Posted on January 28, 2010 by Commuter Gal
Vallejo 7:30 AM
I join a dozen people waiting in the carpool line. This is a no-kidding, heavy duty cold wet fog and I’m glad I am wearing a warm coat and hat. Have you noticed that many people (most actually) do not wear hats, or even gloves in the coldest weather. How do they do it? It’s been proven that much of your body heat escapes through your head. But I’ve also read that if you keep your big toe warm your body will be warmer. How odd is that. Moral is always wear a hat and socks in cold weather. Everything in between is negotiable.
The line moves and in about 10 minutes I’m tucked into the front seat of a 4-door silver BMW with a sunroof. The driver strongly resembles Wally Cox. We head out through the fog which is thick as can be on the Carquinez Bridge, but then an amazing light show begins. Near the end of the bridge the sun is back-lighting the fog and we leave the bridge in a golden cloud.
The mix of sun and fog through the hills on either side of the freeway is spectacular. Wally Cox gets on his cell phone. He’s having a high-tech sort of conversation with his office.
He ends his call and asks me if I’ve heard about the new bridge tolls. (see Michael Cabanatuan’s article in today’s Chronicle: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/01/28/BA0D1BO1M7.DTL) Of course the conversation picks up. How could I resist! He agrees the toll is not fair, but shrugs when I ask him about it. We then discuss fast trak and the transponders (car pool drivers will be required to have them come July 1). My transponder has not beeped in months and I wonder how the fast trak folks are keeping track of my car’s bridge crossings. Wally says they’re probably reading the license plate, but suggests I order a new one.
The sun is fully blasting away as we cruise past Berkeley. Then around the corner onto the Bay Bridge approach and there, once again, is the lone egret contemplating the traffic and the bay shore waters he stands in. I wonder if this is the same egret I see most mornings.
Wally returns to his cell phone. It’s cozy in this car and I’m thankful I’m feeling better. We go back into the fog and across the bridge into San Francisco.
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Posted on January 27, 2010 by Commuter Gal
Come July 1 us carpoolers will pay tolls, too. $2.50 a car during commute hours. The Bay Area Toll Authority voted unanimously today (see SF Appeal online news: http://sfappeal.com/alley/2010/01/bay-bridge-tolls-officially-jacked-up-as-of-July-1.php)
Vallejo 7:30 AM
I slept later this morning, trying to get rid of a flu-ish feeling. A break from the rain today, just a damp blanket of fog, but no cars either. A short wait, though and soon I’m in a big warm SUV, in the front seat with a quiet driver who looks quite a bit like Andrew Jackson, even down to the hair style, at least in profile.
Traffic is moving along smoothly and I’m drifting in and out of a nap when I realize I am riding in a TOYOTA! Oh my god, is this one of the 8 models that has just been declared unsafe? The problem seems to be a sticky gas pedal for nearly 6 million cars. I peer down at the driver’s gas pedal foot and it looks like the pedal in this particular Toyota Highlander is working just fine this morning.
We are up and onto the Bay Bridge at 8:05 AM and safe and sound into the City.
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Posted on January 27, 2010 by Commuter Gal
Vallejo 7:20 AM
The line of cars is a block long and my ride is a big white Mazda SUV driven by a tiny older woman. To her delight, a friend of hers – another tiny older woman – comes along and gets in the front seat. They happily talk. Traffic is not bad so I’m surprised to see a collision in our carpool lane, near Hercules. It looks minor, probably result of tailgating. A fender hangs off of one car and the other car seems to be tilting to the side. As we carefully pass them, both drivers are furiously working their cell phones.
No rain this morning, but there’s 13 feet of snow up in the Sierras. Hope that means no water rationing this year.
The City is wrapped in a light mist as we cross the Bay Bridge. The ladies in the front seat laugh and talk. Here we are at 8 AM already in the City.
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Posted on January 26, 2010 by Commuter Gal
Vallejo 7:30 AM
I’m in a Chevrolet Trailblazer with a sunroof. We move along enjoying Friday light even on a wet sluggish day like this and soon approach a gray and wet Bay Bridge. Only in a large vehicle like this can I peer over the old bridge to see the work on the new bridge and there it is – coming along. Today we learn that many of the steel structures for the new bridge will soon arrive – from China. This, after nearly a year’s delay and an uncomfortable history of Chinese lead-filled toys, killer Chinese Pet Food, tainted cosmetics, and just recently, toxic-laden children’s jewelry at Wal Mart. But we have hope that this time they will get it right.
Hope is blooming in Haiti, after the miraculous recovery of 7 year old Kiki Joachin, pulled out of the rubble after over a week. The Haitians now wait and hope for food, water and medical care.
State Senator George Miller on KCBS radio tells us not to give up hope on the Health Care Reform Bill, in spite of this week’s Senate election in Massachusetts (Republican Scott Brown filling Senator Ted Kennedy’s seat).
And KCBS weather promises at least one day this weekend of no rain – maybe a little sun if we’re lucky.
After all, it’s Friday, and after this wet week that is something indeed.
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Posted on January 20, 2010 by Commuter Gal
Vallejo 7:20 AM
The storm rages on but this morning I talk my husband out of driving me to BART and I return to the casual carpool. As we slosh down the 780 freeway en route to Vallejo I see a surprising number of people driving like kamikaze pilots – tailgating, cutting in and going way too fast on these slick roads. Kind of terrifying in any weather, but a special thrill this morning. The 780 is one of the worst freeways for this kind of reckless behavior. There’s a long welcome line of cars lined up at the casual carpool spot and I run from our car to the first ride in line – a big new safe and lovely Lincoln Continental. The driver says yesterday’s commute was a bit slow, but okay. Hopefully today will be without incident.
Unfortunately, there’s no heat in this car – frequently the case. Does anyone understand the logic of this? and what is the general rule here? The driver’s comfort and the riders discomfort?
Traffic crawls – top speed is 40, which is fine with me in this weather. The meadows and hills are turning greener each day and within the next 6 weeks we’ll start to see the first flowers of Spring.
Slow on the Bay Bridge, with buckets of water falling onto the windshield, and somewhere to my right is the City – but today it’s vanished into the storm. 8:30 and we’re here in San Francisco. The driver takes me right to my bus stop for the next leg of my commute.
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Posted on January 15, 2010 by Commuter Gal
7:25 a.m. Vallejo, and a really large Nissan Quest suv is waiting for me with the side door open. It automatically slides shut when I’m in.
Driver is a small woman with a short haircut combed so that it looks like she’s been electrocuted. It’s Friday Casual where she works I’d bet – she’s wearing jeans of course, and has on a grey hoodie and a canvas vest with a fur collar over that. It’s a kind of woman-warrior from the steppes look. It’s good.
Easy Friday traffic and I’m so comfortable in the back of this vast vehicle that I could just stay here all day. Hey, the Bay Area Toll Authority did a preliminary vote yesterday on the tolls. No surprise – they unanimously voted for carpool tolling – $2.50 per car beginning in July. Final vote on January 27.
3-day weekend coming up!
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Posted on January 15, 2010 by Commuter Gal
Vallejo 7:25 a.m. I get in the front seat of a 1997 Mercedes Sedan. A lovely car, and we take off into really amazing layers of fog. Scary driving but beautiful to look at. The rough edges of our No Cal winter landscape are in soft focus – transformed into a breathtaking Japanese watercolor. KCBS Radio keeps us on top of weather and traffic every few minutes, and more news on Haiti’s earthquake is not good.
We commute in and out of the sun, through Berkeley and round the corner onto the Bay Bridge back into dense heavy fog. The bridge has vanished and we slip into a soft grey space of twinkling red brake lights. Crossing the bridge, the familiar point of the TransAmerica Pyramid pops out of the fog into the sunlight, the soft focus of the early morning ends and our long-silent driver suddenly begins to rail against the proposed bridge toll for commuters.
I vigorously join in the discussion and we agree it is an unfair toll, that will essentially penalize a most progressive, ingenious system that has made bay area commuting less torturous, hazardous and less polluting for all concerned. The driver resents the enforced fast trak account he would have to open to participate. Sounds like we’re going to lose a driver come July.
We arrive at the drop off corner and step into a sunny San Francisco morning. This is a great system and I worry about the consequences of the proposed toll for us casual carpool commuters.
The Bridge Toll Authority makes its final decision on January 27. Let’s hope the fog lifts on their cloudy thinking as they try to resolve their budget.
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Posted on January 14, 2010 by Commuter Gal
Vallejo 7:20 a.m. I pass on the 2-door BMW convertible this morning, and get in the back comfy seat of a big roomy gas guzzling Nissan Pathfinder suv. Lovely morning here, green rolling hills, air fresh from last night’s showers, traffic moving nicely.
Not so lovely 3,000 miles away in Port au Prince. After watching CNN’s coverage early this morning of yesterday’s devastating 7.0 quake in Haiti, I feel uneasy about the series of smaller quakes we’ve been experiencing here in No Cal this last week. And today Governor Schwarzenegger declared a State of Emergency for Humboldt County, following Saturday’s 6.5 shake.
As we come up on the Bay Bridge, I can’t help but think about the 1989 Loma Prieta Quake and that haunting photo of the car hanging over the broken bridge. The 104th anniversary of the Big 1906 Shake is coming up in a few months. I don’t feel quite so secure or comfy in this cozy ride.
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Posted on January 13, 2010 by Commuter Gal
7:15 a.m. leaving Vallejo in a very comfortable Scion (one of those odd box-like looking cars). Truly comfy and roomy. Mellow and alert driver. KBLX on radio, then later NPR. Hey, it’s warm (er) today! Wet, but warmer.
All well until we encounter a suicide driver. He tailgates us as close as you can get and still not touch, no headlights on, then darts around us and cuts back in front of us, barely missing our car. Our driver is shaken and wants to call whoever you call to report crazy drivers, but gives it up. As we go over the freeway on the carpool overpass this same nutcake comes up ALONGSIDE us in the emergency lane. Oh yeah, and there’s only 2 people in the car (3 required for carpool lane).
Stuff that keeps you awake on a long commute.
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Posted on January 12, 2010 by Commuter Gal
Some casual carpoolers
Bad ride today. Tiny car with a hapless passenger squeezed in the back seat. I get in front next to a driver who looks like he’s 12 years old. No one returns my good morning greeting. It’s about 30 degrees outside with the wind-chill factor, and I realize too late there is no heat in this wretched car. I should have gotten out when I had the chance. I’m thankful that traffic is fairly heavy – it keeps the driver down to a safe speed. This is not a happy way to start the week.
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Getting There 