Comments on: Will backlash imperil $3.5 billion BART bond?

By: CJRoses

CJRoses — Tue, 26 Apr 2016 15:36:51 +0000

“…Borenstein, among others, has suggested that one reason the November bond is so big is that for years, normal BART maintenance MAY have been scaled back to pay for worker compensation.”

May??? This is THE reason the state is falling apart.

By: Richard Rider

Richard Rider — Tue, 26 Apr 2016 02:33:29 +0000

Good! Let the liberals pay more. If EVER there was a region that DESERVED higher taxes, it’s San Francisco!

By: bob

bob — Tue, 26 Apr 2016 01:56:52 +0000

You people give the idiot voters too much credit. They’ve long forgotten that strike and they think bonds are free money.

This bond measure will pass.

By: Richard Rider

Richard Rider — Mon, 25 Apr 2016 22:59:14 +0000

Good to know. BTW, does the “driver” have a brake to activate in case something looms on the track? I’m sure the automates system has sensors, but a drunk might not activate that until he stepped in front of the train.

Just curious. My education continues.

By: Richard Rider

Richard Rider — Mon, 25 Apr 2016 22:58:26 +0000

Good to know. BTW, does the “driver” have a brake to activate in case something looms on the track? I’m sure they have sensors, but a drunk might not activate that until he stepped in front of the train.

Just curious. My education continues.

By: Edward Teyssier

Edward Teyssier — Mon, 25 Apr 2016 16:21:45 +0000

The BART system was designed to be all operated automatically. The humans are only necessary to provide “eyes” as to what’s happening and to be aware of any technical problem that might cause a safety problem.

I first moved to the bay area (Berkeley) in summer of 1973 to attend UC. I recall that when I first got there BART was shut down for the duration because of technical problems, and then, when the technical problems were resolved, there was another strike as well. The technical problems were because a totally automated system was just too far ahead of its time. They finally decided they needed real, live humans present in order to safely run the trains. Imagine, would you feel safe whizzing around and going under the bay if you knew the entire system was being controlled on a early MicroSoft DOS computer (i.e., a computer that “crashes” at least twice a day?). And remember that this was 1973 and Microsoft wasn’t going to come into existence for another 5 years or so.

But the point is well taken that there really isn’t much to “driving” (ie., watching them drive themselves) these trains or watching people buy tickets from the automated machines or being a BART security guard, watching the people get on and off the trains. Basically, those people are just there to watch and report any problems and for that, just about anyone could do it. The rest of the time, the whole system is supposed to operate autonomously.

By: Spurwing Plover

Spurwing Plover — Mon, 25 Apr 2016 15:28:26 +0000

It figures the infamous SEIU would have its dirty hands in the publics cookie jar

By: Rex the Wonder Dog!

Rex the Wonder Dog! — Mon, 25 Apr 2016 05:46:16 +0000

A trained CHIMP could drive a train. Go. Stop. Repeat.
BART trains are all automated, the ONLY action the driver of the train does is close the doors after all the passengers have boarded, that is it. He does not open the doors, that is automated. So an untrained chimp could do the job. And you will NEVER get a job at BART unless you’re connected in, similar to the Firewhiner and GED cop jobs.

By: Mr. Anonymous

Mr. Anonymous — Sun, 24 Apr 2016 23:27:38 +0000

They don’t drive. The computers drive BART.

By: Richard Rider

Richard Rider — Sun, 24 Apr 2016 19:19:19 +0000

A trained CHIMP could drive a train. Go. Stop. Repeat.