[thecodont]

The mass transit in Atlanta, what little there is, is amazingly safe and clean. It is run by people who actually appreciate the gift from the Feds, and they rule it with an iron hand - zero tolerance for ANY crap. No eating. No drinking. No annoying. And plenty of undercover who will arrest without warning and they mean it. I’ve seen it myself more than once.

Wish they had that kind of order on BART. It's heartbreaking to see the pictures from 1972, when it first opened (check the archive on SFGate.com, Peter Hartlaub's "Let's Go to the Morgue") and the seats were clean and everyone was well-dressed (those '70s fashions!) and courteous.

Now you can count on finding:
* Eating and drinking (I don't mean breath mints/gum and water, but food smells, food wrappers, food refuse on the seats and floor)
* Feet ON the seats (even with shoes on!) as if it were their living-room couch
* Use of the overhead SRO grab bars as gymnastics equipment
* Panhandlers and juvenile candy salesmen who pass through the cars soliciting donations
* Gang members who go as a group from one car to another, glaring at all the passengers

Etc.

[Revolting cat!]

everyone was well-dressed (those '70s fashions!)

Oh yes, I remember!