BART director wants to fine seat hogs $500

BART_sleeper

Everybody has a transit pet peeve, and BART Director Joel Keller is aiming his pet-peeve-o-meter at seat hogs everywhere. According to SFist, Keller is proposing an ordinance whereby BART police could fine you for taking up more than one seat with your stuff. Right now being rude is not illegal, but with this new rule, offenders could get fined $100 the first time, $200 the second time, and up to $500 for repeated seat hogging, according to the Chronicle.

Keller told the Chronicle that this policy is not targeted at the homeless, but was prompted by rude behavior by some young’un he saw on BART:

He said he was motivated to draw up the ordinance when he boarded a train and found a sleeping young man sprawled out over four seats near the door. He realized that even if he summoned police, they could do nothing but rouse the seat hoarder and ask him to sit up.

Now, I know you guys hate seat hogging as much as the next person. I mean, look at these seat hogs being rude with impunity:

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Photo by Tiny Rides

BART_sleeper
Photo by @caltraindiaries

Santa, even you?
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Photo by @bwinegarner

Should BART be able to police what should be common sense? If you want to give your two cents to the BART board, Keller will be presenting the proposed ordinance at 9 a.m. Thursday at 344 20th Street in Oaklan.

Top photo by BART rider L.C.

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