WASTE OF TIME

SO, BART hasn't heard one complaint about the drug-sniffing dogs? Here's
numero uno.

It's unfortunate that BART police have so much free time to go sniffing for
the occasional joint but not enough time to put down some of the vandalism,
eating and bikes brought on crowded trains.

As a regular commuter, I keep wondering when BART police will enforce the no
eating and drinking regulations. All you have to do is look at the trains
for the evidence.

Well-dressed commuters dump their newspapers on the floor even though there
are recycling bins at every station. The floors of some cars look like the
floor of a short-order cafe. How about Coca-Cola sniffing dogs?

Some bicycle riders get on trains during the commute and take up two or more
seats. One biker got on and broke open a 40-ounce.

When BART police were checking trains at Embarcadero and West Oakland, I
thought the bicycle and eating rules might be better enforced. One night at
Embarcadero, I watched a young man on a train eating sunflower seeds and
spitting the shells on the floor. A BART officer saw him from the platform
as he walked by and did nothing.

How about more cops at stations to do something about the rampant fare
evasion?

As for the BART police scenario that suggests BART will be a gateway for
illegal drug smuggling after the San Francisco Airport extension opens, get
a grip, guys. Just make the trains safe and clean for the rest of us. If
these guys want to chase drug dealers, let them come work for the Oakland
Police Department. OPD needs all the help it can get. That's a whole other
story.

Margurite Fuller

Oakland