MarinIJ: Did Marin lose out on BART? (transportation, ferry)

[Mr. Fantastic]

Originally Posted by matt345

The only reason I'd like to have BART to Marin is because it'd result in more BART coverage in the City other than just Market Street and the Mission (Geary anyone?). It's ridiculous just how little of the BART system is actually in San Francisco. BART needs to stop with these neverending extensions into exurbia (seriously Livermore? is Tracy next?) and concentrate on bringing more service to the urban core, where people actually have a need for public transit.

MUNI? You can get FREE transfer at the stations.

[Mr. Fantastic]

Originally Posted by SickOfCalifornia

I am not saying that the opinion has merits, only that it is widely held.

And your BART experience is anecdotal. I rode BART for two periods (between 1996 and 1998 and for most of 2002) and I had to defend myself from in a fight once, had to deploy pepper spray twice, three times saw someone urinating on the train, and twice saw someone openly whacking it to a porno mag. I would not say my experience was typical at all, but I would also say that neither is yours.

Exactly. Everyone's experience is different.

I spent time on BART in the 90s, and witnessed all sorts of hijnks on the trains. Without getting too detailed I've seen all of the following occur on BART trains:

- One Rape (I actually got backhanded trying to help stop this one)
- Numerous fights (usually near West Oakland and Oakland City Center stations)
- A bum get on the train who smelled like feces sit next to a mother and child and got angry when they tried to move
- A group of young teens running between trains trying to catch someone who owed them money

The point being, BART isn't a solution without flaws, and will have a hard time getting into Marin.

[Mr. Fantastic]

Who said criminals had to be non-white?

[llowllevellowll]

Originally Posted by Mr. Fantastic

Let's see I own a 2,200 square foot home in San Rafael, and I spend 2-3 months out of the year living there, and as SickofCalifornia said, my neighbors and many people I do business with in the city do NOT want BART extended here.

We don't want riff raff from the more crime ridden cities getting easy access to our community, that's why BART will never be extended here.

You act as though you owning a vacation home in Marin should be common knowledge despite the fact that you continually pedal misinformation about much of the Bay Area to visitors. Sorry, it appears quite easily that you haven't been to the Bay Area in about 10-15 years based on some of your opinions, which often appear outdated.

Ownership or not, you're still an entirely paranoid person just like your neighbors

[Mr. Fantastic]

Originally Posted by Parti Rhinocéros

Ownership or not, you're still an entirely paranoid person just like your neighbors

Yeah, because the criminal element in Richmond and Oakland is just a figment of my imagination.

[mayorhaggar]

I don't want those limousine liberals from Marin coming to Rockridge to eat all our pate and drink all our Merlot anyway!!! Not in my backyard!

[18Montclair]

Originally Posted by Mr. Fantastic

Yeah, because the criminal element in Richmond and Oakland is just a figment of my imagination.

The very interesting thing about crime in both Richmond and Oakland is that there is next to NO spilling over of their crime problems to neighboring cities.

Even within their cities, crime seems to be confined to certain areas, maybe even wide swaths of areas, but the safe areas within Oakland and Richmond seem to escape relatively unscathed.

Just look at Piedmont, richer than most Marin locales yet just as safe if not safer than any Marin locale. Better schools too.

[Mr. Fantastic]

Well I've been saying that for as long as I've been posting here. Oakland is a city where no "middle class" exist. That's the problem with the city. The rich people live in the hills, and the poor people live in the "flats". A city where two rigid classes of citizens exist is the sign of an unhealthy city. Places like Marin have more diffuse wealth and as a result, the area is much more healthy.

You won't see San Rafael laying off 1/3 of their police force or not responding to "certain crimes" like Oakland. You also won't see a 52% dropout rate in the public schooling system, again, like Oakland. You also won't see San Rafael topping any list for "Violent Crime" or "Rapes per 100,000" like Oakland. Also, unlike Oakland, San Rafael isn't bottom of the barrel when it comes to attracting money from private investors, the city is home to some of the biggest technology firms in the Bay Area. San Rafael has all the benefits of an upper class, wealthy community, without the eyesore that is HALF of Oakland.

[fishstix3]

Originally Posted by Mr. Fantastic

We don't want BART coming into Marin, period. A cheap way for riff raff from Oakland and other high crime areas to come into our safe community? No thanks.

LOL, Mr. Fantastic speaks from his own little slice of heaven. PLEASE.
Marin never did want BART, probably still don't now. Personally, the way those fares have gone up, the Marinites are probably the only ones who can afford to ride it!

[Mr. Fantastic]

BART isn't that expensive. You can get from the East Bay into S.F for about $4, and that includes a free MUNI transfer. Not exactly a princely sum.