course, his adoption to the seemingly homeless man was part of the recent San Francisco chihuahua exodus, in which this post is entirely unfounded.)

Moral of the story: watch where you put your pups and if you’ve got to tie them up outside where they’ll be vulnerable, microchip those motherfuckers.

Seen something on BART lately you feel like sharing? Let us know.

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Vic Wong over at Mission Mission the other day posted a series of badges. They represent different BART maintenance yards, scattered all over the Bay Area (near the ends of BART lines, naturally). We at BART Diaries respect those who help maintain a robust, well-functioning (if noisy) rail system. We think their badges are cool, too.

Read Vic’s post for more.

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Amid the derailments and metro shutdowns, there was also this scene in Embarcadero Station on Wednesday evening.

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Remember when all BART stations had restrooms? Yeah, neither do we.

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Man, it sure seemed packed on the BART system Thursday night. Here are a few choice tweets describing the various scenes:

@teoco: 10:30 BART Powell to PBP, standing room only. http://twitpic.com/nhgrm

@meannie: By Powell station Bart train completely packed. Craziness for 10:26 pm. They should’ve gone 24 hrs http://twitpic.com/nhgsa

@jtabergas Whoa. At 10:30pm, BART to Easy Bay is standing room only. http://twitpic.com/nhgrm

@RachRachGold entirely too many people on #bart for 10:30pm on a thurs Ugghhh. Thought there were gonna b more trains?! http://yfrog.com/j84xij

@jamesjgriffin BART was way way way too crowded tonight. The bridge might open tomorrow.

Did you ride BART last night? Tell us about it in comments.

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All hell is breaking loose on the Bay Bridge, of course. Well, maybe not all hell. And not even all of the bridge. But shit is broken, and transbay commuters faced a choice this morning: Play hooky, or “brave it” on BART. Here are some of the more amusing tweets we found on this topic:

trebledmind Bay Bridge closure – planning for it = Crowded BART + stink

SFcalafia Lots of clueless BART riders today.

connortmcdonald Ooohh look at the adorable newbie BART riders b/c the Bay Bridge is closed/falling down. So cute when they forget to hold on.

morgandodge Overheard on BART: “Is there a nurse on this car?” Turns out there was and someone had passed out. I cannot drink this coffee fast enough.

itsjustgoldie BART was tight this morning. It was warm tho, better than the cold. But it felt like hot-mouth warmth, not heater warmth. *blorf*

Buttagood4you just because I didn’t give up my seat at bart does not mean I don’t have manners!

MrsGrams RT @someglory: Heard on BART: “I hear one of the major bridges is closed.”

HeyBarmold It’s like the Bay Bridge closed itself on purpose just to spite me. What’s got two thumbs and is stoked about the rookies on BART? This guy.

Here are some transit alternatives to BART, the alternative to trying to drive across a shut-down bridge.

Meanwhile, BART is offering a chance to win $100 by taking a bridge-closure survey. And Zog’s in San Francisco is offering free hot dogs to anyone with a BART ticket today.

As always, feel free to send your gripes and other observations to us here. Or email us here.

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