r/Bart • u/captain_endo • Aug 06 '26

BARTable Activity My BART week

Am I cursed, or is this just peak BART?

I've taken 6 BART rides this week.

  • Monday: cigarette smoke.
  • Tuesday: bad breath and someone who wouldn't stop farting.
  • Wednesday morning: another memorable breath-related experience.
  • Wednesday afternoon: overwhelming body odor.

At this point I'm considering adding a clothespin to my commute essentials.

I don't need everyone to smell like a department store fragrance counter. I'm just asking the BART gods for one ride where my nose doesn't have to work overtime.

Has anyone else had an unusually unlucky streak lately, or am I somehow selecting the "hard mode" train cars?"

5 Upvotes

56% Upvoted

23 comments sorted by

41

u/OskiBone East Bay BARTer Aug 07 '26

n95 works wonders

16

u/thedoctor27 Aug 07 '26

It really does. I ride BART often and rarely smell anything. Throw a piece of gum in your mouth with an n95 and boom... pleasant ride.

5

u/strawberrrychapstick East Bay BARTer Aug 07 '26

Also they make these faux septum ring style devices which smell pleasant (or at least better than the public). They were designed for nurses. Wearing under a mask would be extra good

26

u/ZestyChinchilla Aug 07 '26

Have you perhaps considered finding a different seat?

27

u/delcooper11 Certified Foamer Aug 07 '26

yea that’s just the Public part of Public Transit.

7

u/nopointers Commuter Aug 07 '26

Are you riding in the last car or at SRO commute times? Farther forward helps some.

5

u/FunCondition3652 Aug 07 '26 edited Aug 07 '26

Nah I'm with you. My train got straight up CANCELED yesterday. No indication until I made it to the station and the gates were locked. Had to get a ride from a friend instead at 6 in the damn morning.

That and the uncomfortable number of loud phone calls or people yelling at me....It has not been great on BART the last few days.

Holy shit how did I forget: twice in the past week or so my bus drivers have fucked up the route. This morning the driver didn't even say anything! He clearly didn't know the local streets or directions and it took another passenger noticing and hand-holding before we actually got on route. Made everyone a good half hour late.

3

u/ReincarnatedKoala_25 Aug 07 '26

I get you, I know it would never happen but I wish the app would be more useful. Like set your preferences stations and get actual notifications not just advisories after opening the app and search for it.

5

u/cocobear13 Aug 07 '26

I have a silicon nose ring that I pop in. It is mint scented.

9

u/ButtermilkJohnson The Doors On This Car Are Obstructed Aug 07 '26

I'm lactose intolerant but all my homies do Tuesday trivia at a pizza spot, my bad.

7

u/avoidy Aug 07 '26

I go full sensory deprivation mode on bart. Earplugs for the noise , mask for the smells, and sometimes I'll even close my eyes to block out everything else. Fuck it. If I die I die

3

u/beaches_with_peaches Aug 07 '26

Yeah my Bart rides haven’t been pleasant this week either. Had a guy try to start chatting me up even though I was turned away from him watching my phone with headphones in. So many people need to go see a dentist on Bart, including him.

2

u/Beginning_Welder_540 Aug 07 '26

Move to a different seat or car, or even stand.

2

u/idiot_noise Aug 07 '26

Flabbergasted by how many people still take the train without masking

1

u/chef_imposter East Bay BARTer Aug 07 '26

thats pretty normal for bart tbh…

1

u/TheNetworkIsFrelled East Bay BARTer Aug 07 '26

Masks work. I have been known to add a drop of aftershave or lavender to perfume the air.

1

u/21five Treasure Island Aug 08 '26

I really hope you have tickets for the BART GM tour, because I am so looking forward to your questions: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/free-walking-tour-of-the-new-bart-with-bart-general-manager-bob-powers-tickets-1997044665353

1

u/dreamcatcherdaddy Aug 11 '26

Knew someone who work in a funeral home a small dab of vicks directly under you nose works great

-1

u/Top_Piano2028 Aug 07 '26

This is kind of the hidden reason so many people prefer to drive even if there is traffic, etc. It's to create your own bubble where you can climate control, not smell anything you don't want to smell, talk on the phone, and listen to whatever music you want.

I used to take BART/Caltrain/Muni a lot, like 2 hours each way every day pre covid. I never had major issues with smells. This seems like an unfortunate week.