Caltrain and AC Transit diaries
We know that Muni isn’t the only Bay Area transit with colorful tales. Rider Laura has taken the helm of CalTrainDiaries on Twitter, and we will be posting stories from other Bay Area transit systems here on this page. You can follow @CaltrainDiaries on Twitter and send your Caltrain stories to caltraindiaries@gmail.com.
Stories from CalTrain
CalTrain Veteran
From rider Jason:
10 PM Northbound local Caltrain on Monday, November 30, 2009. I board at Palo Alto.
I get on the train at Palo Alto, and an older man comes onboard the train by himself about two stops after me. I notice immediately that the has somewhat of a disheveled appearance, and he tries to take off his jacket by lifting it over his head. His t-shirt ends up over his head as well. I also hear what sounds like pills rattling and the man is carrying a small brown paper bag that I assume is filled with pills of some sort and carries a large coffee.
Once he sits down, I immediately noticed a white wristband, looking much like a hospital wristband. The man takes it off and rests it on the table, without breaking it. He puts on reading glasses and begins checking a early-2000’s Nokia cell phone. Moments later, the conductor comes around to check tickets. The older man pulls out his wallet, seemingly completely unaware of Caltrain procedure. He asks the conductor how much a ticket is, and the conductor responds that it depends entirely on where the man got on and where the man is getting off. The man responds sayings “I used to be able to pay onboard.” The conductor, responds by saying “Really? When was that?” No doubt, he knows something is up with this guy. The man explains that he was just discharged from the VA and is headed to Millbrae to head to the East Bay. He also says that he was confused and thought he was getting on an Amtrak (Amtrak doesn’t run to Millbrae).
The man gets up to check his bag (supposedly for a ticket and also to show the conductor his discharge papers from VA), which appearantly is not on his person and is on the very lowest part of of a new caltrain. We’re sitting in the section before the stairs to the upper level. The conductor waits patiently for the man to check his bag (or whatever he was checking) and the man comes back, ticketless. The veteran has no tickets, and the conductor suggets alternatives, and says ‘do you want a citation?’ The veteran, somewhat defensive, says ‘Well, if I’ve broken the law, I guess I’ve broken the law. What do you want me to do?’ The conductor responds that the man could get off and buy a ticket. The verteran also mentions that “I’m on a lot of medication right now.” The conductor seems sympathic to the issue and asks the man about the hospital wristband. The conductor seems satisfied enough by seeing the wristband and moves on. The vertern seems perturbed, talking under his breathe, gets up to put his jacket on and walks off the train, getting off at Hayward Park Station, 1 or 2 stops before Millbrae, waving goodbye to someone on the train, I believe.
I’m left a little confused by what I saw. Frankly, a man in that bad of shape should not have been released from the VA hospital in his condition, and certainly not this late at night. Granted, he might have been discharged hours or days earlier, but sitting here watching this man struggle, and seeing how spaced out he was leaves me sad that this man is having so much difficulty, when all he probably needs is stability and a little help.
Thought that you could pay on-board.
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