From 2000 to 2002, I took the CC every 2 – 3 weeks. My Dad was sick and my sister & I rotated giving Mom weekend respite. They lived in the Gold Country, so I took the full CC, SJ to Sac, then the Amtrak bus into the foothills. The CC was marvelous!! I can’t remember it ever being up to an hour late. What I do remember is that on Friday nights it usually needed a couple of extra cars to accommodate all the people! By the time we reached Martinez, it was SRO to the end of the line!

The Amtrak bus was fine except when it snowed. Then, yes, we were talking 1 – 2 hours late. I once spent 3 hours in the snow at the newly renovated Colfax station, waiting for a snowed-in bus from Reno!! I kept opening my suitcase to add layers of clothing, and I think I drank 5 cups of coffee from the single restaurant that was still open after 6. The caffeine buzz helped me keep stamping my feet in the snow!!! Near the end of my wait, a cruiser pulled into the parking lot and sat there for 45 min. I don’t know if the cop was watching me, concerned I would get frostbite, or just doing paperwork, but it stayed there till I left. Since I was totally alone in the dark, I was grateful for this kindness.

I really love the comments from all the commuters, and the issues you bring up are exactly what really happens on the daily slog. Thanks for your work!! I feel like I am not alone, and really, riding the rails or buses in the Bay Area can be a lonely experience. In the South Bay there is a real disdain for bus riders. I generally keep it quiet at work that I commute. Being a bus rider is definitely a mark of weirdness around here, in the car-happy suburbs. But commuting has kept my little household afloat and still anchored to the community in which I grew up, so I am grateful for the VTA, (though sometimes it makes me grit my teeth!).

Anyway, God bless and keep on blogging