Here's the latest response from Caltrain regarding my twiced-bumped complaint.

from H, L date Tue, Jul 22, 2008 at 7:32 AM subject Caltrain Bike Capacity CT7/247

Dear T,

We do regret you are experiencing difficulty in your commute due to lack of bike capacity on Caltrain. As you wish your report has been noted.

As you may be aware Caltrain is in a recovery mode, having recently had to declare a fiscal emergency.

At present we are short on staff and equipment. We do expect to be getting 8 new bombardier cars in the fall which will help to alleviate overcrowded conditions. Unfortunately however this will not increase bike capacity. At present the best we can do is offer more bike storage availability at the stations.

We appreciate you riding Caltrain and understanding the limitations we face at present.

Again we do apologize for the difficulty that these limits continue to cause you and other bike riders. While we are certainly sympathetic, there is no easy or immediate solution to the problem of bike capacity limitations on Caltrain.

Sincerely,

LH, Caltrain Customer Service

Because of MLM's insistence, we did a tour de force thru Oakland - starting at her place, driving around, seeing her new school on 103rd (east east Oakland), and for hubby's sake visiting the Oakland Zoo. (Pics forthcoming).

I like it a lot. Less animals = more space / animal. The enclosures for all the animals are huge in comparison to the SF, SD, Milwaukee, Boston, and DC zoos. I was happy to see that the lions had lots of room - a pond, toys, tree branches and hills to roam. For a moment, I did wonder whether the fences were high enough (same with the tigers) - but the thoughts faded as we viewed them thru binoculars and they were motionless, immovable in the heat.

Special things about the Oakland zoo:

1. half-water, half-mesh viewing of the alligators - you can see how big they are underwater even if you can only see the nose and eyes above. oh, and we got to see the feeding - dead rabbits and rats for three hungry gators. ich.
2. wide, deep, expansive enclosures - and for the same reason, we didn't get to see the hyenas or the warthog.
   

Not so happy things: lots of dead ends and backtracking; fifty-thousand screaming (yes, literally) kids under age of 4; not easily accessible via public transit. Oh, and the thing I dislike the most: people ogling at chimps and other monkeys; tourists "mocking" baboon noises in front of the baboon exhibit (and modeling for their kids to repeat in the future). I hated the SD zoo for the same reason - thru the glass you see the chimps and gorillas, and they speak volumes with their postures and eyes. Each time, I walk away with a heavy heart, forgetting all the other wonderful things a zoo may be.

Damn those fair-weather fans ... or whatever the equivalent is for people who have suddenly become public transportation riders when gas prices gouge their wallets. I'm sure there is a silver lining somewhere - in the distant future when urban planners and policy makers improve on the public transportation services. But in the meantime, the system is taxed to the max: buses are late because there are many riders getting on and off, trains break down the more they ride, and well, BART is just slow and ugly. A few of these things can be fixed easily - more buses and trains at rush hour, more bike cars on trains ... and thoughtful coordination between buses, metro and trains (which is probably too much to ask).

It's been a while since I got bumped from the Caltrain - mostly because I organize myself to travel at odd hours on my return trip. Morning commute is pretty uneventful (with the exception of the day I tried to put bike up through the narrow stairwell in the bike car - because the other door wouldn't open. Sad and probably funny to an observer. [See picture - imagine me carrying a bike and backpack thru the narrow stairs!]


Yesterday was by far the worst. I figured I could catch the northbound 5:57 train in Menlo Park. Denied. It was a full French train. I waited hopefully for the 6:19. Two were allowed on - I was the third person in line. I was, I'm ashamed to report, furious. So, I waited for the bus and took it all the way home.


Funny how the long long ride home got me to relax. Next time, I will be bike-ready, not just train-ready. That's why I have the bike - to ride all the way home if necessary. But, today I am bikeless.

Others posting on this topic:
www.cyclelisio.us

Taking a book from SF Mom of One ... I found a painting that can relate my current feelings about travel ...

I've always thought Dali's work to be fascinating ... but not relevant ... well, I'm pretty sure this is how he may have felt if he was traveling as much as I am!

I wonder what trip will materialize next ...